Elizabeth Wilson


Elizabeth Welter Wilson 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. 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 Wilson. Her maternal grandfather was a wealthy German immigrant, and Wilson was raised in a large mansion. She attended the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, then studied with Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.

Career

Wilson was a 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 in 1953. Her stage credits include Desk Set, The Good Woman of Szechuan, Sticks and Bones, Uncle Vanya, Threepenny Opera, The Importance of Being Earnest, Morning's at Seven, You Can't Take It with You, Ah, Wilderness!, and A Delicate Balance.
Wilson made her screen debut reprising her stage role in the 1955 film adaptation of Picnic as Christine Schoenwalder. Additional films include Patterns, The Goddess, The Tunnel of Love, A Child Is Waiting, The Graduate, Jenny, Catch-22 Little Murders, The Day of the Dolphin, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, 9 to 5, Grace Quigley, Regarding Henry, The Addams Family, and Quiz Show. Her last film role was as Sara Delano Roosevelt in Hyde Park on Hudson.
Wilson's television credits include early anthology series such as Kraft Television Theatre, The United States Steel Hour, and Armstrong Circle Theatre. She was a regular on the primetime drama East Side/West Side and sitcom Doc and she appeared in Dark Shadows, Another World, All in the Family, Murder, She Wrote, and '. She also appeared in television movies, including The Boys Next Door. She appeared in the miniseries ' in March 1987 as the mother of Frances Schreuder, as well as the miniseries Alex Haley's Queen.

Death

On May 9, 2015, at age 94, Wilson died at her home in New Haven, Connecticut.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

;Awards
;Nominations