---
name: "Gwen Verdon"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/gwen-verdon"
fi1m_id: "gwen-verdon"
imdb_id: "nm0893862"
tmdb_id: 54122
wikidata_id: "Q508843"
roles: []
born: "13 January 1925"
died: "18 October 2000"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-04T19:01:21.793867+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."
---

# Gwen Verdon

## Identity

Gwen Verdon

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/gwen-verdon
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** gwen-verdon
- **IMDb ID:** nm0893862
- **TMDB ID:** 54122
- **Wikidata ID:** Q508843
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwen_Verdon, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q508843, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0893862/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/54122

Actor. Born 13 January 1925 in Culver City, Los Angeles, California, USA. Died 18 October 2000.

## Details

- **Born:** 13 January 1925, Culver City, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Died:** 18 October 2000
- **Also known as:**  Gwyneth Verdon, Gwen Verdun
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwen_Verdon, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q508843, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0893862/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/54122

## Biography

Gwen Verdon was an American actress and dancer. She was born Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon on 13 January 1925 in Culver City, California, and died on 18 October 2000 in Woodstock, Vermont. She began performing as a child and worked as an assistant to choreographer Jack Cole before appearing on Broadway.

Verdon originated leading roles in several musicals and won four Tony Awards for performances in *Can-Can* (1953), *Damn Yankees* (1955), *New Girl in Town* (1957) and *Redhead* (1959). She was married to director-choreographer Bob Fosse from 1960 until his death in 1987 and collaborated with him on stage and screen projects, including originating the role of Roxie Hart in *Chicago* (1975).

Her film roles include Tish Dwyer in *The Cotton Club* (1984), Bess McCarthy in *Cocoon* (1985) and Ruth Wakefield in *Marvin's Room* (1996). She also appeared in television series such as *M*A*S*H* (1972) and *Magnum, P.I.* (1980).

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

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Cocoon* (1985), Fi1m 75, as Bess McCarthy — [page](https://film.one/film/cocoon.md)

## Complete filmography (45)

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

- *Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards* (2005), as Lola (segment "Damn Yankees") (archive footage)
- *Broadway's Lost Treasures* (2003), as Roxie Hart (segment "Chicago")
- *Fosse* (2002), Creative Consultant
- *Bruno* (2000), as Mrs. Drago
- *Walking Across Egypt* (1999), as Alora
- *Best Friends for Life* (1998), as Edith Cooper
- *Marvin's Room* (1996), as Ruth Wakefield
- *In Cold Blood* (1996), series, as Sadie Truitt
- *Touched by an Angel* (1994), series, as Lorraine McCully
- *Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All* (1994), as Etta Pell
- *Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All* (1994), series, as Etta Pell
- *Walker, Texas Ranger* (1993), series, as Maisie Whitman
- *Homicide: Life on the Street* (1993), series, as Jessie Doohen — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/tv/homicide-life-on-the-street.md)
- *Alice* (1990), as Alice's Mother
- *Dream On* (1990), series, as Kitty Brewer
- *Dear John* (1988), series, as Yvonne
- *Cocoon: The Return* (1988), as Bess McCarthy
- *Nadine* (1987), as Vera
- *All Is Forgiven* (1986), series, as Bonita Harrell
- *The Equalizer* (1985), series, as Kelly Sterling
- *Cocoon* (1985), as Bess McCarthy — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/cocoon.md)
- *That's Dancing!* (1985), as Lola (archive footage)
- *The Cotton Club* (1984), as Tish Dwyer
- *The Jerk, Too* (1984), as Bag Lady (uncredited)
- *Legs* (1983), as Maureen Comly
- *Hotel* (1982), series, Actor
- *Fame* (1982), series, Actor
- *Magnum, P.I.* (1980), series, as Katherine Peterson
- *Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band* (1978), as Our Guests at Heartland
- *That's Entertainment, Part II* (1976), as (archive footage)
- *The Deadly Visitor* (1973), as Mrs. Moffat
- *M*A*S*H* (1972), series, as Brandy Doyle — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/m-a-s-h-1972.md)
- *Damn Yankees* (1958), as Lola
- *Gentlemen Marry Brunettes* (1955), as Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
- *The Farmer Takes a Wife* (1953), as Abigail (uncredited)
- *The Mississippi Gambler* (1953), as Voodoo Chicken Dancer (uncredited) · Choreographer
- *The I Don't Care Girl* (1953), as Specialty Dancer
- *The Merry Widow* (1952), as Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)
- *Dreamboat* (1952), as Girl in Commercial (uncredited)
- *Meet Me After the Show* (1951), as Gwen Verdon / Sappho, Dancer in No Talent Joe (uncredited)
- *David and Bathsheba* (1951), as Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
- *On the Riviera* (1951), as Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
- *Blonde from Brooklyn* (1945), as Girl in Nightclub (uncredited)
- *Hoosier Holiday* (1943), as Cheerleader
- *The King Steps Out* (1936), as Specialty Ballerina (uncredited)

## Gallery

- ![Gwen Verdon](https://film.one/media/person/5546520/gallery-f3544f7d7225.jpg) Gwen Verdon — Bureau of Industrial Service.  This was a division of ad agency Young & Rubicam and was widely used by those in the television industry for distribution of publicity material. Photo by Murray Korman, New York., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Gwen_Verdon_1954.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Photo of Gwen Verdon from the 1957 Broadway play New Girl in Town.](https://film.one/media/person/5546520/gallery-00b392dff9d0.jpg) Photo of Gwen Verdon from the 1957 Broadway play New Girl in Town. — Photo by Friedman-Abeles, New York, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Gwen_Verdon_New_Girl_in_Town_1957.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Gwen Verdon](https://film.one/media/person/5546520/gallery-cb3e335c46d1.jpg) Gwen Verdon — Image via TMDB
- ![Gwen Verdon](https://film.one/media/person/5546520/gallery-08fa8cc3a858.jpg) Gwen Verdon — Image via TMDB
- ![Gwen Verdon](https://film.one/media/person/5546520/gallery-38a19f202bd6.jpg) Gwen Verdon — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 3 won, 3 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical 1976: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical 1966: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical 1959: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (won), for *Redhead*
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical 1958: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical 1956: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (won)
- Theatre World Award 1953: Theatre World Award (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/gwen-verdon