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Marion Ross (born October 25, 1928) is an American actress. Her best-known role is that of Marion Cunningham on the ABC television sitcom Happy Days, on which she starred from 1974 to 1984 and received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Before her success on Happy Days, Ross appeared in a variety of film roles, appearing in The Glenn Miller Story (1954), Sabrina (1954), Lust for Life (1956), Teacher's Pet (1958), Some Came Running (1958), Operation Petticoat (1959), and Honky (1971), as well as several minor television roles, one of which was on television’s "The Lone Ranger" (1954). Ross also starred in The Evening Star (1996), for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Since the 1990s, Ross has been known for voice-over work on animated television series such as King of the Hill and SpongeBob SquarePants among others, and recurring roles on The Drew Carey Show, That '70s Show, Gilmore Girls, and Brothers & Sisters, and guest spots.
Since the 1990s, Ross has been known for voice-over work on animated television series such as King of the Hill and SpongeBob SquarePants among others, and recurring roles on The Drew Carey Show, That '70s Show, Gilmore Girls, and Brothers & Sisters, and guest spots.
Marion Ross - Wikipedia
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Inside the Industry Professional Series - An Interview with Marion Ross
The Acting Center presents an interview with legendary, Golden Globe & Emmy-Nominated actress Marion Ross, whose career started at paramount Studios when ing...
Thank you my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that October 24 us the anniversary of the birth of American actress Marion Ross who is "best-known role is that of Marion Cunningham on the ABC television sitcom Happy Days, on which she starred from 1974 to 1984 and received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Happy 90th Birthday Marion Ross.
Background from imdb.com/name/nm0005385/bio
"Marion Ross Biography
Overview | Mini Bio | Spouse | Trade Mark (2) | Trivia (20) | Personal Quotes (2)
Overview)
Born October 25, 1928 in Albert Lea, Minnesota, USA
Birth Name Marian Ellen Ross
Height 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Mini Bio)
The lovely, continuously upbeat and iconic All-American mom from the classic Happy Days(1974) TV sitcom had fervent desires of becoming an actress while growing up in her obscure Minnesota town. Born Marian Ross (with an "a") in 1928, she grew up in her native state and, at one time, worked as a teenage au pair in order to earn money for drama lessons at the MacPhail Center in Minneapolis. The family eventually relocated to San Diego (she was in her late teens) and Marion attended and graduated from Point Loma High School.
Changing her stage moniker to Marion (with an "o") Ross because it read classier to her, the young hopeful enrolled at San Diego University and appeared in the theater department's various productions. Graduating in 1950, Marion worked in summer theater in and around the San Diego area, including the Old Globe Theatre. She then managed to land a Paramount Studio contract with the assist of an old college professor and found a few unbilled parts to play as various actress, tourist and girlfriend types in a variety of films such as The Glenn Miller Story (1954), Secret of the Incas (1954), Sabrina (1954) and Pushover (1954). At the same time, she won a regular role as the Irish maid "Nora" in the Victorian-TV comedy Life with Father (1953) which ran a couple of seasons and was headed by Leon Ames and Lurene Tuttle. This program happened to be the first live color series for network Hollywood TV. Not your conventional leading lady type, Marion landed slightly larger parts in such movies as The Proud and Profane (1956), Lizzie (1957), Teacher's Pet (1958) and Operation Petticoat (1959), but any and all attempts to move further up the Hollywood film ladder proved a long-lasting frustration. Marking her Broadway debut in 1958 with a role in "Edwin Booth" starring José Ferrer, Marion nevertheless continued to focus on TV work. Throughout the 1960s, she appeared in a fairly steady amount of shows, both comedies and dramas, including Father Knows Best(1954), Rawhide (1959), Route 66 (1960), The Outer Limits (1963), The Felony Squad(1966) and The Brady Bunch (1969). By the end of the decade, however, she was still disillusioned, but now she was divorced from her husband of 18 years, Freeman Meskimen, and struggling to raise two children. Middle-aged stardom came to her (in her 46th year) with the nostalgic sitcom series Happy Days (1974), which arrived on a wave of 50s popularity triggered by the huge box-office reception to the film American Graffiti(1973). The show starred "Graffiti" lead Ron Howard and co-starred Henry Winkler as "The Fonz". Marion was ideally paired with Tom Bosley, who expertly played her beleaguered hubby. The series became a certifiable hit and Marion's ever-pleasant "Marion Cunningham" the new, slightly blended version of Lucille Ball's ditzy and Barbara Billingsley's pristine perfect moms. Two Emmy nominations came Marion's way during the show's long tenure (ten seasons).
