Colleen Rose Dewhurst (3 June 1924 – 22 August 1991) was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early dramas on live television, and performances in

Joseph Papp Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. He established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in Lower Manhattan. There Papp created ...

New York Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare in the Park (or Free Shakespeare in the Park) is a theatrical program that stages productions of Shakespearean plays at the Delacorte Theater, an open-air theater in New York City's Central Park. The theater and the productions ar ...

. One of her last roles was playing Marilla Cuthbert in the Kevin Sullivan television adaptations of the ''Anne of Green Gables'' series and her reprisal of the role in the subsequent TV series '' Road to Avonlea''. In the United States, Dewhurst won two

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

s and four Emmy Awards for her stage and television work. In addition to other

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

honors over the years, Dewhurst won two Gemini Awards (the former Canadian equivalency to an Emmy Award) for her portrayal of Marilla Cuthbert; once in 1986 and again in 1988. It is arguably her best known role because of the Kevin Sullivan produced series’ continuing popularity and also the initial co-production by the CBC; allowing for rebroadcasts over the years on it, and also on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The initial broadcast alone was seen by millions of viewers.

Early life

Dewhurst was born 3 June 1924, in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

, Quebec, the only child of Frances Marie ( Woods) and Ferdinand Augustus "Fred" Dewhurst. Fred Dewhurst was the owner of a chain of confectionery stores and had been a celebrated athlete in Canada, where he had played football with the Ottawa Rough Riders. The family became naturalized as U.S. citizens before 1940. Colleen Dewhurst's mother was a

Christian Scientist Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally known ...

, a faith Colleen also embraced. The Dewhursts moved to Massachusetts in 1928 or 1929, staying in the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

area neighborhoods of Dorchester, Auburndale, and West Newton. Later they moved to New York City and then to

Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin Whitefish Bay is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 14,954 at the 2020 census. History In the early 19th century when the first white settlers arrived, the Whitefish Bay area was controlled by Native A ...

. Dewhurst attended

Whitefish Bay High School Whitefish Bay High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in the village of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, United States. Enrollment is 947 students, in grades 9 through 12. The school newspaper, the ''Tower Times'', and the school ...

for her first two years of high school, moved to Shorewood High School for her junior year, and graduated from Riverside High School in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

in 1942. About this time her parents separated. Dewhurst attended

Milwaukee-Downer College Milwaukee-Downer College was a women's college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in operation from 1895 to 1964. History Milwaukee-Downer College was established in 1895 with the merger of two institutions: Milwaukee College and Downer College of Fox Lak ...

for two years, then moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.

Career

One of her most significant stage roles was in the 1974 Broadway revival of O'Neill's ''

A Moon for the Misbegotten ''A Moon for the Misbegotten'' is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. The play is a sequel to O'Neill's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', with the Jim Tyrone character as an older version of Jamie Tyrone. He began drafting the play late in ...

'' as Josie Hogan, for which she won a Tony Award. She previously won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in 1961 for '' All the Way Home''. She later played Katharina in a 1956 production of ''

Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

'' for

. She (as recounted in her posthumous obituary in collaboration with Tom Viola) wrote:

With Brooks Atkinson's blessing, our world changed overnight. Suddenly in our audience of neighbors in T-shirts and jeans appeared men in white shirts, jackets and ties and ladies in summer dresses. We were in a hit that would have a positive effect on my career, as well as Joe's, but I missed the shouting.

She played Shakespeare's

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

and Lady Macbeth for Papp and years later, Gertrude in a production of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' at the

Delacorte Theatre The Delacorte Theater is a 1,800-seat open-air theater in Central Park, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is home to the Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park productions. Over five million people have attended more than 15 ...

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

. She appeared in the ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'' episode ''Night Fever'' in 1965 and with

Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary ''Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is often ...

in ''

More Stately Mansions ''More Stately Mansions'' is a play by Eugene O'Neill. Originally intended to be part of a nine-play cycle entitled ''A Tale of Possessors Self-Dispossessed'', ''Mansions'' was an incomplete rough draft written between 1936 and 1939 that O'Neill ...

'' on Broadway in 1967. José Quintero directed her in O'Neill's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' and ''

Mourning Becomes Electra ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...

''. She appeared in Edward Albee's adaptation of

Carson McCullers Carson McCullers (February 19, 1917 – September 29, 1967) was an American novelist, short-story writer, playwright, essayist, and poet. Her first novel, '' The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'' (1940), explores the spiritual isolation of misfits ...

' ''

Ballad of the Sad Cafe A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

'' and as Martha in a Broadway revival of ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receiv ...

