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Jane Wyatt
Actor

Jane Wyatt

12 Aug 1910Born
20 Oct 2006Died
96Age at death
69Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia

Jane Wyatt (August 12, 1910 – October 20, 2006) was an American actress best known for her role as the housewife and mother on the NBC and CBS television comedy series, Father Knows Best, and as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Spock on the science fiction television series Star Trek. Wyatt was a three-time Emmy Award-winner.

Jane Waddington Wyatt was born on August 12, 1910 in Mahwah, New Jersey, but raised in Manhattan. Her father, Christopher Billopp Wyatt, Jr., was a Wall Street investment banker, and her mother, the former Euphemia Van Rensselaer Waddington, was a drama critic for the Catholic World.

Read the full biography

Both of her parents were Roman Catholic converts.

She made her film debut in 1934 in One More River. In arguably her most famous role, she co-starred as Ronald Colman's character's love interest in Frank Capra's Columbia Pictures film Lost Horizon (1937).

Other film appearances included Gentleman's Agreement with Gregory Peck, None but the Lonely Heart with Cary Grant, Boomerang with Dana Andrews, and Our Very Own. Her film career suffered because of her outspoken opposition to Senator Joseph McCarthy, the chief figure in the anti-Communist investigations of that era, and was temporarily derailed for having assisted in hosting a performance by the Bolshoi Ballet during the Second World War, even though it was at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Wyatt returned to her roots on the New York stage for a time and appeared in such plays as Lillian Hellman's The Autumn Garden, opposite Fredric March.

For many people, Wyatt is best remembered as Margaret Anderson on Father Knows Best, which aired from 1954 to 1960. She played opposite Robert Young as the devoted wife and mother of the Anderson family in the Midwestern town of Springfield. This role won Wyatt three Emmy Awards for best actress in a comedy series. After Father Knows Best, Wyatt guest starred in several other series.

On June 13, 1962, she was cast in the lead in "The Heather Mahoney Story" on NBC's Wagon Train. In 1963, she portrayed Kitty McMullen in "Don't Forget to Say Goodbye" on the ABC drama, Going My Way, with Gene Kelly and Leo G. Carroll, a series about the Catholic priesthood in New York City. In 1965, Wyatt was cast as Anne White in "The Monkey's Paw – A Retelling" on CBS's The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Wyatt was married to investment broker Edgar Bethune Ward from November 9, 1935, until his death on November 8, 2000, just one day short of the couple's 65th wedding anniversary. The couple reportedly met in the late 1920s when both were weekend houseguests of Franklin D. Roosevelt at Hyde Park, New York. Ward later converted to the Catholic faith of his wife. Wyatt suffered a mild stroke in the 1990s, but recovered well. She remained in relatively good health for the rest of her life

