About Joanna Roos
Lived 1901 – 1989 (aged 88). Joanna Roos was an American actor, stage actor, playwright and actress.
Joanna Roos (born Dorothy Roos, January 11, 1901 – May 13, 1989) was an American Broadway, radio, television, and film actress and a playwright. She was born in Brooklyn in 1901 and attended Syracuse University as well as Yvette Guilbert's School in New York and Paris.
Early years Roos was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John A. Roos of Upper Montclair, New Jersey. She was born in Brooklyn, and her family moved to Syracuse when she was 10 years old. She completed high school in Syracuse and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Syracuse University. She earned money for her college expenses by working as a stenographer at The Post-Standard, a Syracuse newspaper and by giving readings with touring Lyceum companies.
In 1930, Roos performed the role of Sofya Alexandrovna in a classic performance of the Anton Chekhov play Uncle Vanya at the Cort Theatre in New York City, a production that one critic called "unforgettable". The show ran for 71 performances. Her other Broadway credits included Peer Gynt (1960), Orpheus Descending (1957), Joan of Lorraine (1946), War President (1944), The Trojan Women (1941), Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1938), Daughters of Atreus (1936), Black Widow (1936), Panic (1935), Tight Britches (1934), Life Begins (1932), Little Women (1931), Schoolgirl (1930), Veneer (1929), Grand Street Follies , Lovers and Enemies (1927), Makropoulos Secret (1926), Loggerheads (1925),Grand Street Follies , This Fine-Pretty World (1923), The Player Queen (1923), The Green Ring (1922), and The Idle Inn (1921).
She starred as Elizabeth Stover in "The House", written by Art Wallace, a 30-minute episode of the mystery anthology series The Web, broadcast on live television airing on August 29, 1954. In 1958, Roos was a member of the cast of Today Is Ours, a drama on NBC Television.
On radio, Roos was heard on Joyce Jordan, M.D. and other soap operas.
She was a founding member of the New Dramatists Committee. Several of the plays she wrote for the group won awards.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1956 Patterns Miss Lanier 1961 Splendor in the Grass Mrs. Stamper 1962 Two Weeks in Another Town Janet Bark
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Important facts
People in Joanna Roos's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Joanna Roos's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Joanna Roos?
American actress and playwright (1901-1989)
When was Joanna Roos born?
Joanna Roos was born on 11 January 1901 in Brooklyn.
When did Joanna Roos die?
Joanna Roos died on 13 May 1989 in Princeton.
What was Joanna Roos's occupation?
Joanna Roos was an actor, stage actor, playwright and actress.
What nationality was Joanna Roos?
Joanna Roos was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Joanna Roos. https://biography.guide/joanna-roos/
MLA: "Joanna Roos." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/joanna-roos/.
Chicago: "Joanna Roos." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/joanna-roos/.
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