Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman (/ˈwaɪmən/ WY-mən; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007) was an American actress. She received an Academy Award (1948), four Golden Globe Awards (1948, 1950, 1951 and 1983) and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards (1957 and 1959).
Jane Wyman TOSD | |
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Wyman in the 1950s | |
| Born | Sarah Jane Mayfield January 5, 1917 St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 2007 (aged 90) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Mortuary and Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1932–1993 |
| Known for | The Lost Weekend The Yearling Johnny Belinda Stage Fright The Blue Veil Magnificent Obsession All That Heaven Allows The Jane Wyman Show Pollyanna Falcon Crest |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | Ernest Wyman
(m. 1933; div. 1935)Myron Futterman
(m. 1937; div. 1938)Ronald Reagan
(m. 1940; div. 1949)Frederick Karger
(m. 1952; div. 1955)
(m. 1961; div. 1965) |
| Children | 3, including Maureen Reagan and Michael Reagan |
Jane Wyman's motion picture career began at age 17 at Paramount Pictures dancing in the chorus for Dance Director LeRoy Prinz in 1934. She signed her first studio contract with Warner Bros. in 1936 at 19. A popular contract player, she quickly progressed from uncredited bit parts to "B" movies and second leads in her first 8 years at the studio.
After this extended apprenticeship she emerged as a dramatic actress and leading lady in 1945 after being cast in The Lost Weekend. More starring vehicles followed including The Yearling (1946), Stage Fright (1950), So Big (1953), Magnificent Obsession (1954), and All That Heaven Allows (1955). She received four nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress between 1946 and 1954, winning for Johnny Belinda (1948).
In 1955 she formed her own television production company Lewman Productions Ltd.(co-owned with MCA Inc.) and assumed responsibility for producing the popular filmed anthology series the Fireside Theatre from Hal Roach Studios. She served as producer, host and frequent star of the NBC series from 1955 to 1958.
In her early forties Wyman continued to work in both film and television, enjoying a certain level of visibility from the syndication of The Jane Wyman Show but no longer in demand as a leading lady.
After a couple of periods of virtual retirement between 1963-1968 and 1974-1978 she returned to prominence on the prime-time soap opera Falcon Crest (1981–1990), portraying the role of villainous matriarch Angela Channing.
Wyman was the first wife of Hollywood actor and the future 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, and the first ex-wife of a U.S. president in American history.