Gwen Verdon
Born
January 13, 1925
Died
October 18, 2000 (75 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Culver City, Los Angeles, California, USA
Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for theater and film. With flaming red hair and a quaver in her voice, Verdon was a critically acclaimed performer on Broadway from the 1950s-70s. Having originated many roles in musicals she is also strongly identified with her second husband, director–choreographer Bob Fosse, remembered as the dancer–collaborator–muse for whom he choreographed much of his work and as the guardian of his legacy after his death.
By the time she was six, she was already dancing on stage. She went on to study multiple dance forms, ranging from tap, jazz, ballroom and flamenco to Balinese. In 1942, Verdon’s parents asked her to marry family friend and tabloid reporter James Henaghan after he got her pregnant at 17, and she quit her dancing career to raise their child. After her divorce, she entrusted her son Jimmy to the care of her parents. Early on, Verdon found a job as assistant to choreographer Jack Cole. During her five-year employment with Cole, she took small roles in movie musicals as a "specialty dancer" She also taught dance to stars such as Jane Russell, Fernando Lamas, and Lana Turner. Verdon started out on Broadway as a "gypsy," going from one chorus line to another. Her breakthrough role finally came as second female lead in Cole Porter's musical Can-Can. Verdon's biggest success was George Abbott's Damn Yankees. Verdon won another Tony and went to Hollywood to repeat her role in the 1958 movie version Damn Yankees. Verdon won another Tony for her performance in the musical, New Girl in Town, and won her fourth Tony for Redhead. Verdon and Fosse continued to collaborate on projects such as musicals Chicago and Dancin', as well as All That Jazz. After originating the role of Roxie opposite Chita Rivera's Velma Kelly in Chicago, Verdon focused on film acting, playing character roles in movies such as The Cotton Club, Cocoon and its sequel. She continued to teach dance and musical theater and to act. She received three Emmy Award nominations for appearances on Magnum, P.I., Dream On, and Homicide: Life on the Street. Verdon appeared in Alice and Marvin's Room). In 1999, Verdon served as artistic consultant on a Broadway musical designed to showcase examples of classic Fosse choreography, called Fosse. which won a Tony Award for best musical.
Verdon appeared in the movie Walking Across Egypt, as well as Bruno. Verdon received a total of four Tonys, for best featured actress for Can-Can and best leading actress for Damn Yankees, New Girl in Town, and Redhead. She also won a Grammy Award for the cast recording of Redhead.
Verdon was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1981, and in 1998, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

Merely Marvelous: The Dancing Genius of Gwen Verdon
Self (archive footage)
2019

Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
Self (archive footage)
2015

Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards
Lola (segment "Damn Yankees") (archive footage)
2005

Broadway's Lost Treasures
Roxie Hart (segment "Chicago")
2003

Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Self
2003

Bruno
Mrs. Drago
2000

Walking Across Egypt
Alora
1999

Best Friends for Life
Edith Cooper
1998

The Music of Kander & Ebb: Razzle Dazzle
Self
1997

Marvin's Room
Ruth Wakefield
1996

In Cold Blood
Sadie Truitt · (2 episodes)
1996

Touched by an Angel
Lorraine McCully · (1 episode)
1994

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
Etta Pell
1994

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
Etta Pell · (2 episodes)
1994

Walker, Texas Ranger
Maisie Whitman · (2 episodes)
1993

Homicide: Life on the Street
(1 episode)
1993

Paris Is Burning
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1991

Alice
Alice's Mother
1990
Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret
Self
1990

Dream On
Kitty Brewer · (1 episode)
1990

Bob Fosse: Steam Heat
Herself - Narrator
1990

Dear John
Yvonne · (1 episode)
1988

Cocoon: The Return
Bess McCarthy
1988

Nadine
Vera
1987

All is Forgiven
Bonita Harrell · (1 episode)
1986

The Equalizer
Kelly Sterling · (1 episode)
1985

Cocoon
Bess McCarthy
1985

Night of 100 Stars II
Self
1985

That's Dancing!
Lola (archive footage)
1985

The Cotton Club
Tish Dwyer
1984

American Dance Machine Presents a Celebration of Broadway Dance
Herself - Host
1983

Legs
Maureen Comly
1983

Hotel
(1 episode)
1982

Fame
(1 episode)
1982

Magnum, P.I.
Katherine Peterson · (4 episodes)
1980

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Our Guests at Heartland
1978

That's Entertainment, Part II
(archive footage)
1976

The Deadly Visitor
Mrs. Moffat
1973

M*A*S*H
Brandy Doyle · (1 episode)
1972

Liza with a Z
Audience
1972
The Don Knotts Show
Self · (1 episode)
1970

The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1968

The Carol Burnett Show
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
1967

The Danny Kaye Show
Self · (6 episodes)
1963

The Merv Griffin Show
Self · (4 episodes)
1962

The Mike Douglas Show
Self - Co-Host · (2 episodes)
1961

The Mike Douglas Show
Self · (3 episodes)
1961

Damn Yankees
Lola
1958

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self · (2 episodes)
1956

Tony Awards
Self - Presenter · (2 episodes)
1956

Tony Awards
Self - Performer · (1 episode)
1956

Gentlemen Marry Brunettes
Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
1955

The Farmer Takes a Wife
Abigail (uncredited)
1953

The I Don't Care Girl
Specialty Dancer
1953

The Merry Widow
Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)
1952

Dreamboat
Girl in Commercial (uncredited)
1952

Meet Me After the Show
Gwen Verdon / Sappho, Dancer in No Talent Joe (uncredited)
1951

David and Bathsheba
Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
1951

On the Riviera
Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
1951

The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · (2 episodes)
1950

What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest · (1 episode)
1950

The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (1 episode)
1948

Blonde from Brooklyn
Girl in Nightclub (uncredited)
1945
Hoosier Holiday
Cheerleader
1943

The King Steps Out
Specialty Ballerina (uncredited)
1936