Elizabeth Welter Wilson (April 4, 1921 – May 9, 2015) was an American actress whose career spanned nearly 70 years, including memorable roles in film and television. In 1972 she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in ''

Sticks and Bones ''Sticks and Bones'' is a 1971 play by David Rabe. The black comedy focuses on David, a blind Vietnam War veteran who finds himself unable to come to terms with his actions on the battlefield and alienated from his family because they neither can ...

''. Wilson was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2006.

Early life

Wilson was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the daughter of insurance agent Henry Dunning Wilson and Marie Ethel (née Welter) Wilson. Her maternal grandfather was a wealthy German immigrant, and Wilson was raised in a large mansion.Jean, Pat Grand
"First Q&A: Elizabeth Wilson"
''Connecticut Magazine'', April 2012 She attended the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, and then studied with

Sanford Meisner Sanford Meisner (August 31, 1905 – February 2, 1997) was an American actor and acting teacher who developed an approach to acting instruction that is now known as the Meisner technique. While Meisner was exposed to method acting at the Group ...

at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. According to Wilson, she was a lifelong liberal

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

and she adhered to the Methodist faith.

Career

Wilson was a versatile character actress, appearing in over 30 movies and many Broadway plays. The ''Los Angeles Times'' noted: "Tall and elegant, Wilson often played women who had or sought authority." Wilson made her Broadway debut in ''

Picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

'' in 1953. Her stage credits include ''Desk Set'' (1955), ''

The Good Woman of Szechuan ''The Good Person of Szechwan'' (german: Der gute Mensch von Sezuan, first translated less literally as ''The Good Man of Setzuan'') is a play written by the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Margarete Steffin and Ruth Berlau. ...

'' (1970), ''

'' (1972), '' Uncle Vanya'' (1973), ''

Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music b ...

'' (1976), '' The Importance of Being Earnest'' (1977), '' Morning's at Seven'' (1980), '' You Can't Take It with You'' (1983), '' Ah, Wilderness!'' (1988), and '' A Delicate Balance'' (1996)."Elizabeth Wilson Broadway Credits"
playbillvault.com, accessed May 11, 2015 Wilson made her screen debut reprising her stage role in the 1955 film adaptation of ''

'' as Christine Schoenwalder. Additional films include '' Patterns'' (1956), '' The Goddess'' (1958), '' The Tunnel of Love'' (1958), '' A Child Is Waiting'' (1963, '' The Birds'' (1963), '' The Graduate'' (1967), ''

Jenny Jenny may refer to: * Jenny (given name), a popular feminine name and list of real and fictional people * Jenny (surname), a family name Animals * Jenny (donkey), a female donkey * Jenny (gorilla), the oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of ...

'' (1970), '' Catch-22'' (1970) '' Little Murders'' (1971), '' The Day of the Dolphin'' (1973), '' Man on a Swing'' (1974), '' The Prisoner of Second Avenue'' (1975), ''

9 to 5 Working(laboring) time is the period of time that a person spends at paid Wage labour, labor. Unpaid work, Unpaid labor such as personal housework or caring for children or pets is not considered part of the working week. Many countries regula ...

'' (1980), '' Grace Quigley'' (1984), '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' The Addams Family'' (1991), and ''

Quiz Show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, sh ...

'' (1994). Her last film role was as Sara Delano Roosevelt in ''

Hyde Park on Hudson ''Hyde Park on Hudson'' is a 2012 British historical comedy-drama film directed by Roger Michell. The film stars Bill Murray as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth, and Laura Linney as Margaret "Daisy" Suckley, a cousi ...

'' (2012). Wilson's television credits include early anthology series such as ''

Kraft Television Theatre ''Kraft Television Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series running from 1947 to 1958. It began May 7, 1947 on NBC, airing at 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. It first promoted MacLaren's Imperial Chees ...

'', ''

The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the U.S. Steel, United States Steel Corpor ...

'', and '' Armstrong Circle Theatre''. She was a regular on the primetime drama '' East Side/West Side'' and the sitcom '' Doc", and she appeared in '' Dark Shadows'', ''

The Secret Storm ''The Secret Storm'' is an American soap opera that the CBS television network transmitted from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas ''Search for Tomorrow'' and ''Love ...

'', '' Another World'', '' All in the Family'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'', and ''

Law & Order: Criminal Intent ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 20 ...

''. She also appeared in television movies, including '' The Boys Next Door'' (1996). She appeared in the miniseries '' Nutcracker: Money, Madness and Murder'' in March 1987 as the mother of

Frances Schreuder Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the F ...

(played by Lee Remick), as well as the miniseries ''

Alex Haley's Queen ''Alex Haley's Queen'' (also known as ''Queen'') is a 1993 American television miniseries that aired in three installments on February 14, 16, and 18 on CBS. The miniseries is an adaptation of the 1993 novel '' Queen: The Story of an American F ...

''.

Death

On May 9, 2015, at age 94, Wilson died at her home in New Haven, Connecticut. She is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her parents.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

;Awards * 1972 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for ''Sticks and Bones'' * 1980 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance for ''Morning's at Seven'' ;Nominations * 1957 BAFTA Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer for '' Patterns'' * 1976 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for ''Threepenny Opera'' * 1985 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for ''Salonika'' * 1987 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special for ''Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder''"Emmy Award Search. Elizabeth Wilson Nominations"
, emmys.com, accessed May 12, 2015.

References

External links

* * *
Obituary
HollywoodReporter.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Elizabeth 1921 births 2015 deaths American people of German descent American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Actresses from Grand Rapids, Michigan Tony Award winners American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre alumni 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Grand Rapids Community College alumni Connecticut Democrats New York (state) Democrats Michigan Democrats Methodists from Michigan