---
name: "Elizabeth Wilson"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/elizabeth-wilson"
fi1m_id: "elizabeth-wilson"
imdb_id: "nm0933361"
tmdb_id: 10776
wikidata_id: "Q944952"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "4 April 1921"
died: "9 May 2015"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-04T16:26:55.107615+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Elizabeth Wilson

## Identity

Elizabeth Wilson

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/elizabeth-wilson
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** elizabeth-wilson
- **IMDb ID:** nm0933361
- **TMDB ID:** 10776
- **Wikidata ID:** Q944952
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Wilson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q944952, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0933361/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10776

Actor. Born 4 April 1921 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Died 9 May 2015.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 4 April 1921, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
- **Died:** 9 May 2015
- **Active:** 1955–1994
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as actor, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 63 (1), 1960s 86 (2), 1980s 73 (1), 1990s 80 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 72 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 5 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 3, Drama 3, Romance 2, Fantasy 1, History 1, Horror 1
- **Screen time:** 11 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $445m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Wilson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q944952, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0933361/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10776

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*The Graduate*](https://film.one/film/the-graduate.md) (86)
- **Apple TV:** [*The Addams Family*](https://film.one/film/the-addams-family.md) (77)
- **Disney+:** [*Nine to Five*](https://film.one/film/nine-to-five.md) (73)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Elizabeth Wilson

> Elizabeth Wilson was especially good at women who expected to be listened to. We value her firm, distinctive supporting work in comedy and drama, while recognising that her authority could not compensate for thin plotting.

Wilson often appears as a mother or an officious employee, someone with a clear idea of how other people ought to behave. She makes those women worth attending to, even when they are not the people we came to see. Her film breakthrough, *Patterns* (1956), grew out of her early television work; later came Mrs Braddock in *The Graduate* (1967) and secretary Roz Keith in *9 to 5* (1980). Across four films with director Mike Nichols and work elsewhere, she proved equally useful in comedy and drama.

In Barry Sonnenfeld's *The Addams Family* (1991), her Abigail Craven is a con-artist mother figure, a broad comic use of that familiar authority. She belongs in a cast that makes the film worth an evening, although Anjelica Huston and Raúl Juliá are its chief pleasures. The difficulty is the writing: Larry Wilson and Caroline Thompson provide individual jokes without enough story to keep us interested between them. Editors Dede Allen and Jim Miller leave room for the one-liners, but cannot disguise how little connects the comic highlights.

*Quiz Show* (1994) gives us the quieter side of her work as Dorothy Van Doren, mother of Ralph Fiennes's character. Robert Redford's drama is the stronger film, allowing its performances to complicate our judgement of the people caught up in television fraud. We were troubled by how readily some people are believed, because the film makes that unequal treatment central to the scandal. The film runs a little long; the care taken with the people is why we forgive it.

We would not turn the size of her parts into a complaint about her acting. Supporting work this dependable is worth noticing without pretending that it can make a weak story hold together. Start with *Quiz Show* for the more satisfying evening, then try *The Addams Family* if a few good jokes will excuse some waiting around.

## Biography

Elizabeth Wilson (1921–2015) was an American actress whose career in film, television and theatre spanned nearly seven decades. She trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

She appeared in films including *The Birds* (1963), *The Graduate* (1967), *9 to 5* (1980), *The Addams Family* (1991) as Abigail Craven, and *Quiz Show* (1994) as Dorothy Van Doren. On stage she made her Broadway debut in *Picnic* (1953) and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for *Sticks and Bones* (1972). She received Emmy and BAFTA nominations and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2006.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Quiz Show* (1994), Fi1m 84, as Dorothy Van Doren — [page](https://film.one/film/quiz-show.md)
- *The Addams Family* (1991), Fi1m 77, as Abigail Craven — [page](https://film.one/film/the-addams-family.md)
- *Nine to Five* (1980), Fi1m 73, as Roz Keith — [page](https://film.one/film/nine-to-five.md)
- *The Graduate* (1967), Fi1m 86, as Mrs. Braddock — [page](https://film.one/film/the-graduate.md)
- *The Birds* (1963), Fi1m 86, as Helen Carter — [page](https://film.one/film/the-birds.md)
- *Picnic* (1955), Fi1m 63, as Christine Schoenwalder — [page](https://film.one/film/picnic.md)

