Occupation Actress, singer | Name Kay Medford Role Character actress | |
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Full Name Margaret Kathleen Regan Born September 14, 1919 ( 1919-09-14 ) New York City, New York, U.S. Died April 10, 1980, New York City, New York, United States Parents Mary O'Regan, James O'Regan Movies and TV shows Funny Girl, The Dean Martin Show, The Rat Race, Ensign Pulver, A Fine Madness | ||
Years active 1942-1980 (her death) | ||
Dean martin ken lane kay medford robert wagner sonny boy it s the talk of the town
Kay Medford (September 14, 1919 – April 10, 1980) was an American character actress and comedian.
Contents
- Dean martin ken lane kay medford robert wagner sonny boy it s the talk of the town
- Life and career
- Death
- References
Life and career
She was born Margaret Kathleen Regan in 1919 in New York City to James and Mary Regan, first-generation Irish-American parents. She was orphaned in her teens. She adopted the name "Kay Medford" professionally, and began her career after graduating from high school and working as a nightclub waitress.
She was the original "Mama" in Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway, garnering excellent reviews, but lost the film role to Maureen Stapleton. Medford appeared in the Warner Bros. rock and roll film, Jamboree (1957). She made her Broadway debut in 1951 in the musical Paint Your Wagon.
She was cast in Carousel, before she appeared onstage in Funny Girl as the mother of Fanny Brice (played by Barbra Streisand); for this performance she was nominated for a 1964 Tony Award for Featured Actress (Musical), and when she repeated the role in the 1968 film adaptation, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Her many film credits included roles in A Face in the Crowd (1957), The Rat Race (1960), BUtterfield 8 (1960), Girl of the Night (1960), Ensign Pulver (1964), A Fine Madness (1966), The Busy Body (1967), Angel in My Pocket (1969), Twinky (1969), But I Don't Want to Get Married! (1970), Fire Sale (1977), and Windows (1980).
Medford was cast in guest-starring roles on various television series, including Decoy, To Rome With Love, The Partridge Family, Barney Miller, and The Dean Martin Show. She co-starred in the 1968-1969 ABC series That's Life.
Death
Kay Medford never married. She died from cervical cancer in New York City in 1980, aged 60.