Elaine Stritch

Scene-stealing talent of stage and screen, Elaine Stritch has a lot to offer any role she takes. With over six decades of experience, Stritch is an acting veteran of the highest caliber.

Elaine Stritch was born February 2, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan. Her parents were Mildred Jobe and George Joseph Stritch, a homemaker and business executive respectively. Born into a financially well-to-do family, Stritch grew up within strict Roman Catholic rules. She was even niece to Chicago’s Roman Catholic Archbishop, Samuel Cardinal Stritch.

Pursuing her studies at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research with mentor Erwin Piscator, Stritch trained beside other notable actors Marlon Brando and Bea Arthur.

Putting her skills to the test, Stritch made her onscreen debut in 1948 with the television series, The Growing Paynes. For the next several years, she focused on her stage career, and it wasn’t long before she was on Broadway with Angel in the Wings. She continued her stage work, earning her greatest recognition in 1971 with her now-famous rendition of “The Ladies Who Lunch.”

Breaking into television and film, Stritch has taken countless roles, securing her place as one of the most prolific and loved character actors. Her role opposite Rock Hudson in A Farewell to Arms (1957) helped make her name known as well as the Roald Dahl adaptations Tales of the Unexpected and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She also starred in the television pilot Steel Magnolias. Based on the popular film, it aired but was ultimately rejected by the studio.

She earned widespread recognition for her recurring roles in One Life to Live, Law & Order, Third Rock from the Sun, and Tina Fey’s hit series 30 Rock.

Her television accolades began in earnest in 1991 with her first Emmy nomination. Starring opposite Jason Robards, Rebecca De Mornay, and Peter Gallagher in An Inconvenient Woman, it was only a matter of time before Stritch’s nominations became wins. In 1993, she secured that prize. Playing Lannie Stiglitz in Law & Order, she finally took home the Emmy. In 2004, she was honored again for Elaine Stritch at Liberty. Most recently, Stritch was named the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2007 Emmys for her work on 30 Rock.

Stritch’s marriage to fellow actor John Bay, which occurred in February 1973, ended tragically in 1982 when he died of brain cancer. This preceded a dip in her work and a dangerous struggle with alcoholism. It wasn’t until 1990 when her career was back on track. She speaks frankly about these tribulations in her show Elaine Stritch at Liberty.

Most recently, she appeared in the romantic comedy Monster-in-Law with Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, and Michael Vartan. She can also be seen in the John Turturro directed Romance & Cigarettes with James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, and Kate Winslet.

Other notable awards include her impressive four Tony Awards. 1956 brought her the first win for Bus Stop followed by Sail Away (1962), Company (1971), and most recently A Delicate Balance (1996).

After the death of her late husband, Stritch never remarried.