Ruta Lee

Ruta Lee (born Ruta Mary Kilmonis; May 30, 1935) is a Canadian-born American actress and dancer of Lithuanian descent. She was born in Montreal, Canada, to Lithuanian immigrant parents. Ruta Lee appeared as one of the brides in the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She had roles in films including Billy Wilder's crime drama Witness for the Prosecution and Stanley Donen's musical comedy Funny Face, and also is remembered for her guest appearance in a 1963 episode of Rod Serling's sci-fi series The Twilight Zone called "A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain".

Lee guest-starred on many television series, and was also featured on a number of game shows, including Hollywood Squares, What's My Line?, and Match Game, and as Alex Trebek's co-host on High Rollers.

Early life Ruta Lee was born on May 30, 1935, in Montreal, Quebec, the only child of Lithuanian immigrants. Her father was a tailor and her mother a homemaker.

On March 1, 1948, her family moved to the United States and ended up settling in Los Angeles, where she graduated in 1952 from Hollywood High School and began studying acting and appearing in school plays. She attended both Los Angeles City College and the University of California at Los Angeles.

From 1988 to 1989, Lee played a recurring role on the CBS sitcom Coming of Age. In 1989, she played the role of Sally Powers in the television movie Sweet Bird of Youth with Elizabeth Taylor. In the 1990s, Lee continued to appear in episodic television, most notably on the sitcom Roseanne. Lee appeared as the girlfriend of Bev Harris (Estelle Parsons), whose character had inadvertently "outed" herself.

She played the wife of Jerry Lewis's character in the British comedy-drama Funny Bones (1995), in which they play the parents of Oliver Platt's character. In 2002, Lee was presented with one of the Golden Boot Awards for her work in Western television and cinema.

In 2006, Lee received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to the television industry. In 1995, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to Lee.

In February 2008, Lee appeared as Clairee in a production of Steel Magnolias with Sally Struthers at the Casa Mañana theatre in Fort Worth, Texas. In October 2010, Lee played the role of Miss Mona in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, also at the Casa Mañana.

In 2024, Lee appeared as a guest judge on season nine, episode six of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.

Personal life In 1976, Lee married Texan restaurant executive Webster B. "Webb" Lowe Jr. Webb died July 1, 2020. They had no children. Lee describes her political views as "conservative" and she appeared at the 1972 Republican National Convention. On August 24, 2013, Lee was inducted into the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame.

In February 2019, Lee was granted Lithuanian citizenship.

Off-camera In 1964, Lee called then-Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, asking him to pardon her octogenarian grandmother Ludvise Kamandulis, Lee again rescued a relative from the former Soviet Union when she secured custody of her 18-year-old cousin, Maryte Kaseta, from Lithuania in 1987.

Lee has been involved with the charitable organization The Thalians for over 50 years. In 2011, after 55 years of involvement with The Thalians, she stepped down and is now a member emerita. In 2025, Lee announced that she would no longer be able to honor autograph requests both in person and through standard postal mail anymore due in part to her advanced age.

Filmography Motion pictures + Film Year Title Role Notes 1954 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Ruth Credited as Ruta Kilmonis 1955 The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing Tennis Girl Uncredited 1955 The Twinkle in God's Eye Ruthie 1956 Anything Goes Girl Uncredited 1956 Gaby Denise 1957 Funny Face Lettie 1957 Witness for the Prosecution Diana 1958 Marjorie Morningstar Imogene Norman 1961 Operation Eichmann Anna Kemp 1962 Sergeants 3 Amelia Parent 1963 The Gun Hawk Marleen 1963 Hootenanny Hoot A.G. Bannister 1964 Bullet for a Badman Lottie Alternative title: Renegade Posse 1965 Invisible Diplomats Connie Wisner Short subject produced by AT&T 1972 Doomsday Machine Dr. Marion Turner Alternative title: Escape from Planet Earth; shot in 1967 1983 Rooster: Spurs of Death! Gayly 1983 Cracking Up Ms. Sultry (voice) Alternative title: Smorgasbord 1995 Funny Bones Laura Fawkes 1997 Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills Mrs. Poole 2001 Pretty When You Cry Antique Store Patron Alternative title: Seduced: Pretty When You Cry 2004 Quiet Kill Doris Alternative title: Nightmare Boulevard 2006 Sadie and the Slot Machines Sadie Silver Short film 2007 A Christmas Too Many Grandma Direct-to-DVD release 2011 Forever Young at Heart Shelley Felgerstein Short film

