Cloris Leachman Biography
Cloris Leachman is an Oscar American actress and comedian born on 30th April 1926 in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. She is popularly known for her role as Phyllis Lindstrom on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and its spinoff “Phyllis.” She won an Oscar award and has eight Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2014 she received an honorary degree from Northwestern.
As a child, Cloris took piano lessons and participated in community theatre. She briefly studied drama at Northwestern University and in 1946 she participated in the Miss America Pageant as Miss Chicago finishing as one of the 16 semifinalists. After the award, she made her film debut as an unnamed extra in the movie Carnegie Hall (1947).
From 1947 – 1948 she served as an understudy for the female lead in the Broadway comedy John Loves Mary. In 1948 she made her Broadway debut playing the part of Celia in the revival of As You Like It (1950). She appeared in several short-lived Broadway shows but her most notable ones were Arthur Miller’s The Crucible (1953) and King of Hearts (1954). She also acted in several live television dramas.
Cloris made her feature debut film in Kiss Me Deadly (1955) as the young woman whose death is the catalyst for the plot. She spent most of the 1960s playing guest roles on TV shows.
Cloris got noticed when she played the role of Agnes, a prostitute, in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). She played the role of Ruth Popper, the homely, lonely wife of a high school football coach, in ‘The Last Picture Show’ (1971). The role earned her an Academy Award for best-supporting actress. She later appeared in numerous TV movies most notable are Of Thee I Sing (1972) and The Migrants (1974).
Her long-lasting fame came when she played the role of Phyllis Lindstrom, the landlady of Mary Richards, in the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–77). The role earned her an Emmy Award in 1974 and 1975. and later starred in the spin-off sitcom Phyllis (1975–77).
During that time Leachman also won an Emmy for the TV movie A Brand New Life (1973) and another Emmy for her performance in a 1975 episode of the variety show Cher. In addition, she turned in an indelible performance as Frau Blücher in Mel Brooks’s film Young Frankenstein (1974). She thereafter remained primarily a television actress.
Cloris Leachman Age
Cloris was born on 30th April 1926 in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. (92 years as of 2018)
Cloris Leachman Family
Cloris was born to Cloris (née Wallace; 1901–1967) and Berkeley Claiborne “Buck” Leachman (1903–1956). Her father worked at the family-owned Leachman Lumber Company.
Cloris is the oldest of three sisters: Claborne Cary (1932 – 2010), who was an actress and singer and Mary who is not in show business.
Cloris Leachman Husband
Cloris married George Englund, an American film esitor, director and producer, in 1953 although they divorced in 1978. Englund died on 14th September 2017 at the age of 91 due to complications from a fall.
In her autobiography she wrote that she had an open marriage with her husband and she had flings with stars including Gene Hackman and singer Andy Williams. She says she suspected George was cheating on her suspicions that were later confirmed by Joan Collins who at the time was making her mark in America as a screen sex symbol in movies such as Our Girl Friday.
“As I would find out, Joan had eyes for George. Though I didn’t know it at the time, I was about to begin the most difficult time of my life.”
While Cloris was in New York starring in the play ‘A Touch Of The Poet’ she say saw the newspaper gossip column headline: “Joan Collins Should Get An Oscar For The Love Scene She Played With George Englund Last Night ” on the opening night of the play.
Three nights later, according to her book, Joan called at 4am and said: “George just left here. We see each other every day. I’m in love with him. What do you want to do about that?’
“I don’t know,’ I said.
‘I’m not sure what the choices are. Do you think you two can make a go of it?’ She replied: ‘Yes, I do. I love him but he loves you.’ When I told George about the call he was angry Joan had made it.”
Joan later said she broke off the affair after she found out Englund had slept with Cloris during their romance. The affair did not break Cloris marriage as they divorced in 1978.
Cloris Leachman Children
Cloris has five children from her marriage to George Englund: Adam Englund (1953), Bryan Englund (1956 – 1986), George Englund Jr. (1957), Morgan Englund (1963) and Dinah Englund (1966)
Bryan was found dead in a Manhattan YMCA room in 1986, police found two bottles of ulcer medication and his death was ruled to have been caused by an overdose of the ulcer drugs.