'', opposite

Ben Gazzara Biagio Anthony Gazzara (August 28, 1930 – February 3, 2012) was an American actor and director of film, stage, and television. He received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Drama Desk Award, in addition to nominatio ...

which Albee directed. She appeared in 1962 as Joanne Novak in the episode "I Don't Belong in a White-Painted House" in the medical drama '' The Eleventh Hour'', starring

Wendell Corey Wendell Reid Corey (March 20, 1914 – November 8, 1968) was an American actor and politician. He was President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was a board member of the Screen Actors Guild. Biography Early years Corey was ...

and

Jack Ging Jack Lee Ging (November 30, 1931 – September 9, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known as General Harlan "Bull" Fulbright on NBC's television adventure series ''The A-Team'', and for his supporting role in the final season of ''Tales ...

. Dewhurst appeared opposite her then husband, Scott, in a 1971 television adaptation of

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...

's '' The Price'', on ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...

'', and an anthology series. There is another television recording of them together when she played Elizabeth Proctor to the unfaithful John in Miller's ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as a ...

'' (with

Tuesday Weld Tuesday Weld (born Susan Ker Weld; August 27, 1943) is an American actress and model. She began acting as a child and progressed to mature roles in the late 1950s. She won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1960. Over t ...

). In 1977,

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

cast her in his film ''

Annie Hall ''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by him and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer, w ...

'' as Annie's mother. In her autobiography, Dewhurst wrote: "I had moved so quickly from one Off-Broadway production to the next that I was known, at one point, as the 'Queen of

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

'. This title was not due to my brilliance, but, rather, because most of the plays I was in closed after a run of anywhere from one night to two weeks. I would then move immediately into another." In 1972 she played a madam, Mrs. Kate Collingwood, in ''The Cowboys'' (1972), which starred John Wayne. Dewhurst also appeared with Wayne in the 1974 film McQ. She was the first actress to share a love scene with Wayne in bed. In 1985, she played the role of Marilla Cuthbert in Kevin Sullivan's adaptation of

Lucy Maud Montgomery Lucy Maud Montgomery (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942), published as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a collection of novels, essays, short stories, and poetry beginning in 1908 with ''Anne of Green Gables''. She ...

's novel '' Anne of Green Gables'' and reprised the role in 1987's ''

Anne of Avonlea Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in th ...

'' (also known as ''Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel'') and in several episodes of Kevin Sullivan's '' Road to Avonlea''. Dewhurst was on hiatus from ''Road to Avonlea'' when she died in 1991. Sullivan Productions was unaware she was terminally ill, so her portrayal of Marilla ended posthumously. This was accomplished by shooting new scenes with actress

Patricia Hamilton Patricia Hamilton (born 27 April 1937 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Canadian actress, perhaps best known for playing Rachel Lynde in the television mini-series '' Anne of Green Gables'', its sequels: '' Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel'' ...

acting as a body double for Dewhurst and by recycling parts of scenes from ''Anne of Green Gables'', ''Road to Avonlea'', and using Dewhurst's death scene as Hepzibah in Sullivan's production of '' Lantern Hill''. The latter was a 1990 television film based on L.M. Montgomery's '' Jane of Lantern Hill''. During 1989 and 1990, she appeared in a supporting role on the television series '' Murphy Brown'' playing Avery Brown, the feisty mother of

Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...

's title character; this role earned her two Emmy Awards, the second being awarded posthumously. Dewhurst won a total of two Tony Awards and four Emmy Awards for her stage and television work. Season 4, Episode 6 entitled "Full Circle" was the Murphy Brown episode filmed shortly after her death and dedicated to her memory. In a review of Dewhurst’s final film role as Ruth in ''Bed and Breakfast (1991),'' Emanuel Levy wrote “''Bed and Breakfast'' is the kind of small, intimate picture that actors revere. The stunningly sensual Dewhurst, in one of her last screen roles, dominates every scene she is in, making the lusty and down-to-earth Ruth at once credible and enchanting.“ Dewhurst was president of the

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...

from 1985 until her death. She was the first national president to die in the office.

Personal life and final years

Colleen Dewhurst was married to James Vickery from 1947 to 1960. She married and divorced

George C. Scott George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was an American actor, director, and producer who had a celebrated career on both stage and screen. With a gruff demeanor and commanding presence, Scott became known for his port ...

twice. They had two sons, Alexander Scott and actor

Campbell Scott Campbell Scott (born July 19, 1961) is an American actor, producer and director. His roles include Steve Dunne in '' Singles'', Mark Usher in '' House of Cards'', Joseph Tobin in ''Damages'', and Richard Parker in '' The Amazing Spider-Man'' an ...