Television Photo from the television game show Hollywood Squares to celebrate the 2,000th episode in 1974. Pictured are Cliff Arquette as Charley Weaver, Rose Marie, John Davidson, George Gobel, Kent McCord, Peter Marshall, Vincent Price and Paul Lynde. Ruta Lee and Sandy Duncan, foreground. + Television Year Title Role Notes 1952–1957 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Various roles 2 episodes 1953 Adventures of Superman Teenager Episode: "My Friend Superman"Credited as Ruta Kilmonis 1953–1955 Burns and Allen Various roles 2 episodes 1954 Lux Video Theatre Marion Episode: "I'll Never Love Again" 1955 Science Fiction Theatre Student Episode: "The Unexplored" 1955 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Ruby Boyenton Season 1 Episode 13: "The Cheney Vase" 1956 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Angel Season 1 Episode 26: "Whodunit" 1956 I Led 3 Lives Louise Burke Episode: "New Member" 1956 Dragnet Episode: "The Big Daughter" 1957 Highway Patrol Lea Franklin Episode: "Armored Car" 1957 Suspicion Betty Episode: "The Story of Marjorie Reardon" 1957 Captain David Grief Rose Episode: "The Affair at Les Trois Magots" 1957–1959 Maverick Various roles 3 episodes 1957–1959 The Lineup Various roles 8 episodes 1958 The Gray Ghost Episode: "Contraband" 1958 Playhouse 90 Episode: "The Right Hand Man" 1958 The Walter Winchell File Joan Episode: "The Dice of Fortune: File #34" 1958 Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Various roles 2 episodes 1958 Man with a Camera Dolly MacDermott Episode: "Second Avenue Assassin" 1958 Rescue 8 Ann Dagget Episode: "The Cage" 1958 December Bride Carol Hodges Episode: "Bride's Father-in-Law" 1958–1959 Sugarfoot Various roles 2 episodes 1958–1960 M Squad Various roles 3 episodes 1958–1962 Gunsmoke Various roles 2 episodes including "Jenny" 1958–1964 77 Sunset Strip Various roles 5 episodes 1958–1965 Perry Mason Various roles 5 episodes 1959 Yancy Derringer Romilly Vale Episode: "Two of a Kind" 1959 The Restless Gun Lucy Collins Episode: "The Painted Beauty" 1959 Peter Gunn Marie Gipson Episode: "Edie Finds a Corpse" 1959 The Millionaire Angela Temple Episode: "Millionaire Angela Temple" 1959 Richard Diamond, Private Detective Louise Episode: "Jukebox" 1959 Bat Masterson Nellie Fontana Episode: "The Death of Bat Masterson" 1959 Alcoa Theatre Emily Meadows Episode: "Medals for Harry" 1959 The Lawless Years Gloria Fallon Episode: "The Payoff" 1959 Markham Tammy Miles Episode: "The Duelists" 1959 Johnny Staccato Dee Dee Episode: "The Naked Truth" 1959 Tightrope! Laura Episode: "Stand on Velvet" 1959 Whirlybirds Ginny Episode: "Mr. Jinx" 1959 Hennesey Ruth Thomas Episode: "Hennesey and Peyton Place" 1959 The Man from Blackhawk Ginnie Thompson Episode: "The Legacy" 1959–1960 U.S. Marshal Various roles 4 episodes 1959–1960 The Alaskans Various roles 2 episodes 1959–1960 Colt .45 Various roles 2 episodes 1959–1963 Wagon Train Various roles 2 episodes 1960 Shotgun Slade Lilly Cody Episode: "Killer's Brand" 1960 The Rebel Ellen Barton Episode: "Grant of Land" 1960–1961 Hawaiian Eye Various roles 3 episodes 1961 The Tab Hunter Show Episode: "Turnabout" 1961 Michael Shayne Naomi Lester Episode: "Spotlight On a Corpse" 1961 Dante Peggy Braddock Episode: "Dante's Fickle Fate" 1961 The Brothers Brannagan Lynn Episode: "Shot in the Dark" 1961 The Case of the Dangerous Robin Episode: "Brink of Disaster" 1961 Zane Grey Theatre Jenny Aldrich Episode: "Man from Everywhere" 1961 Harrigan and Son Rose Episode: "The Legacy" 1961 Stagecoach West Various rolesas Jenny Forbes in episode The Marker + 1 other episode 1961 Laramie Opal Crane Episode: "Siege at Jubilee" 1962 The Outlaws Jennie Episode: "Farewell Performance" 1962 Poor Mr. Campbell Priscilla Edwards Television film1962GunsmokeJenny GloverEpisode: "Jenny" 1962 Cheyenne Lenore Walton Hanford Episode: "Wanted for the Murder of Cheyenne Bodie" 1962 The Dick Powell Show Eva Gobel Episode: "Crazy Sunday" 1962–1963 Rawhide Various roles 2 episodes 1962–1965 The Andy Griffith Show Andy on Trial as Jean Boswell, The Hollywood Party as Darlene Mason 2 episodes 1963 Bonanza Rita Marlowe Episode: "A Woman Lost" 