Jane Wyatt died on October 20, 2006 of natural causes at her home in Bel-Air, California, aged 96. She was interred at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, next to her husband.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 1993The Silent Feminists: America's First Women DirectorsFilm: Narrator (voice)
  2. 1989Amityville: The Evil EscapesFilm: Alice Leacock
  3. 1986Star Trek IV: The Voyage HomeFilm: Amanda
  4. 1982Missing Children: A Mother's StoryFilm: Judge Eloise Walker
  5. 1982St. ElsewhereSeries: Katherine Auschlander (7 episodes)
  6. 1982HotelSeries: Agnes Simpson (1 episode)
  7. 1978The MillionaireFilm: Mrs. Mathews
  8. 1978The NativityFilm: Anna
  9. 1978Fantasy IslandSeries: Mildred Grayson (1 episode)
  10. 1978A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig StoryFilm: Eleanor's Mother
  11. 1978SuperdomeFilm: Fay Bonelli
  12. 1977Father Knows Best: Home for ChristmasFilm: Margaret Anderson
  13. 1977The Love BoatSeries: Laurette Ferot, Margaret Anderson, Margaret Wallingford, Marcy Banes (1 episode)
  14. 1977The Father Knows Best ReunionFilm: Margaret Anderson
  15. 1976Tom SawyerFilm: Aunt Polly
  16. 1976Amelia EarhartFilm: Amy Earhart
  17. 1976Treasure of MatecumbeFilm: Aunt Effie
  18. 1975KatherineFilm: Emily Alman
  19. 1973You'll Never See Me AgainFilm: Mary Alden
  20. 1971NeighborsFilm: Mary Robinson
  21. 1971Owen Marshall: Counselor at LawSeries: Margaret Wilson (1 episode)
  22. 1970Weekend of TerrorFilm: Sister Frances
  23. 1969Love, American StyleSeries: Mother (1 episode)
  24. 1969Marcus Welby, M.D.Series: Edwina (1 episode)
  25. 1966CBS PlayhouseSeries: Ned's Mother (1 episode)
  26. 1966Star TrekSeries: Amanda (1 episode)
  27. 1965Never Too LateFilm: Grace Kimbrough
  28. 1964See How They RunFilm: Augusta Flanders
  29. 1962The Alfred Hitchcock HourSeries: Anne White (1 episode)
  30. 1961The Two Little BearsFilm: Anne Davis
  31. 1961Alcoa PremiereSeries (1 episode)
  32. 1959Play of the WeekSeries (1 episode)
  33. 1959The Bell Telephone HourSeries (2 episodes)
  34. 1957InterludeFilm: Pure Stubbins
  35. 1957Wagon TrainSeries: Heather Mahoney (1 episode)
  36. 1954Father Knows BestSeries: Margaret Anderson (203 episodes)
  37. 1953The Motorola Television HourSeries (2 episodes)
  38. 1953The United States Steel HourSeries (1 episode)
  39. 1951Criminal LawyerFilm: Maggie Powell
  40. 1950The Man Who Cheated HimselfFilm: Lois Frazer
  41. 1950My Blue HeavenFilm: Janet Pringle
  42. 1950Our Very OwnFilm: Lois Macaulay
  43. 1950House by the RiverFilm: Marjorie Byrne
  44. 1950Your Show of ShowsSeries (1 episode)
  45. 1950Robert Montgomery PresentsSeries (1 episode)
  46. 1949Task ForceFilm: Mary Morgan
  47. 1949Canadian PacificFilm: Dr. Edith Cabot
  48. 1949Bad BoyFilm: Mrs. Maud Brown
  49. 1948No Minor VicesFilm: Miss Darlington
  50. 1948Studio OneSeries (2 episodes)
  51. 1948PitfallFilm: Sue Forbes
  52. 1947Gentleman's AgreementFilm: Jane
  53. 1947Boomerang!Film: Madge Harvey
  54. 1946The Bachelor's DaughtersFilm: Marta Jordan
  55. 1946Strange ConquestFilm: Dr. Mary Palmer
  56. 1944None But the Lonely HeartFilm: Aggie Hunter
  57. 1943The KansanFilm: Eleanor Sager
  58. 1943Buckskin FrontierFilm: Vinnie Marr
  59. 1942Army SurgeonFilm: Elizabeth Ainsley
  60. 1942The Navy Comes ThroughFilm: Myra Mallory
  61. 1941Weekend for ThreeFilm: Ellen 'Gretch' Craig
  62. 1941Hurricane SmithFilm: Joan Bradley
  63. 1941Kisses for BreakfastFilm: Laura Anders
  64. 1940Girl from God's CountryFilm: Anne Webster
  65. 1937Lost HorizonFilm: Sondra Bizet
  66. 1936The Luckiest Girl in the WorldFilm: Pat Duncan
  67. 1935We're Only HumanFilm: Sally Rodgers
  68. 1934Great ExpectationsFilm: Estella
  69. 1934One More RiverFilm: Dinny Cherrell

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