Inga Swenson (born December 29, 1932) is an American actress and singer. She appeared in multiple Broadway productions and received two Tony nominations. She also spent seven years portraying Gretchen Kraus in the ABC comedy series '' Benson''.

Early years

Inga Swenson was born in Omaha,

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the so ...

, the only child of Geneva Pauline ( Seeger) and Axel Carl Richard "A.C.R." Swenson. She graduated from

Omaha Central High School Omaha Central High School, originally known as Omaha High School, is a fully accredited public high school located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It is one of many public high schools located in Omaha. As of the 2015-16 academic year ...

in 1950. While attending OCHS, as a junior, Swenson won the state title in the

National Forensic League The National Speech and Debate Association is an American student debating society. It was established in 1925 as the National Forensic League; the name was changed in 2014. It is one of four major national organizations that direct high schoo ...

's speech contest and later, she won the NFL's national contest. As a high school senior she was considered the school's best vocalist and she was also the president of the Central High Players. She studied drama at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Chart ...

under

Alvina Krause Alvina Krause (January 28, 1893 – December 31, 1981) was an American drama teacher at Northwestern University, theatrical entrepreneur, "maker of stars", and director. Her students called her AK. Her first name is pronounced Al-vine-na P ...

, among others, and was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority.

Family

She married sound engineer Lowell Harris in 1953. The couple had two sons, one of whom predeceased his parents.

Career

Early in her career, Swenson had supporting roles in the films ''

Advise and Consent Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts. It describes either of two situations: where a weak executive branch of a government enacts something previ ...

'' (1962) and ''

The Miracle Worker ''The Miracle Worker'' refers to a broadcast, a play and various other adaptations of Helen Keller's 1903 autobiography ''The Story of My Life''. The first of these works was a 1957 ''Playhouse 90'' broadcast written by William Gibson and sta ...

'' (1962) in which she played Helen Keller's mother. Swenson is a trained

lyric Lyric may refer to: * Lyrics, the words, often in verse form, which are sung, usually to a melody, and constitute the semantic content of a song * Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view * Lyric, from ...

soprano and starred on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in ''New Faces'' (c. 1956), and '' The First Gentleman'' (1959), receiving

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nominations for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in ''

110 in the Shade ''110 in the Shade'' is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt. Based on Nash's 1954 play '' The Rainmaker'', it focuses on Lizzie Curry, a spinster living on a ranch in the American southwest ...

'' (1964) and ''

Baker Street Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder William Baker, who laid out the street in the 18th century. The street is most famous for its connection to the fictional detec ...

'' (1965). A life member of The Actors Studio, she said her favorite role was Lizzie Currie in the musical ''

''. Swenson appeared in two episodes of ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'': "Inger, My Love" (1962) and "Journey Remembered" (1963). She portrayed Gretchen Kraus, the autocratic and acerbic German cook (later head housekeeper and budget director) in the TV sitcom '' Benson''. Her portrayal garnered three Emmy nominations. She was cast after appearing in a multi-episode stint as the conniving revenge-seeking Ingrid Svenson, the Swedish birth mother of Corinne Tate (

Diana Canova Diana Canova (born June 1, 1953) is an American actress, director, and professor. She is best known for her role as Corinne Tate on '' Soap'' (1977-1980). Early life Canova was born Diane Canova Rivero in West Palm Beach, Florida, to actress ...

), on the TV sitcom ''

Soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are used ...

''. (''Benson'' was a spinoff of ''Soap'' and shared the same producers.) She also appeared as northern matriarch Maude Hazard in the mini-series '' North and South'' in 1985 and again in 1986. Swenson retired in 1998.

Stage credits

*Stage debut – Maid, ''

Peg O' My Heart "Peg o' My Heart" is a popular song written by Alfred Bryan (words) and Fred Fisher (music). It was published on March 15, 1913 and it featured in the 1913 musical ''Ziegfeld Follies''. The song was first performed publicly by Irving Kaufman i ...

'', Berkshire Playhouse, Stockbridge, MA, 1949. *Broadway debut – Singer, ''New Faces of '56 (revue)'',

Ethel Barrymore Theatre The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theater at 241 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1928, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adam styles ...

, 1956. *London debut – Lizzie Currie, ''110 in the Shade'', Palace Theatre, 1967.

Principal stage appearances

* Princess Alexandria, ''The Swan'', Minnie Fay, '' The Merchant of Yonkers'', singer, ''Sing Out, Sweet Land'', and extra, ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyp ...