Following the demise of such an exalting hit, many actors often find themselves either resting on their laurels or witnessing a sad decline in their career. Not Marion. She continued to pursue her career assertively and challengingly and the critics kept taking notice. She earned terrific reviews for her recurring The Love Boat (1977) role in 1986, and enjoyed standard guest turns on Night Court (1984), MacGyver (1985), Burke's Law(1963) and (the revived) "Superman". One of Marion's finest hours on TV occurred with her role as the obstinate, iron-willed Jewish matriarch in the Brooklyn Bridge (1991) series, which neatly deflected any broad, daffy stereotype she might have incurred from her Happy Days (1974) role. Irritating yet ingratiating at the same time, Marion's fine interpretation garnered the veteran actress two more Emmy nominations. Sadly, a lack of viewership triggered an abrupt cancellation and deep disappointment in Marion. While never making a strong dent in films, an excellent supporting turn for Marion came in the form of her moving portrayal of Shirley MacLaine's loyal housekeeper and confidante in The Evening Star (1996), the long-awaited sequel to the Oscar-winning Terms of Endearment (1983). Critics predicted an Academy Award nomination for the actress but, surprisingly, it did not pan out. Other films over the years have included Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970); Grand Theft Auto (1977), which starred Happy Days (1974) son Ron Howard (who also made his directorial debut); and, more recently, Music Within(2007) and the silly spoof Superhero Movie (2008).
In her post-"Happy Days" years, Marion reinvigorated her career on the stage. As a result, she earned renewed acclaim and respect for her roles in "Arsenic and Old Lace" (which brought her back to Broadway), "Steel Magnolias", "Long Day's Journey Into Night", "The Glass Menagerie", "Pippin" and "Barefoot in the Park", among others. She also toured with her one-woman show as poet Edna St. Vincent Millay entitled "A Lovely Light". On TV, Marion found recurring flinty-like roles on Touched by an Angel (1994) (a fifth Emmy nomination), That '70s Show (1998), The Drew Carey Show (1995), Gilmore Girls (2000) and Brothers & Sisters (2006) and also provided a voice in the cartoon "Spongebob Squarepants" as Spongebob's grandmother. The ever-vital copper-haired octogenarian continues to reside at her country-style home she calls the "Happy Days Farm" in California's San Fernando Valley.
Spouse Freeman Herman Meskiman, Jr. (1950 - 1968) ( divorced) ( 2 children)
Trade Mark (2)
Red hair and blue eyes
Soft, mellow voice
Trivia (20)
1. She and her late companion, Paul Michael, co-starred in Southern California stage productions of "Over the River and Through the Woods", "Love Letters" and "The Last Romance".
2. She appeared on Broadway in 1987 with Jean Stapleton in a revival of "Arsenic and Old Lace".
3. At age 13, she changed the spelling of her name from "Marian" to "Marion" because she thought it would look better on a marquee.
4. She lives in the San Fernando Valley, California in a country-style home which she calls "Happy Days farm".
5. Mother of actor Jim Meskimen and actress Ellen Kreamer.
6. Mother-in-law of Tamra Meskimen.
7. She is the Associate Artist for the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, California.
8. Older sister, Alicia, and younger brother, Gordon.
9. Best remembered by the public for her role as "Marion Cunningham" on the television series Happy Days (1974).
10. Raised in Albert Lea, Minnesota, the Albert Lea Civic Theatre was renamed the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center on June 7, 2008 in honor of the veteran actress. Her life partner Paul Michael sang "The Impossible Dream" during the dedication ceremony and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a proclamation declaring June 7th "Marion Ross Day".
11. In 1972, Marion was hired to play Marion Cunningham in an episode of the comedy series Love, American Style (1969) called "Love and the Happy Days". On the show, she was the mother of a teenager named Richie (played by Ron Howard) and the wife of Howard Cunningham (played by Harold Gould. Two years later, when the segment was developed into a television series called Happy Days (1974), Marion was invited back to play her part and so was Howard, while Gould was replaced by Tom Bosley.
