Marian Seldes

Marian Hall Seldes (August 23, 1928 – October 6, 2014) was an American actress. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for A Delicate Balance in 1967, and received subsequent nominations for Father's Day, Deathtrap (1978), Ring Round the Moon (1999), and Dinner at Eight (2003). She also won a Drama Desk Award for Father's Day.

Her other Broadway credits include Equus (1974–77), Ivanov (1997), and Deuce (2007). She was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2010.

Early life Seldes was born in Manhattan, the daughter of Alice Wadhams Hall, a socialite, and Gilbert Seldes, a journalist, author, and editor. Her uncle was journalist George Seldes. She had one brother, Timothy. Seldes's paternal grandparents were Russian-Jewish immigrants, and her mother was from a "prominent WASP family," the "Episcopalian blue-blooded Halls." She grew up in a creative environment, studying acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Her maternal aunt, Marian Wells Hall, was a prominent interior decorator.

Career Trained for the stage, Seldes made her Broadway debut in 1948 in a production of Medea. She went on to an illustrious career in which she earned five Tony Award nominations, winning her first time out in 1967 for A Delicate Balance. In addition to performing in live theatre, Seldes began acting in television in 1952 in a Hallmark Hall of Fame production that marked the first of many guest star roles. She also performed in a number of movies and in radio plays. In the mid-1960s, Seldes recorded five albums for Folkways Records of famous works of literature, including two recordings of poetry by Robinson Jeffers. Between 1974 and 1982, she appeared in 179 episodes of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater. In 1992, she appeared in an episode of Murphy Brown as the title character’s eccentric Aunt Brooke.

Seldes studied with Sanford Meisner, Katharine Cornell, and Martha Graham. Actor Laura Linney said "Marian is our touchstone to those theatrical ancestors. She provides an inspiration that makes you want to reach outside of yourself to something more potent and powerful." In 2002, Seldes began teaching at Fordham University, Lincoln Center.

Seldes acted in Half Hour to Kill playing Joyce Field. Half Hour to Kill was a proposed but unrealized television series mystery show with episodes hosted by Vincent Price and planned to occasionally star him as well. Released to the home movie market as Freedom to Get Lost, with Price playing scientist Gene Wolcott and Seldes playing an undercover security agent tracking him. The episode is available on the DVD titled Vincent Price – The Sinister Image. (1958)

Seldes appeared in every one of the 1,809 Broadway performances of Ira Levin's play Deathtrap, a feat that earned her a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records as "most durable actress". Seldes was also well known for her readings of short stories in the "Selected Shorts" series hosted by Isaiah Sheffer at New York City's Symphony Space.

In December 2008, for their annual birthday celebration to "The Master", Noël Coward, the Noël Coward Society invited Seldes as the guest celebrity to lay flowers in front of Coward's statue at New York's Gershwin Theatre, thereby commemorating the playwright’s 109th birthday. Seldes was the recipient of a 2010 Tony Lifetime Achievement Award. "All I've done is live my life in the theater and loved it ... If you can get an award for being happy, that's what I've got."

Personal life Seldes had one child, Katharine, by her first marriage to Julian Claman. They were divorced in 1961. Seldes stated that the marriage to Claman was violent. "If I sound a little vague about that marriage, it's because I don't understand the person in it. Me. I literally didn't know that people could be abusive." Seldes left the marriage after her father noticed marks on her face. Seldes was married to screenwriter/playwright Garson Kanin from 1990 until his death in 1999.

However, in 2017, it was reported that a documentary about her life, Marian, by director R.E. "Rick" Rodgers, chronicling Seldes' last years, had created "consternation in the theater world" as a "horrific, intrusive depiction of her slide into dementia".

Acting credits

Films Year Title Role Notes Ref.1958 The Light in the Forest Kate Owens 1959 Crime and Punishment U.S.A. Debbie Cole 1959 The Big Fisherman Arnon 1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Herodias 1978 Fingers Ruth 1992 The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag Margaret Armstrong 1995 Truman Eleanor Roosevelt 1995 Tom and Huck Widow Douglas 1996 Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press Herself Documentary 1997 Affliction Alma Pittman 1997 Home Alone 3 Mrs. Greta Hess 1997 Digging to China Leah Schroth 1999 The Haunting Mrs. Dudley 2000 If These Walls Could Talk 2 Abby Hedley HBO film 2000 Duets Harriet Gahagan 2001 Town & Country Eugenie's Mother 2003 Mona Lisa Smile President Jocelyn Carr 2004 Proteus Narrator 2005 Ballets Russes Narrator 2007 August Rush Dean Alice McNeille 2007 The Visitor Barbara 2008 Leatherheads Clerk 2010 The Extra Man Vivian Cudlip