'', all Playhouse Theatre,

Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania Eagles Mere is a borough in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 151 at the 2020 census. History Eagles Mere was laid out in 1877 and incorporated in 1899. The Eagles Mere Historic District was added to the National Re ...

, 1952. * Aunt Anna Rose, ''Treasure Hunt'', Monica, ''The Medium'', Lucy, ''The Telephone'', Dunyasha, ''The Cherry Orchard'', Alizon Elliot, ''The Lady's Not for Burning'', and Isabelle, ''Ring 'round the Moon'', all Playhouse Theatre, Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania, 1953. * Georgie Elgin, ''The Country Girl'', Celia Copplestone, ''The Cocktail Party'', Mrs. Larue, ''Mrs. McThing'', Countess Aurelia, ''The Madwoman of Chaillot'', and Angelique, ''The Imaginary Invalid'', all Playhouse Theatre, Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania, 1954. * Olivia, ''Twelfth Night'', Jan Hus Playhouse, New York City, 1954. * Princess Charlotte, ''The First Gentleman'',

Belasco Theatre The Belasco Theatre is a Broadway theater at 111 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Originally known as the Stuyvesant Theatre, it was built in 1907 and d ...

, New York City, 1957. * Madge, ''Picnic'', and Amy Kittridge, ''A Swim in the Sea'', both Royal Poinciana Playhouse,

Palm Beach, FL Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoast ...

, 1958. * Ophelia, ''Hamlet'', Helena, ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', and Perdita, ''The Winter's Tale'', all American Shakespeare Festival,

Stratford, CT Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. Stratford is in the Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was settled b ...

, 1958. * Amy Kittridge, ''A Swim in the Sea'',

Walnut Street Theatre The Walnut Street Theatre, founded in 1809 at 825 Walnut Street, on the corner of S. 9th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, is the oldest operating theatre in the United States. The venue is operated by the Walnut ...

Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, 1958. * Juliet, ''Romeo and Juliet'', American Shakespeare Festival, 1959. * Solveig, ''Peer Gynt'', Phoenix Theatre, New York City, 1960. * Julie Jordan, ''Carousel'', Melody Top Theatre,

Hillside, IL Hillside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 8,320. Geography Hillside is located at (41.874797, −87.900372). According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Hillside has a total ar ...

, 1962. * Gillian, ''Bell, Book, and Candle'', Kiamesha Playhouse,

Kiamesha Lake, New York Kiamesha Lake is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in the town of Thompson, in east-central Sullivan County, New York, United States. The zip code for Kiamesha Lake is 12751. Kiamesha Lake is located on Route 42, between Monticello and ...

, 1962. * Desdemona, ''Othello'',

Arena Stage Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...

, Washington, DC, 1963. * Magnolia, ''Show Boat'', Kenley Players, Warren, OH, then

Columbus, OH Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and ...

, both 1963. * Lizzie Currie, ''110 in the Shade'',

Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for the Shubert brothers. The Bro ...

, New York City, 1963. * Irene Adler, ''Baker Street'',

Broadway Theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''T ...

, New York City, 1965. * title role, ''Mary Stuart'', Parker Playhouse,

Ft. Lauderdale, FL Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

, 1967. *

Eliza Doolittle Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character and the protagonist in George Bernard Shaw's play '' Pygmalion'' (1913) and its 1956 musical adaptation, ''My Fair Lady''. Eliza (from Lisson Grove, London) is a Cockney flower woman, who comes to Prof ...

, ''My Fair Lady'', City Center Light Opera Company,

City center theater New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and th ...

, New York City, 1968. * Lady Alice More, ''A Man for All Seasons'',

Center Theatre Group Center Theatre Group is a non-profit arts organization located in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest theatre companies in the nation, programming subscription seasons year-round at the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and t ...

Ahmanson Theatre The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center. History The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the founder of H.F. Ahmanson & Co., an insurance and savings an ...

, Los Angeles, 1979. *

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as an ...

, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre, 1972 * ''The Four Poster'', New Stage Theatre,

Jackson, MS Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

, 1979.

Major theatrical tours

* Marie Louise, '' My Three Angels'', U.S. cities, 1957. * Julie Jordan, ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in SA) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular pla ...

'', U.S. cities, 1960. * Lizzie Currie, ''

'', U.S. cities, 1963

Movie credits

* Ellen Anderson, ''

'',

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

, 1962 * Kate Keller, ''

'',

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

, 1962 * Sister Monica, ''

Lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick dates bac ...