1963 Arrest and Trial Colleen Riley Episode: "Call It a Lifetime" 1963 The Twilight Zone Flora Gordon Episode: "A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain" 1963 Temple Houston Lucy Tolliver Episode: "Enough Rope" 1963 Fractured Flickers Herself Episode 20 1964 The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters Zoe Pigalle Episode: "The Day of the Lame Duck" 1964 The Fugitive Mrs. Janet Loring Episode: "Angels Travel on Lonely Roads: Part 2" 1964 The Virginian Various roles 2 episodes 1964–1965 Burke's Law Various roles 3 episodes 1965 The Bill Dana Show Yvette Renay Episode: "Beauty and the Bellhop" 1965 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Gloria Morgan Episode: "Gomer Dates a Movie Star" 1965 The Wackiest Ship in the Army Lori Episode: "The Stowaway" 1965–1967 The Wild Wild West Various roles 2 episodes 1967 The Lucy Show Miss Audrey Fields; herself Episodes: "Lucy's Substitute Secretary"; "Lucy Meets the Berles" 1967 Judd, for the Defense Alida Nye Episode: "To Love and Stand Mute" 1967 Mannix Jean Coleman Episode: "Run, Sheep, Run" 1967–1969 Hogan's Heroes Various roles 3 episodes 1968 Ironside Marian Episode: "To Kill a Cop" 1969 The Guns of Will Sonnett Fan Episode: "Trail's End" 1969 The Flying Nun Faye/Sister Mary Grace 2 episodes 1969 Marcus Welby, M.D. Shirley Ballinger Episode: "All Flags Flying" 1969–1972 Love, American Style Various roles 3 episodes 1971 Mayberry R.F.D. Terry Phillips Episode: "The City Planner" 1971 A Howling in the Woods Sharon Television movie 1971 The Mod Squad Gloria Hardy Episode: "Exit the Closer" 1971 Arnie Miss Fletcher Episode: "Et Tu, Arnie" 1972 Me and the Chimp Lavelle Wiggins Episode: "My Pet, the Thief" 1973 Match Game Guest panelist One Week 1974-1976 High Rollers Co-Hostess Daytime 1974 Indict and Convict Phyllis Dorfman Television movie 1974 Roll, Freddy, Roll! Evelyn Danton Kane Television movie 1979 Mork & Mindy Lisa Episode: "Mork's Night Out" 1979–1982 Three's Company Various roles 2 episodes 1980–1982 The Flintstone Comedy Show Hidea Frankenstone (Voice) 18 episodes 1980 Vega$ Gloria Garland Episode: "Love Affair" 1980 The Ghosts of Buxley Hall Ernestine Di Gonzini Television movie 1980–1983 Fantasy Island Various roles 3 episodes 1981 Elvis and the Beauty Queen Su-Su Television movie 1982 Three's Company Marsha Episode: "The Matchbreakers" 1982 Simon & Simon Penny Russell Episode: "Matchmaker" 1982 Madame's Place Kaye Jacobs Episode #1.42 1983 CHiPs Babe Episode: "Journey to a Spacecraft" 1984 The Rousters Mrs. Slade Episode: "Slade vs. Slade" 1984 Hotel Georgia Potter Episode: "Ideals" 1984–1985 1st & Ten Rona 4 episodes 1985 The Love Boat Harriet Wolters Episode: "Vicki's Gentleman Caller/Partners to the End/The Perfect Arrangement" 1985 Benson Zelda Romancova Episode: "Solid Gold" 1987–1989 The Smurfs Evelyn / Morgan Lafay (voices) / Additional Voices 3 episodes 1988 Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School Revolta (Voice) Television movie 1988–1989 Coming of Age Pauline Spencer 15 episodes 1989 Sweet Bird of Youth Sally Powers Television movie 1989 Jake and the Fatman Leilani Simmons Episode: "Sweet Leilani" 1990 Timeless Tales from Hallmark Scarlotta (voice) Episode: "Rapunzel" 1990 Charles in Charge Gloria Episode: "Three Dates and a Walnut" 1990 People Like Us Faye Converse Television movie 1990 Murder, She Wrote Renee Episode: "A Body to Die For" 1992 Delta Charlotte Tyler Episode: "How Much Is That Darden in the Window?" 1993 The Building Sylvia Episode: "Yakkity Yak Don't Talk" 1997 Roseanne Joyce 2 episodes 1998 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Mrs. Gore Episode: "Cigar Wars" 2000 Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue Koko Kashmere Episode: "In the Limelight" 2003 Life with Bonnie Mrs. Ruta Blanchette Episode: "Places, Stat!" 2005 Studio House Lily Fargate Television movie 2006 Christmas Do-Over Granny Conlon Television movie 2007 Christmas at Cadillac Jack's Rose Jenkins Television movie 2012 Days of Our Lives Tillie Inman Episode #1.11749 2024 RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Herself; guest judge and comedy coach Season 9, episode 6