Two-time Tony Award- and Oscar-winner Maureen Stapleton has
passed away at the age of 80, with the cause of death cited chronic
pulmonary disease caused by years of smoking.
Stapleton, who was born in Troy, NY on June 21st, 1925 was renowned
for her versatility, and her career spanned roles on stage, film and
television. She won her first Tony Award in 1951 for creating the role
of Serafina della Rose in Tennessee Williams'
The Rose Tattoo and also originated the role of Lady Torrance in the same playwright's
Orpheus Descending; Anna Magnani would play both of those roles in the plays' respective film versions.
Williams was also a personal friend of the actress, who described both
professional accomplishments and a troubled personal life in her
autobiography. She was an actress whose "unremarkable, matronly
appearance belied her star personality and talent," according to an
Associated Press obituary.
Stapleton also garnered a Tony Award for her performance in
The Gingerbread Lady and received nominations for her work in
The Little Foxes, Plaza Suite, Toys in the Attic, and
The Cold Wind and the Warm, while other Broadway credits included
The Gin Game, The Glass Menagerie, The Country Girl, The Crucible (as a replacement in the role of Elizabeth Proctor),
Antony and Cleopatra and
The Playboy of the Western World, in which she made her Broadway debut.
A
respected film actress, she won an Academy Award for her portrayal of
Emma Goldman in
Reds; she was also nominated for her performances in
Woody Allen's
Interiors, Airport and
Lonelyhearts. Other film and TV
credits included
Nuts, Heartburn, Cocoon, "Alice in Wonderland,"
Plaza
Suite, and
Bye Bye, Birdie. She won an Emmy Award for her performance
in "Among the Paths to Eden," and was also nominated for her turns in
"Queen of the Stardust Ballroom," "The Gathering" and "Miss Rose White."
She received The Actors Studio Award in 1980, and was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame the next year.
Married twice, she is survived by son Daniel Allentuck, daughter Katharine Bambery and her brother Jack Stapleton.
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