12. She credits her late friend, character actress Sandra Gould, with helping her get the role in Happy Days (1974). She was invited to a dinner hosted by Gould and a casting person from "Happy Days" also was in attendance. Not long after the dinner Marion got a call from the studio.
13. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6420 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California in 2001.
14. She is a registered Democrat.
15. She has played the same character (Marion Cunningham) in four different series: Love, American Style (1969), Happy Days (1974), Joanie Loves Chachi (1982) and Family Guy(1998).
16. Guest starred on the last 2 episodes of Touched by an Angel (1994).
17. Costarred with Clayton Moore, on the Lone Ranger TV series, and with John Hart, Moore's temporary replacement, as the Lone Ranger in an episode of Happy Days.
18. Although she herself never appeared in "Dark Shadows," many of her old friend actors did appear on the series during their early acting careers in New York. In a show of nostalgic support, Marion would occasionally attend the Dark Shadows Fan Festivals in their memory.
19. Friends with Erin Moran, Barbara Billingsley, and Gavin MacLeod.
20. In 2018, she officially announced her retirement from acting.
Personal Quotes (2)
1. People have different opinions about this, but I'll use it to my advantage. If I call the plumber and he says, "I can't come right away", I'll say, "Did you ever watch Happy Days(1974)? I'm Mrs. C, you know". And not only does he get over here right away, but he brings his entire family.
2. In those days, you would walk into the dining room at Paramount and there were all of these big portraits of all these big movie stars on the wall. Around the corner was Cecil B. DeMille. The dining room was filled with big movie stars. It's all gone now.
Inside the Industry Professional Series - An Interview with Marion Ross
"he Acting Center presents an interview with legendary, Golden Globe & Emmy-Nominated actress Marion Ross, whose career started at paramount Studios when ingénues would be "on contract" and has continued all the way up to today's world of television and independent films. Ms. Ross knows the profession of acting like few others.
Share this time with Marion as she is interviewed on the stage of The Acting Center by her son, actor Jim Meskimen, and relates her experiences with Sir Noel Coward, Cary Grant, Clark Gable and the casts of Happy Days, Gilmore Girls, That '70's Show, Sponge Bob Square Pants, The Drew Carey Show and many, many others.
Not many actresses have enjoyed such a long, vibrant and busy career in film, TV and theater like Marion Ross. Discover the inspiring choices she has made to create a life of excitement and fulfillment in the arts."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmCdzJOWEJg
FYI LTC John Griscom LTC Wayne Brandon CPT Jim Gallagher] 1SG John Millan MSgt John McGowanMSgt David M. SSgt Boyd HerrstSSG Diane R.SPC Andrew RossSSG Donald H "Don" BatesSP5 Jerry MuchaSGT John Meredith Sgt (Join to see) LCpl Emanuel W. SPC William WeedmanPO3 Steven Sherrill LTC Bill Koski SGM Steve Wettstein
Happy 90th Birthday Marion Ross.
Background from imdb.com/name/nm0005385/bio
"Marion Ross Biography
Overview | Mini Bio | Spouse | Trade Mark (2) | Trivia (20) | Personal Quotes (2)
Overview)
Born October 25, 1928 in Albert Lea, Minnesota, USA
Birth Name Marian Ellen Ross
Height 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Mini Bio)
The lovely, continuously upbeat and iconic All-American mom from the classic Happy Days(1974) TV sitcom had fervent desires of becoming an actress while growing up in her obscure Minnesota town. Born Marian Ross (with an "a") in 1928, she grew up in her native state and, at one time, worked as a teenage au pair in order to earn money for drama lessons at the MacPhail Center in Minneapolis. The family eventually relocated to San Diego (she was in her late teens) and Marion attended and graduated from Point Loma High School.