'',

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

, 1976 * Mrs. Craddock, '' The Betsy'', Allied Artists, 1978 * Singer, '' The Mountain Men'',

, 1980

Television credits

Television debut – Singer, Chrysler Special, CBC (Canadian television), 1957.

Television series

* Gretchen Kraus, '' Benson'', ABC, 1979–86.

Television mini-series

* Amelia Foster, ''Testimony of Two Men'', syndicated, 1977. * Maude Hazard, '' North and South'', ABC, 1985. * Maude Hazard, ''North and South, Book II'', ABC, 1986. * Marilyn Bradshaw Reagan, ''Nutcracker: Money, Madness, and Murder'', NBC, 1987.

Television episodes

* Liza, "The Best Wine", ''

Goodyear Playhouse ''Goodyear Television Playhouse'' is an American anthology series that was telecast live on NBC from 1951 to 1957 during the first Golden Age of Television. Sponsored by Goodyear, Goodyear alternated sponsorship with Philco, and the '' Philco Te ...

'',

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

, 1957 * Marjorie, "The World of Nick Adams", '' The Seven Lively Arts'', CBS, 1957 * Maria, "Heart of Darkness", ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the ...

'', CBS, 1958 * Milly Theale, "Wings of the Dove", ''Playhouse 90'', CBS, 1958 * Vera, "Goodbye, But It Doesn't Go Away", ''

U.S. Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U. S. ...

'', CBS, 1958 * Rose Maylie, "Oliver Twist", ''

DuPont Show of the Month ''DuPont Show of the Month'' was a 90-minute television anthology series that aired monthly on CBS from 1957 to 1961. The DuPont Company also sponsored a weekly half-hour dramatic anthology series hosted by June Allyson, ''The DuPont Show with Ju ...

'', CBS, 1959 * Lady Jane, "Victoria Regina", ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in ...

'', NBC, 1961 * Inger Borgstrom Cartwright, "Inger, My Love" and "Journey Remembered", ''

'', NBC, 1962 * Henrietta Higgins, "The Sod House Woman", '' Sara'', CBS, 1976 * Marie Barrett, "Hitchhike To Terror", ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was or ...

'', CBS, 1978 * Ingrid Swenson, ''

'', 1978, 1979 * Helen's mother, "Sex & Violence" (unaired), '' Highcliffe Manor'', NBC, 1979 * Sonya Green, ''Hotel'', ABC, 1988 * Holly Lindstrom, ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty W ...

'', NBC, 1989 * Madelyn Stone, ''

Newhart ''Newhart'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from October 25, 1982, to May 21, 1990, with a total of 184 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. The series stars Bob Newhart and Mary Frann as an author and his wife ...

'', CBS, 1989.

Other television

* '' The Defenders'', CBS, 1961 and 1962 * '' Dr. Kildare'', NBC, 1962 * ''Bonanza'', NBC, 1963 * '' The Nurses'', CBS, 1963 * ''

American Musical Theatre The American Musical Theatre of San Jose (AMTSJ), previously known as the San Jose Civic Light Opera (SJCLO), was a major professional nonprofit musical theatre company in San Jose, California. Founded in 1934 as the San Jose Light Opera Associati ...

'', CBS, 1964 * ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 2010� ...

'', NBC, 1964 * ''My Father and My Mother'', CBS Playhouse, CBS, 1968 * ''

Medical Center Medical center or medical centre may refer to: Medical care * A collection of medical services on the same site, such as the services of a general practitioner, pharmacist, pathology, radiology, dentist etc. * Clinic * Hospital * Academic medic ...

'', CBS, 1970 and 1971 * ''The Tape Recorder'', NET Playhouse,

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of ed ...

, 1970

Television movies

* Ilyana Kovalefskii, '' Earth II'', ABC, 1971. * Nora Bayes, '' Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women'', NBC, 1978. * Matty Kline, ''Bay Cove'', NBC, 1987.

Television specials

* Lavinia, ''Androcles and the Lion'', NBC, 1967. * Mrs. Trimble, ''My Dear Uncle Sherlock'', ABC Short Story Specials, ABC, 1977. * Mrs. Marston, ''The Terrible Secret''.

ABC Afterschool Special ''ABC Afterschool Special'' is an American television anthology series that aired on ABC from October 4, 1972, to January 23, 1997, usually in the late afternoon on weekdays. Most episodes were dramatically presented situations, often controve ...

, ABC, 1979. * Kate, ''The Gay Deceivers'', CBC, 1956.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Swenson, Inga 1932 births Living people 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Omaha, Nebraska American stage actresses American film actresses American television actresses Northwestern University alumni Omaha Central High School alumni