Betty Garrett (May 23, 1919 – February 12, 2011) was an American actress, comedienne, singer and dancer who originally performed on Broadway before being signed to a film contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. While there, she appeared in several musical films before returning to Broadway and making guest appearances on several television series.Later, she became known for the roles she played in two prominent 1970s sitcoms: Archie Bunker's liberal neighbor Irene Lorenzo in All in the Family and landlady Edna Babish in Laverne & Shirley.In later years, Garrett appeared in television series such as Grey's Anatomy, Boston Public and Becker as well as in several Broadway plays and revivals.
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Comedy Series
Movies
Big City, Words and Music, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Neptune's Daughter, On the Town, My Sister Eileen, The Shadow on the Window, The Long Way Home, Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer, Trail of the Screaming Forehead, Dark and Stormy Night
TV Shows
Laverne & Shirley, All in the Family, The Chevy Show (1958)
Star Sign
Gemini
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Quote
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[on working with Orson Welles and The Mercury Theater] He had an unbroken string of successes. But unfortunately I joined the company just in time for the first flop, 'Danton's Death'. He was a genius, but in that one he let his genius get slightly out of hand. He loaded up the little theater with thousands of dollars worth of lights, and tore out the stage and put in elevator platforms, so all the actors were constantly moving up and down out of the depths. I remember we all had to make noises in the night, in addition to our roles. I did animal noises. Joseph Cotten had to do sex noises. Can you imagine? Joseph Cotton?
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Fact
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Suzanne Collins, Donna Fuller, Sally Klein, Laurie O'Brien, Jennifer Parsons, Teri Ralston and she were awarded the 1983 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance for "Quilters" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
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Appearing in the play "Waiting in the Wings" by Noël Coward at Theatre West, Los Angeles. [October 2008]
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Made her theatrical debut in a 1938 Mercury Theatre production of "Danton's death".
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Her father was an alcoholic travelling salesman who died when she was still a child.
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Was under contract at MGM, 1947-49.
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Performed at the 1939 World's Fair.
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Co-founder, with Carol Eve Rossen and Sandy Kenyon, of "Theatre West", an internationally acclaimed non-profit arts organization in Hollywood, in 1962.
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She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre at 6706 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
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Attended high school and graduated from The Annie Wright School in Tacoma, Washington.
$2 Million