Changing her stage moniker to Marion (with an "o") Ross because it read classier to her, the young hopeful enrolled at San Diego University and appeared in the theater department's various productions. Graduating in 1950, Marion worked in summer theater in and around the San Diego area, including the Old Globe Theatre. She then managed to land a Paramount Studio contract with the assist of an old college professor and found a few unbilled parts to play as various actress, tourist and girlfriend types in a variety of films such as The Glenn Miller Story (1954), Secret of the Incas (1954), Sabrina (1954) and Pushover (1954). At the same time, she won a regular role as the Irish maid "Nora" in the Victorian-TV comedy Life with Father (1953) which ran a couple of seasons and was headed by Leon Ames and Lurene Tuttle. This program happened to be the first live color series for network Hollywood TV. Not your conventional leading lady type, Marion landed slightly larger parts in such movies as The Proud and Profane (1956), Lizzie (1957), Teacher's Pet (1958) and Operation Petticoat (1959), but any and all attempts to move further up the Hollywood film ladder proved a long-lasting frustration. Marking her Broadway debut in 1958 with a role in "Edwin Booth" starring José Ferrer, Marion nevertheless continued to focus on TV work. Throughout the 1960s, she appeared in a fairly steady amount of shows, both comedies and dramas, including Father Knows Best(1954), Rawhide (1959), Route 66 (1960), The Outer Limits (1963), The Felony Squad(1966) and The Brady Bunch (1969). By the end of the decade, however, she was still disillusioned, but now she was divorced from her husband of 18 years, Freeman Meskimen, and struggling to raise two children. Middle-aged stardom came to her (in her 46th year) with the nostalgic sitcom series Happy Days (1974), which arrived on a wave of 50s popularity triggered by the huge box-office reception to the film American Graffiti(1973). The show starred "Graffiti" lead Ron Howard and co-starred Henry Winkler as "The Fonz". Marion was ideally paired with Tom Bosley, who expertly played her beleaguered hubby. The series became a certifiable hit and Marion's ever-pleasant "Marion Cunningham" the new, slightly blended version of Lucille Ball's ditzy and Barbara Billingsley's pristine perfect moms. Two Emmy nominations came Marion's way during the show's long tenure (ten seasons).
Following the demise of such an exalting hit, many actors often find themselves either resting on their laurels or witnessing a sad decline in their career. Not Marion. She continued to pursue her career assertively and challengingly and the critics kept taking notice. She earned terrific reviews for her recurring The Love Boat (1977) role in 1986, and enjoyed standard guest turns on Night Court (1984), MacGyver (1985), Burke's Law(1963) and (the revived) "Superman". One of Marion's finest hours on TV occurred with her role as the obstinate, iron-willed Jewish matriarch in the Brooklyn Bridge (1991) series, which neatly deflected any broad, daffy stereotype she might have incurred from her Happy Days (1974) role. Irritating yet ingratiating at the same time, Marion's fine interpretation garnered the veteran actress two more Emmy nominations. Sadly, a lack of viewership triggered an abrupt cancellation and deep disappointment in Marion. While never making a strong dent in films, an excellent supporting turn for Marion came in the form of her moving portrayal of Shirley MacLaine's loyal housekeeper and confidante in The Evening Star (1996), the long-awaited sequel to the Oscar-winning Terms of Endearment (1983). Critics predicted an Academy Award nomination for the actress but, surprisingly, it did not pan out. Other films over the years have included Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970); Grand Theft Auto (1977), which starred Happy Days (1974) son Ron Howard (who also made his directorial debut); and, more recently, Music Within(2007) and the silly spoof Superhero Movie (2008).
In her post-"Happy Days" years, Marion reinvigorated her career on the stage. As a result, she earned renewed acclaim and respect for her roles in "Arsenic and Old Lace" (which brought her back to Broadway), "Steel Magnolias", "Long Day's Journey Into Night", "The Glass Menagerie", "Pippin" and "Barefoot in the Park", among others. She also toured with her one-woman show as poet Edna St. Vincent Millay entitled "A Lovely Light". On TV, Marion found recurring flinty-like roles on Touched by an Angel (1994) (a fifth Emmy nomination), That '70s Show (1998), The Drew Carey Show (1995), Gilmore Girls (2000) and Brothers & Sisters (2006) and also provided a voice in the cartoon "Spongebob Squarepants" as Spongebob's grandmother. The ever-vital copper-haired octogenarian continues to reside at her country-style home she calls the "Happy Days Farm" in California's San Fernando Valley.
Spouse Freeman Herman Meskiman, Jr. (1950 - 1968) ( divorced) ( 2 children)
Trade Mark (2)
Red hair and blue eyes
Soft, mellow voice
Trivia (20)
1. She and her late companion, Paul Michael, co-starred in Southern California stage productions of "Over the River and Through the Woods", "Love Letters" and "The Last Romance".
