Jane Connell
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Jane Connell (born October 27, 1925) is an American character actress.
Born Jane Sperry Bennett in Berkeley, California, Connell began her career with her husband Gordon working in such San Francisco night clubs as The Purple Onion and The Hungry I.
The couple eventually moved to New York City, where Connell made her off-Broadway debut in the 1955 revival of Threepenny Opera. Her big break came in 1966 when she was cast as Agnes Gooch in Jerry Herman's Mame. She recreated the role in the 1974 screen adaptation when Lucille Ball, the film's star, grew dissatisfied with Madeline Kahn, who originally had been signed for the role. [1]
Connell was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in Me and My Girl (1986). Additional Broadway credits include The Full Monty, Moon Over Buffalo, Crazy For You, Lend Me a Tenor, Dear World, and Drat! The Cat!. Although both Connell and her husband enjoyed extensive theatre careers, they appeared together only once, in Lysistrata in 1972.
Connell's film roles include Kotch and House Calls. Her television appearances include Green Acres, Love, American Style, Maude, All in the Family, Good Times, Law & Order, and Bewitched.
[edit] References
- ^ Michael Karol (2004), Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia , iUniverse, ISBN 0595297617