During an interview, Cloris revealed that she knew about her son’s addiction but she didn’t get through to help her son. She said that despite all the time that has passed she still hasn’t gotten over it.
“It gets worse; time doesn’t help at all. I think about him a lot, more than I used to. It had a big impact on our family. We each had our own relationship with him, so it’s not as if we can talk about it and share. We don’t share; it’s just private.”Cloris.
Cloris Leachman Photos
Cloris LeachmanCloris Leachman Education
After high school, she joined Illinois State University where she studied drama and later enrolled at Northwestern University where she was a member of Gamma Phil Beta. After finishing in the top 16 she won a thousand dollar scholarship which she to fund her voice lessons and studied at the Actors Studio.
Leachman Miss America 1946
Leachman earned the title of Miss Chicago and in 1946 she competed in the Miss America pageant. She finished in the top 16 and won $1,000 in scholarship money which she used to fund her voice lessons and studied at the Actors Studio.
Cloris Leachman Hot, Young and Feet (1)Cloris Leachman: How competing in the 1946 Miss America pageant led to studying acting alongside Marlon Brando https://t.co/Wz6PFhgtyt pic.twitter.com/9bglyY7Wya
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) 2016. december 21.
Cloris Leachman Dancing with the Stars
Leachman was a contestant on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars, paired with Corky Ballas, the oldest of the professionals. Leachman is the oldest person to compete on the show to date. She was eliminated on 28th October 2008 as the 6th person.
During an interview she revealed that she was turned down twice before getting a slot due to her old age but the network said it wasn’t because of her age but admitted they turned her down.
“My son became my manager, and he said to me, ‘Mom, if you could do anything you wanted to do, what would it be?’ And out of my mouth immediately came ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ I hadn’t been watching it all these years; I passed it by once and watched part of it and I just loved it… They turned me down twice because I was too old.”
Cloris Leachman Adventure Time
Cloris played the voice of Old Marceline in 2 episodes in 2012 in the tv series Adventure Time. The show follows twelve-year-old Finn who battles evil in the Land of Ooo. Assisted by his magical dog, Jake, Finn roams the Land of Ooo righting wrongs and battling evil. Usually, that evil comes in the form of the Ice King, who is in search of a wife. He’s decided he should wed Princess Bubblegum, though she doesn’t want to marry him. Still, he persists in trying to steal her away, and Finn and Jake, along with Lady Raincorn (a cross between a unicorn and a rainbow) do their best to keep her from harm.
Cloris Leachman Net Worth
Cloris Leachman has an estimated net worth of $21 million.
Cloris Leachman Oscar
In 1972 Cloris won an oscar award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ruth Popper, the homely, lonely wife of a high school football coach, in ‘The Last Picture Show’ (1971).
Cloris Leachman Book
In 2009 Cloris Leachman released her self titled autobiography, Cloris. In rthe book she writes about her life story through the challenges of her stellar career all while raising five children. She also discusses her many famous friends in the entertainment industry as well as in the political arena. She co- wrote the book with her ex husband George Englund.
Cloris Leachman Died/ Is Cloris Leachman Still Alive?
Cloris is still active to date, as of 2018, and has appeared in a film I Can Only Imagine as Memaw in 2018 and is filming a movie When We Last Spoke playing the role of Grandmother which is set to be released in 2019.
Cloris Leachman Mary Tyler Moore
Cloris and Mary Tyler Moore were longtime friends and they acted together on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s. In 2013 they reunited for an episode of Hot in Cleveland. Mary died in January in 2017 at the age of 80 and in a statement released to People magazine Cloris wrote:
“My heart goes out to her husband, Robert — he was never more than a touch away from her. The picture that we all have of her, that’s how she was— sweet, kind, so tender, so delicate. She was America’s sweetheart.
Valerie and I always had to rehearse and rehearse, to work things through, but Mary was always ready to go — thoroughly prepared.
The last time I saw her was our Hot in Cleveland reunion. I had a feeling I wouldn’t see her again. If I could see her one last time, I’d hold her in my arms and say, ‘We love you.’”
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