2. She appeared on Broadway in 1987 with Jean Stapleton in a revival of "Arsenic and Old Lace".
3. At age 13, she changed the spelling of her name from "Marian" to "Marion" because she thought it would look better on a marquee.
4. She lives in the San Fernando Valley, California in a country-style home which she calls "Happy Days farm".
5. Mother of actor Jim Meskimen and actress Ellen Kreamer.
6. Mother-in-law of Tamra Meskimen.
7. She is the Associate Artist for the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, California.
8. Older sister, Alicia, and younger brother, Gordon.
9. Best remembered by the public for her role as "Marion Cunningham" on the television series Happy Days (1974).
10. Raised in Albert Lea, Minnesota, the Albert Lea Civic Theatre was renamed the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center on June 7, 2008 in honor of the veteran actress. Her life partner Paul Michael sang "The Impossible Dream" during the dedication ceremony and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a proclamation declaring June 7th "Marion Ross Day".
11. In 1972, Marion was hired to play Marion Cunningham in an episode of the comedy series Love, American Style (1969) called "Love and the Happy Days". On the show, she was the mother of a teenager named Richie (played by Ron Howard) and the wife of Howard Cunningham (played by Harold Gould. Two years later, when the segment was developed into a television series called Happy Days (1974), Marion was invited back to play her part and so was Howard, while Gould was replaced by Tom Bosley.
12. She credits her late friend, character actress Sandra Gould, with helping her get the role in Happy Days (1974). She was invited to a dinner hosted by Gould and a casting person from "Happy Days" also was in attendance. Not long after the dinner Marion got a call from the studio.
13. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6420 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California in 2001.
14. She is a registered Democrat.
15. She has played the same character (Marion Cunningham) in four different series: Love, American Style (1969), Happy Days (1974), Joanie Loves Chachi (1982) and Family Guy(1998).
16. Guest starred on the last 2 episodes of Touched by an Angel (1994).
17. Costarred with Clayton Moore, on the Lone Ranger TV series, and with John Hart, Moore's temporary replacement, as the Lone Ranger in an episode of Happy Days.
18. Although she herself never appeared in "Dark Shadows," many of her old friend actors did appear on the series during their early acting careers in New York. In a show of nostalgic support, Marion would occasionally attend the Dark Shadows Fan Festivals in their memory.
19. Friends with Erin Moran, Barbara Billingsley, and Gavin MacLeod.
20. In 2018, she officially announced her retirement from acting.
Personal Quotes (2)
1. People have different opinions about this, but I'll use it to my advantage. If I call the plumber and he says, "I can't come right away", I'll say, "Did you ever watch Happy Days(1974)? I'm Mrs. C, you know". And not only does he get over here right away, but he brings his entire family.
2. In those days, you would walk into the dining room at Paramount and there were all of these big portraits of all these big movie stars on the wall. Around the corner was Cecil B. DeMille. The dining room was filled with big movie stars. It's all gone now.
Inside the Industry Professional Series - An Interview with Marion Ross
"he Acting Center presents an interview with legendary, Golden Globe & Emmy-Nominated actress Marion Ross, whose career started at paramount Studios when ingénues would be "on contract" and has continued all the way up to today's world of television and independent films. Ms. Ross knows the profession of acting like few others.
Share this time with Marion as she is interviewed on the stage of The Acting Center by her son, actor Jim Meskimen, and relates her experiences with Sir Noel Coward, Cary Grant, Clark Gable and the casts of Happy Days, Gilmore Girls, That '70's Show, Sponge Bob Square Pants, The Drew Carey Show and many, many others.
Not many actresses have enjoyed such a long, vibrant and busy career in film, TV and theater like Marion Ross. Discover the inspiring choices she has made to create a life of excitement and fulfillment in the arts."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmCdzJOWEJg
FYI LTC John Griscom LTC Wayne Brandon CPT Jim Gallagher] 1SG John Millan MSgt John McGowanMSgt David M. SSgt Boyd HerrstSSG Diane R.SPC Andrew RossSSG Donald H "Don" BatesSP5 Jerry MuchaSGT John Meredith Sgt (Join to see) LCpl Emanuel W. SPC William WeedmanPO3 Steven Sherrill LTC Bill Koski SGM Steve Wettstein
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