born Nov. 22, 1924, Kirksville, Mo., U.S.
died June 13, 1987, New York, N.Y.
U.S. actress.
She studied drama in Chicago and New York and won fame on Broadway as Alma Winemiller in Summer and Smoke (1952; film, 1961). Noted for her intuitiveness and creativity in capturing her often vulnerable, eccentric characters, she starred in The Rainmaker (195455), Separate Tables (195758), Strange Interlude (1963), and Agnes of God (1982). Her films include Hondo (1953), Sweet Bird of Youth (1962), and The Trip to Bountiful (1985, Academy Award). She won Emmy Awards for A Christmas Memory (1966) and The Thanksgiving Visitor (1968).