Nanette Fabray, TV And Stage Actress, Dead At 97

Tony Award-winning actress, singer, and humanitarian Nanette Fabray has passed away on Thursday, Feb. 22, in her home in California due to natural causes.

Her son, Dr. Jamie MacDougall, confirmed her death. Fabray was 97 years old when she passed away.

Career

Over the course of her long and successful career in the entertainment business, Fabray won several awards. She received her first Tony for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Love Life, a collection of sketches.

In 1956, she won two Emmys for Best Comedienne and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her work in Caesar's Hour, a series that ran from 1954 to 1957. Later on, she was unfairly removed from the comedy series, with the producers citing unreasonable demands for her Season 3 contract. However, despite her exit, Fabray won another Emmy for Best Continuing Performance by a Comedienne in a Series for her work in Caesar's Hour.

After venturing into the stage and the small screen, Fabray tried her hand at acting in a movie. Her first role was a lady-in-waiting for Elizabeth I, a role played by Bette Davis, in the movie The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex.

In that movie set, she met her second husband Ranald McDougall, a screenwriter.

She also appeared in the musical The Band Wagon in 1953 which was directed by Vincente Minelli and also starred Fred Astaire. The movie received three Academy Awards nominations.

Other notable works include Westinghouse Playhouse (also known as The Nanette Fabray Show) (1961), Alice Through The Looking Glass (1966), Love, American Style (1970), One Day At A Time (1979), and Coach (1990).

According to The New York Times, Fabray continued to work onstage until her final years. In 2007, she appeared in The Damsel Dialogues in Sherman Oaks, California.

"A true performer and star of Hollywood's Golden Age, Nanette Fabray had limitless exuberance and an expert sense of comic timing. Her dedication to her art was equaled only by her generosity and willingness to help others," said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carter in a statement on Friday, Feb. 23. "Her dedication to her art was equaled only by her generosity and willingness to help others."

Fabray's husband, MacDougall, died in 1973. She is survived by her son and two grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory to Gallaudet University, a school that teaches the deaf and hard of hearing, in Washington. D.C.

Tags

Tony Awards, Broadway, Emmy Awards