Television Year Title Role Notes Ref.1950 Our Sister Emily Emily Brontë Television debut; TV movie 1951 Sure As Fate Lady Macduff Episode: Macbeth 1953 Westinghouse Studio One Bell Giles Episode: "The Laugh Maker" 1956 Gunsmoke Mrs. Cullen Episode: "Indian White" 1957 Have Gun – Will Travel Christie Smith Episode: "The Bride" 1958 Mollie Stanton Episode: "The Teacher" 1958 Perry Mason Mary K. Davis Episode: "The Case of the Screaming Woman" 1958 The Court of Last Resort Roberta Farrell Episode: "The Frank Clark Case" (1958) Mary Morales Episode: "The Mary Morales Case" 1958 Half Hour to Kill Joyce Field Unrealized television series 1958 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Lydia Brailing Episode: "Design For Loving" 1960 The Rifleman Hazel / Margaret Episode: "The Vision" 1965 Branded Neela Episode: "The Bar Sinister" 1991Good & EvilCharlotte Sandler11 episodes1991 Law & Order Suzanne Episode: "God Bless the Child" 1991 Who's the Boss Nana Reynolds Episode: "Grandmommie Dearest" 1992 Murder, She Wrote Lydia Winthrop Episode: "The Witch's Curse" 1992 Murphy Brown Aunt Brooke Episode: "I'm Dreaming of a Brown Christmas" 1995 Wings Eleanor Kingsbury Episode: "Death Becomes Him" 1998 One Life to Live Sonya Carter 1 episode 1996-1998 Cosby Elaine 2 episodes 1998 Sex and the City Mrs. Big Episode: "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" 2001 A Nero Wolfe Mystery Mrs. Robilotti Episode: "Champagne for One" Mrs. Pitcairn Episode: "Door to Death" 2004 Frasier Betty, Ronee's mother Episode: "Miss Right Now" 2007 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Peggy Kendall Episode: "Haystack" 2011 Nurse Jackie Tottie Episode: "When the Saints Go"

Theatre Year Title Role Venue Ref.1947 Medea Attendant to Medea National Theatre, Broadway 1947 Crime and Punishment Dounia National Theatre, Broadway 1949 Medea Second Woman of Corinth City Center, Broadway 1949 That Lady Anichu at 18 Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway 1950 The Tower Beyond Tragedy Electra ANTA Playhouse, Broadway 1951 The High Ground Nurse Phillips 48th Street Theatre, Broadway 1954 Ondine Bertha 46th Street Theatre, Broadway 1955 The Chalk Garden Olivia Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway 1960 The Wall Sympka Berson Billy Rose Theatre, Broadway 1962 A Gift of Time Susan Loring Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway 1964 The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore Blackie Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway 1964 Tiny Alice Miss Alice Billy Rose Theatre, Broadway 1966 A Delicate Balance Julia Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway 1968 Before You Go Woman Henry Miller's Theatre, Broadway 1969 Mercy Street Daisy Theater at St. Clement's Church, Off-Broadway 1971 Father's Day Marian John Golden Theatre, Broadway 1974 Next Time I'll Sing You Director Billy Rose Theatre, Broadway 1974 Equus Hester Saloman Plymouth Theatre, Broadway 1977 The Merchant Rivka Folner Plymouth Theatre, Broadway 1978 Deathtrap Myra Bruhl Music Box Theatre, Broadway 1983 Painting Churches Fanny Church South Street Theatre, Off-Broadway 1983 Richard II Margaret Delacorte Theatre, Off-Broadway 1986 Gertrude Stein and a Companion Alice B. Toklas Lucille Lortel Theatre, Off-Broadway 1993 Three Tall Women A Vineyard Theatre, Off-Broadway 1997 Ivanov Zinaida Savishna Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway 1999 Ring Round the Moon Madame Desmermortes Belasco Theatre, Broadway 2000 The Torch-Bearers J. Duro Pampinelli Greenwich House, Off-Broadway 2001 The Play About the Baby Woman Century Center For The Performing Arts 2001 45 Seconds from Broadway Rayleen Richard Rodgers Theatre, Broadway 2002 Helen Servant The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 2003 Dinner at Eight Carlotta Vance Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway 2004 The Royal Family Fannie Cavandish Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles 2005 It's a Wonderful Life Mrs. Hatch Sam S. Shubert Theatre, Broadway 2005 Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams Annabelle Willard 59E59 Theatre, Off-Broadway 2007 Deuce Midge Barker Music Box Theatre, Broadway 2008 La fille du régiment The Duchess Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center

Radio Theatre Guild on the Air: Played Julia in 1984 (1953) CBS Radio Mystery Theater (appeared in 206 episodes)

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Project Result Ref.1967 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play A Delicate Balance 1971 Best Actress in a Play Father's Day 1978 Best Featured Actress in a Play Deathtrap 1999 Best Actress in a Play Ring Round the Moon 2003 Best Featured Actress in a Play Dinner at Eight 2010 Tony Lifetime Achievement Award 1971 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance Father's Day 1998 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Ivanov 1999 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Ring Round the Moon 2001 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play The Butterfly Collection 2001 Outstanding Actress in a Play The Play About the Baby 2006 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams 1964 Obie Award Distinguished Performance The Ginger Man 2001 Sustained Achievement 1983 Outer Circle Critics Award Best Actress in a Play Painting Churches

Discography The Roan Stallion by Robinson Jeffers (1963) The Making of Americans by Gertrude Stein (1963 Theodore Bikel: "Songs of Songs" and other Bible Prophecies featuring Marian Seldes as Shulamite (1964)) Tower Beyond Tragedy by Robinson Jeffers (1964) Phèdre by Jean Racine (1964) Prayers from the Ark: French and English Poems (1964)