Carol Grace

Carol Grace (September 11, 1924 – July 20, 2003) was an American actress and author. She is also known as Carol Marcus Saroyan or Carol Matthau.

Biography Carol Grace was born in New York City's Lower East Side; her mother Rosheen, who was sixteen when she gave birth, was a Russian Jewish immigrant who arrived in New York on August 20, 1913. Rosheen’s parents arrived later. Grace never knew her biological father. Her mother, Rosheen "Ray" Marcus ( Brofman, formerly Shapiro), reportedly claimed it was actor Leslie Howard, who was killed during WWII.

Young Carol was placed in foster care until the age of eight. In 1933, her mother married her second husband, Charles Marcus, who was two decades Rosheen's senior. Charles Marcus was the wealthy co-founder of the Bendix Corporation. Grace took his last name as her own. They lived on Park Avenue in luxury, with servants. Two years after their wedding, he learned that Rosheen was hiding the existence of another daughter, Elinor, who had been left in a foster home when they married.

Carol Grace claimed to be the inspiration for the Holly Golightly character in Truman Capote's novella Breakfast at Tiffany's. She had a wide social circle and was known for her wit and good company.

She was twice married to Pulitzer Prize–winning writer William Saroyan over an eight-year period (1943–1949 and 1951–1952).

In 1955, Random House published her novella based on her experiences as a foster child, The Secret in the Daisy. Walter Matthau later said that he loved the book so much that he searched for the author and then married her. In 1992, she published a memoir, Among the Porcupines.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1959 Gangster Story Carol 1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Woman Season 7 Episode 4: "Cop for a Day" 1976 Mikey and Nicky Nellie 1978 The Barbara Walters Special Self