; she co-starred with Campbell in ''

Dying Young ''Dying Young'' is a 1991 American romance film directed by Joel Schumacher. It is based on a novel of the same name by Marti Leimbach, and stars Julia Roberts and Campbell Scott with Vincent D'Onofrio, Colleen Dewhurst, David Selby, and Ellen B ...

'' (1991), one of her last film roles as she died in August 1991. During the last years of her life she lived on a farm in

South Salem, New York South Salem is a hamlet in the Town of Lewisboro, Westchester County, in the U.S. state of New York. Part of the New York metropolitan area, the town center has a post office, town hall, library, and recycling center. Notable residents have inclu ...

with her partner, Ken Marsolais. They also had a summer home on

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Maureen Stapleton Lois Maureen Stapleton (June 21, 1925 – March 13, 2006) was an American actress. She received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, in addition to ...

wrote about Dewhurst:

Colleen looked like a warrior, so people assumed she was the earth mother. But in real life Colleen was not to be let out without a keeper. She couldn't stop herself from taking care of people, which she then did with more care than she took care of herself. Her generosity of spirit was overwhelming and her smile so dazzling that you couldn't pull the... reins in on her even if you desperately wanted to and knew damn well that somebody should.Dewhurst, Colleen; Viola, Tom (1997). ''Colleen Dewhurst — Her Autobiography''. Scribner;

Dewhurst's Christian Science beliefs led to her refusal to accept any kind of surgical treatment. She died of

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...

at the age 67 at her South Salem home in 1991. She was cremated and her ashes were given to family and friends; no public service was planned.

Awards

Over the course of her 45 year career, Dewhurst won the 1974 Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theatre, two Tony Awards, two

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...

s, and two Gemini Awards. In 1989, she won the

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...

for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in ''Hitting Home''. Of her 13 Emmy Award nominations, she won four. She was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981.''The New York Times'', March 3, 1981 - ''26 Elected to the Theater Hall of Fame''
/ref> * 1961:

Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play The Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality supporting roles in a Broadway play. The ...

- '' All the Way Home'' * 1974:

Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre. The award is given to actresses for quality leadi ...

- ''

'' * 1986: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie - '' Between Two Women'' * 1989: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - '' Murphy Brown'': "Mama Said" * 1989:

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outs ...

- '' Those She Left Behind'' * 1991: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - ''Murphy Brown'': "Bob and Murphy and Ted and Avery" ;Nominations * 1962: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actress - ''Focus'' * 1968: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Drama - ''

'' * 1971: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - '' The Price'' * 1976: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Comedy Special - ''

A Moon For the Misbegotten ''A Moon for the Misbegotten'' is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. The play is a sequel to O'Neill's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', with the Jim Tyrone character as an older version of Jamie Tyrone. He began drafting the play late in ...

'' * 1979:

- ''Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story'' * 1981:

- '' The Women's Room'' * 1990:

- '' Lantern Hill'' * 1990: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress – Drama Series - '' Road to Avonlea'' * 1991: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress – Drama Series - ''Road to Avonlea'' * 1962: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - ''

Great Day In the Morning ''Great Day in the Morning'' is a Technicolor Superscope 1956 film.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; May 19, 1956, page 80. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and stars Virginia Mayo, Robert Stack, and Ruth Roman in a story set in 1860s De ...

'' * 1964: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - ''

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' * 1968: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - ''

'' * 1972: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - ''

All Over ''All Over'' is a two-act play written in 1970 by Edward Albee. He had originally developed it in 1967 as a short play entitled ''Death'', the second half of a projected double bill with another play called ''Life'' (which later became '' Seascap ...

'' * 1973: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - ''

'' * 1977: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...

Filmography

Films and television films

Television work (excluding television films)

Theatre

Bibliography

* Dewhurst, Colleen; Viola, Tom (1997). ''Colleen Dewhurst - Her Autobiography''. Scribner. .

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dewhurst, Colleen 1924 births 1991 deaths American Christian Scientists American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Actresses from Milwaukee Actresses from Montreal Actresses from New York (state) Canadian Christian Scientists Canadian film actresses Canadian stage actresses Canadian television actresses Canadian voice actresses Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Deaths from cervical cancer Milwaukee-Downer College alumni Best Supporting Actress Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners Tony Award winners 20th-century American actresses People from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin People from South Salem, New York Canadian emigrants to the United States Shorewood High School (Wisconsin) alumni Whitefish Bay High School alumni Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Canadian Screen Award winners Presidents of the Actors' Equity Association