Swoosie Kurtz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swoosie Kurtz
Kurtz at the 2009 premiere of PoliWood
Born	(1944-09-06) September 6, 1944 (age 80) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern California London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1962–present
Parent(s)	Frank Kurtz Jr. (father)

Swoosie Kurtz (/ˈswuːsi/ SWOO-see; born September 6, 1944) is a talented American actress. She has won many important awards, including an Emmy Award and two Tony Awards, for her great performances.

Swoosie Kurtz first appeared on Broadway in 1975 in a play called Ah, Wilderness. She has been nominated for five Tony Awards, which are like the Oscars for theater. She won two of these awards: one for Fifth of July in 1981 and another for The House of Blue Leaves in 1986.

She has also been nominated for eight Emmy Awards for her television work, winning one in 1990 for Carol and Company. You might know her from TV shows like Sisters (1991–1996), Huff (2004–2006), Pushing Daisies (2007–2009), and the popular show Mike & Molly (2010–2016). Her movies include Wildcats (1986), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Liar Liar (1997), and Bubble Boy (2001).

Early Life and Unique Name

Swoosie Kurtz was born in Omaha, Nebraska. She is the only child of Margaret "Margo" Rogers and Air Force Colonel Frank Allen Kurtz Jr.. Her father was a brave pilot in World War II.

Her unique first name, "Swoosie," comes from her father. It's named after a special B-17D Flying Fortress bomber called "The Swoose." This plane was half swan and half goose, and her father flew it during World War II. Her name rhymes with "Lucy."

Acting Career Highlights

Swoosie Kurtz started acting very young. Her first TV appearance was at age 17 on The Donna Reed Show in 1962. She also appeared on To Tell the Truth when she was 18. In 1971, she became a regular on the TV show As The World Turns.

John Guare and Swoosie Kurtz at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival

Swoosie began her career in theater. She made her Broadway debut in 1975 in Ah, Wilderness!. She became widely known in 1978 for two plays: Uncommon Women and Others and A History of the American Film. For the second play, she won a Drama Desk Award.

She later won Broadway's "triple crown" (the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards) for her role as Gwen in Fifth of July. She won another Tony Award in 1986 for her role as Bananas in The House of Blue Leaves. In 2002, she played the famous writer Lillian Hellman in the play Imaginary Friends.

Cynthia Nixon, John Hurt, and Swoosie Kurtz at the Tribeca Film Festival showing of An Englishman in New York (2009)

In 1978, Swoosie was part of the cast of Mary Tyler Moore's TV show Mary, which also featured David Letterman and Michael Keaton. In 1981, she starred with Tony Randall in the sitcom Love, Sidney. This role earned her the first of her 10 Emmy Award nominations. In 1990, she won her first Emmy for a guest role on Carol Burnett's show Carol & Company.

From 1991 to 1996, Swoosie had her longest TV role as Alex Reed Halsey on the NBC drama Sisters. This role earned her two more Emmy nominations. She also played Lily Charles in the ABC series Pushing Daisies.

More recently, Swoosie has appeared in many popular TV shows. She had guest roles on ER, Lost, and Desperate Housewives. She also had recurring roles on That's Life, Still Standing, Huff, and Nurse Jackie. From 2010 to 2016, she starred as Joyce Flynn in the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly. She also played Matt LeBlanc's mother in Man with a Plan and Mayim Bialik's mother in Call Me Kat.

Besides TV, Swoosie has acted in several major Hollywood movies. These include Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Cruel Intentions (1999), Citizen Ruth (1996), and Liar Liar (1997) with Jim Carrey.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

Swoosie Kurtz has been recognized with many awards and nominations throughout her career for her outstanding acting.

See also

In Spanish: Swoosie Kurtz para niños