Biography
Irene Dunne was an American actress and singer. Born Irene Marie Dunn on 20 December 1898 in Louisville, Kentucky, she died on 4 September 1990 in Los Angeles, California. She trained for opera but turned to musical theatre, appearing in touring productions including Show Boat (1929), which led to a contract with RKO Pictures.
Her first film was Leathernecking (1930). She received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for Cimarron (1931), Theodora Goes Wild (1936), The Awful Truth (1937), Love Affair (1939) and I Remember Mama (1948). Other notable films include My Favorite Wife (1940), Penny Serenade (1941) and Life with Father (1947). She also appeared in musicals such as Roberta (1935) and Show Boat (1936).
In 1985 she received Kennedy Center Honors for her contribution to the arts.
