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Jan Miner
Actor

Jan Miner

15 Oct 1917Born
15 Feb 2004Died
86Age at death
22Credits

Biography

Janice Miner (October 15, 1917 – February 15, 2004) was an American actress best known as the character Madge the manicurist in Palmolive dish-washing detergent television commercials from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Janice Miner was the daughter of a dentist and a painter, and had three brothers, Sheldon, Donald and Lyndsey. She studied at the Vesper George School of Art in her native Boston, then studied acting under Lee Strasberg and others. She made her stage debut in 1945 in a Boston production of Elmer Rice's Street Scene.

Miner then became established on radio, and worked through the 1950s in several series simultaneously.

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Among other roles, she was one of three actresses who played secretary Della Street on Perry Mason and one of five to play girlfriend Ann Williams on Casey, Crime Photographer. She also appeared as Mary Wesley on Boston Blackie.

Miner played featured roles in the anthology series Radio City Playhouse, in "Soundless", "Portrait of Lenore" and other episodes. Her appearance in the premiere broadcast of the series "created a minor sensation in the play Long Distance"; the episode proved so popular that she repeated her performance later in the season.

From circa 1948 through some time before the series ended in 1957, Miner starred as Julie Erickson, head of the titular orphanage in the soap opera Hilltop House, during most of the show's revival beginning in 1948. The series was sponsored by the Colgate-Palmolive Company, for which she later appeared in a famous, long-running series of television commercials.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 1996Remember WENNSeries: Aunt Agatha (1 episode)
  2. 1990MermaidsFilm: Mother Superior
  3. 1990Stood Up!Film: Mrs. Abbott
  4. 1990Law & OrderSeries: Edna Hodge (1 episode)
  5. 1989Used InnocenceFilm: Laurie Bembenek
  6. 1987Gertrude Stein and a Companion!Film: Gertrude Stein
  7. 1982Cagney & LaceySeries: Stella Wall (1 episode)
  8. 1981Endless LoveFilm: Mrs. Switzer
  9. 1980Willie & PhilFilm: Maria Kaufman
  10. 1980F.D.R.: The Last YearFilm: Cousin Daisy
  11. 1978Out of Our Fathers' HouseFilm
  12. 1974LennyFilm: Sally Marr
  13. 1974Paul Sand in Friends and LoversSeries (2 episodes)
  14. 1971Great PerformancesSeries (1 episode)
  15. 1968The SwimmerFilm: Lillian Hunsacker
  16. 1959One Step BeyondSeries: Grace Harkness (1 episode)
  17. 1958Naked CitySeries: Elsie Knauf, Lia Wallace, Rosie Wilkin, Superintendent (1 episode)
  18. 1951Schlitz Playhouse of StarsSeries (1 episode)
  19. 1951Casey, Crime PhotographerSeries: Ann Williams (54 episodes)
  20. 1950Robert Montgomery PresentsSeries: Julia, Janet Ballard, Lesley, Jennie Ward, Irene, Melinda Phillips, Enid Garroway (14 episodes)
  21. 1949Lights OutSeries (1 episode)
  22. 1948Studio OneSeries: Mother (1 episode)

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.