## Complete filmography (60)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Hyde Park on Hudson* (2012), as Mrs. Roosevelt
- *Law & Order: Criminal Intent* (2001), series, as Lucille Mobrey
- *Rocky Road* (2001), as Grandma Louise
- *Special Report: Journey to Mars* (1996), as President Elizabeth Richardson
- *The Boys Next Door* (1996), as Mary Fremus
- *Nobody's Fool* (1994), as Vera (uncredited)
- *Scarlett* (1994), series, as Eulalie Robillard
- *Spring Awakening* (1994), as Mrs. Pierson
- *Quiz Show* (1994), as Dorothy Van Doren — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/quiz-show.md)
- *In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness* (1994), as Annie Klenner
- *Skylark* (1993), as Harriet Wheaton
- *Delta* (1992), series, as Rosiland Dupree
- *The Addams Family* (1991), as Abigail Craven — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/the-addams-family.md)
- *Regarding Henry* (1991), as Jessica, Henry's Secretary
- *Burning Bridges* (1990), as Freda
- *Nora's Christmas Gift* (1989), as Madeline Mumford
- *A Conspiracy of Love* (1987), as Lilly Woldarski
- *The Believers* (1987), as Kate Maslow
- *Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder* (1987), series, as Berenice Bradshaw
- *Where are the Children?* (1986), as Dorothy Prentiss
- *Grace Quigley* (1985), as Emily Watkins
- *You Can't Take it With You* (1984), as Penny Sycamore
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Serena Haynes
- *Tucker's Witch* (1982), series, as Jewel Porter
- *The Million Dollar Infield* (1982), as Sally Ephron
- *Morning's at Seven* (1982), as Aaronetta "Arry" Gibbs
- *The Incredible Shrinking Woman* (1981), as Dr. Ruth Ruth
- *Nine to Five* (1980), as Roz Keith — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/nine-to-five.md)
- *Once Upon a Family* (1980), as Judge Norma Solomon
- *Sanctuary of Fear* (1979), as Mrs. Glidden
- *All's Well That Ends Well* (1978), as Countess
- *Doc* (1975), series, as Annie Bogert
- *The Happy Hooker* (1975), as Mrs. Gordon
- *The Easter Promise* (1975), as Mrs. Coyle
- *The Prisoner of Second Avenue* (1975), as Pauline
- *Miles To Go Before I Sleep* (1975), as Kate Stanton
- *Man on a Swing* (1974), as Dr. Anna Willson
- *The Day of the Dolphin* (1973), as Mrs. Rome
- *The Lie* (1973), as Miss Pratt
- *Little Murders* (1971), as Marge Newquist
- *All in the Family* (1971), series, as Amelia DeKuyper — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/all-in-the-family.md)
- *Catch-22* (1970), as Mother
- *Jenny* (1970), as Mrs. Marsh
- *Let Me Hear You Whisper* (1969), as Miss Moray
- *The Graduate* (1967), as Mrs. Braddock — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-graduate.md)
- *The Tiger Makes Out* (1967), as Receptionist
- *East Side/West Side* (1963), series, Actor
- *The Birds* (1963), as Helen Carter — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-birds.md)
- *A Child Is Waiting* (1963), as Miss Fogarty
- *Too Hot to Handle* (1960), as Jacki
- *The Detectives* (1959), series, Actor
- *Interpol Calling* (1959), series, as Michele
- *Happy Anniversary* (1959), as Millie
- *The Tunnel of Love* (1958), as Miss MacCracken
- *The Goddess* (1958), as Harding
- *Patterns* (1956), as Marge Fleming
- *Picnic* (1955), as Christine Schoenwalder — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/picnic.md)
- *Patterns* (1955), as Marge Fleming
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Mary Fremus
- *Notorious* (1946), as Woman at Party (uncredited) — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/notorious.md)

## Gallery

- ![Elizabeth Wilson](https://film.one/media/person/79700/gallery-545f9970446e.jpg) Elizabeth Wilson — Alansafe5, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Elizabeth_Wilson_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Main cast photo from the television program Doc. Front: Elizabeth Wilson (Annie Bogert), Barnard Hughes (Joe "Doc" Bogert). Back: Irwin Corey (Happy Miller), Ma (1975)](https://film.one/media/person/79700/gallery-bf1b3259f29b.jpg) Main cast photo from the television program Doc. Front: Elizabeth Wilson (Annie Bogert), Barnard Hughes (Joe "Doc" Bogert). Back: Irwin Corey (Happy Miller), Ma (1975) — CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Doc_cast_1975.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Elizabeth WIlson, Alan Safier (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/79700/gallery-d115f39a3020.jpg) Elizabeth WIlson, Alan Safier (2011) — Alansafe5, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Elizabeth_Wilson_and_Alan_Safier_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Elizabeth Wilson](https://film.one/media/person/79700/gallery-4e5b848177c1.jpg) Elizabeth Wilson — Image via TMDB
- ![Elizabeth Wilson](https://film.one/media/person/79700/gallery-b58052bfab35.jpg) Elizabeth Wilson — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play 1972: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/elizabeth-wilson