Ruta Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruta Lee
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Ruta Lee at a ceremony for Leslie Caron's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.
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| Born |
Ruta Mary Kilmonis
May 30, 1935 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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| Citizenship | Canada, United States, Lithuania |
| Alma mater | Los Angeles City College UCLA |
| Occupation | Actress, dancer |
| Years active | 1952–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Webster B. Lowe Jr.
(m. 1976; died 2020) |
Ruta Lee (born Ruta Mary Kilmonis on May 30, 1935) is a Canadian-American actress and dancer. She is known for her roles in many movies and TV shows. She was born in Montreal, Canada, to parents who had moved from Lithuania.
Lee appeared as one of the brides in the famous musical movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She also acted in the crime movie Witness for the Prosecution and the musical Funny Face. Many people also remember her from a 1963 episode of the science-fiction show The Twilight Zone.
Besides movies, Lee was a guest star on many TV series. She was also a popular face on game shows like Hollywood Squares and Match Game. She even co-hosted the game show High Rollers with Alex Trebek.
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Early Life and Family
Ruta Lee was born in Montreal, Quebec, as the only child of her Lithuanian parents. Her father worked as a tailor, and her mother was a homemaker.
In 1948, when Ruta was a young teen, her family moved to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. She went to Hollywood High School and graduated in 1952. She loved acting and started appearing in school plays. Later, she studied at Los Angeles City College and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
To earn money, she worked at the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater as a cashier and candy seller. However, she was fired one night when her cash register was short by $40.
Acting Career
After losing her theater job, Lee got her first big break on television. She appeared on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. Soon after, she got an agent who helped her find more work. She appeared in an episode of The Roy Rogers Show and later in the TV series Adventures of Superman.
Success in Movies
While acting in a small play, Lee landed the role of Ruth, one of the brides in the hit musical movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). This role made her famous.
She went on to appear in other popular films. These included Funny Face (1957) with Audrey Hepburn and Witness for the Prosecution (1957). In 1962, she starred in the Western comedy Sergeants 3 with the famous "Rat Pack" group, which included Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. She also starred in the Western movie Bullet for a Badman (1964).
Television and Game Shows
Lee was very busy on television in the 1950s and 1960s. She guest-starred on dozens of shows, including Westerns like Maverick and Gunsmoke, and crime dramas like Perry Mason.
She also appeared in popular shows like The Andy Griffith Show, The Twilight Zone, and Hogan's Heroes. Her role in the Twilight Zone episode "A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain" is one of her most remembered TV performances.
In the 1970s, Lee became a regular on game shows. She was known for her fun personality on Hollywood Squares and Match Game. From 1974 to 1976, she co-hosted the game show High Rollers.
Later Career
In the 1980s, Lee did voice acting for cartoons like The Flintstone Comedy Show and The Smurfs. She also continued to act in TV shows like The Love Boat and Charles in Charge.
In the 1990s, she had a memorable role on the sitcom Roseanne. In 2006, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work in television. She has continued to act on stage and screen, even appearing as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars in 2024.
Personal Life
In 1976, Lee married restaurant owner Webster B. Lowe Jr. They were married until he died in 2020. The couple did not have any children. Lee has described her political views as "conservative," which generally means supporting traditional values and limited government involvement.
In 2013, she was inducted into the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame. In 2019, she was officially granted citizenship in Lithuania, the country her parents came from.
Helping Her Family
Lee was known for helping her family members who lived in the Soviet Union, a country that no longer exists. In 1964, she asked the Soviet leader to release her grandmother from a camp in Siberia. Her request was granted, and her grandmother came to live with her in California.
In 1987, she also helped her 18-year-old cousin move from Lithuania to the United States.
Charity Work
For more than 50 years, Lee was very involved with a charity called The Thalians. This group, which she worked on with her friend, the actress Debbie Reynolds, raises money to help young people with mental health issues. After 55 years, she stepped down but is still honored as a special member.
See also
- List of Canadian actors
- List of Lithuanian actors
- List of dancers
- List of people from Fort Worth, Texas
- List of people from Montreal
- List of people from Palm Springs, California
- List of University of California, Los Angeles people
