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Nancy Marchand

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Nancy Marchand
Marchand in Lou Grant (1977)
Born
Nancy Lou Marchand[1]

(1928-06-19)June 19, 1928[2]
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 18, 2000(2000-06-18) (aged 71)
Stratford, Connecticut, U.S.
EducationCarnegie Mellon University (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1951–2000
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1952; died 1999)​
[3]
Children3

Nancy Lou Marchand (June 19, 1928 – June 18, 2000) was an American actress. She began her career in theater in 1951. She was most famous for her television portrayals of Margaret Pynchon on Lou Grant – for which she won four Emmy Awards – and Livia Soprano on The Sopranos, for which she won a Golden Globe Award.[4]

Early life

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Marchand was born in 1928 in Buffalo, New York, the only child of Dr. Raymond Louis Marchand, a dentist, and his wife, Marjorie Freeman, a piano teacher.[5] Her great-grandfather Louis Marchand, a stone cutter, emigrated from France.[6] She grew up in the adjacent hamlet of Eggertsville, New York.[4] She attended Amherst High School, and studied acting at the Studio Theatre School in Buffalo, taking two buses to make the trip.[7][8] She graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1949[9] and studied theater at the Herbert Berghof Studio[10] in New York City.

Career

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Marchand made her first professional stage appearance in 1946 in The Late George Apley in Ogunquit, Maine.[11] She made her Broadway debut in The Taming of the Shrew in 1951. She won a Distinguished Performance Obie Award for The Balcony, and she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for The White Liars & Black Comedy. She was nominated four times for the Drama Desk Award, winning for Morning's at Seven. She won a second Obie for her performance in A. R. Gurney's The Cocktail Hour.

Marchand originated the roles of Vinnie Phillips on the CBS soap opera Love of Life and Theresa Lamonte on the NBC soap opera Another World. She also starred as matriarch Edith Cushing on Lovers and Friends, a short-lived soap opera.

Marchand was renowned for her roles as patrician newspaper publisher Margaret Pynchon on Lou Grant, winning four Emmy Awards as Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series, and as matriarch Livia Soprano, mother of Tony Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos, which earned her a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, as well as two Emmy Award nominations.[4]

She appeared in many anthology series in the early days of television, including The Philco Television Playhouse (on which she starred in Marty opposite Rod Steiger), Kraft Television Theatre, Studio One, and Playhouse 90. Additional television credits include The Law and Mr. Jones, Spenser: For Hire, Law & Order, Homicide: Life on the Street, Coach, and Night Court.

Marchand's feature film credits included The Bachelor Party, Ladybug Ladybug, Me, Natalie, Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, The Hospital, The Bostonians, From the Hip, Jefferson in Paris, Brain Donors, Reckless, The Naked Gun, Sabrina and Dear God.

Personal life

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Marchand was married to actor Paul Sparer. He died in 1999 from cancer at age 75. The couple had three children: Katie, David, and Rachel and seven grandchildren.[12] She gave her life to her children on a silver platter.

Marchand suffered from lung cancer, emphysema, and COPD. She died on June 18, 2000, a day before her 72nd birthday, in Stratford, Connecticut.[13] She was posthumously inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.[14] Marchand's death occurred between Seasons 2 and 3 of The Sopranos, before a plot line prominently involving her character was resolved. Her death was written into the plot, and one final scene was created for her using computer-generated imagery, which was a new technology at the time, together with outtakes from previous seasons.[15]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1954 Three Steps to Start Producer, Julien Bryan International Film Foundation NYU
1957 The Bachelor Party Mrs. Julie Samson
1963 Ladybug Ladybug Mrs. Andrews
1969 Me, Natalie Edna Miller
1970 Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon Nurse Oxford
1971 The Hospital Mrs. Christie
1984 The Bostonians Mrs. Burrage
1987 From the Hip Roberta Winnaker
1988 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Mayor Barkley
1991 Regarding Henry Headmistress Uncredited
1992 Brain Donors Lillian Oglethorpe
1995 Jefferson in Paris Madame Abbesse
1995 Reckless Grandmother
1995 Sabrina Maude Larrabee
1996 Dear God Judge Kits Van Heynigan

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1950 Westinghouse Studio One Jo March 2 episodes
1951 Lux Video Theatre Joan Episode: "Forever Walk Free"
1951–1958 Kraft Theatre Abby 9 episodes
1953 Studio One in Hollywood Miss Marmon Episode: "The Hospital"
1953 The Philco Television Playhouse Clara Episode: "Marty"
1953 Lux Video Theatre Phyllis Episode: "Two for Tea"
1954 Pond's Theater Charlotte 4 episodes
1957 Studio One in Hollywood Eleanor Episode: "Rudy"
1957 The United States Steel Hour Gen Arnold Episode: "Windfall"
1957 Shirley Temple's Storybook Queen Episode: "The Sleeping Beauty"
1958 Playhouse 90 Sylvia Sands Episode: "Free Weekend"
1959 Armstrong Circle Theatre Mrs. Howard Jones Episode: "Miracle at Spring Hill"
1959 Playhouse 90 Mrs. Yarbrough Episode: "The Hidden Image"
1959 NBC Sunday Showcase Mrs. Clegg Episode: "The Indestructible Mr. Gore"
1959 R.C.M.P. Gerta Boyd Episode: "Little Girl Lost"
1959 The Bells of St. Mary's Sister Michael TV movie
1960 Play of the Week Margaret 2 episodes
1960 The Law and Mr. Jones Dorothy Episode: "The Long Echo"
1961 The Defenders Mrs. Crile Episode: "The Attack"
1962 Naked City Esther Lindall Episode: "The Multiplicity of Herbert Konish"
1964 The Defenders Rhoda Banter Episode: "Hollow Triumph"
1972 Look Homeward, Angel Madame Elizabeth TV movie
1975 Beacon Hill Mary Lassiter 13 episodes
1976 Another World Theresa Lamonte Unknown episodes
1977–1982 Lou Grant Margaret Pynchon 99 episodes
1977 Soldier's Home Mrs. Krebs TV movie
1983 Sparkling Cyanide Lucilla Drake TV movie
1984 Cheers Dr. Hester Crane Episode: "Diane Meets Mom"
1986 Spenser: For Hire Emily Garden Episode: "In a Safe Place"
1986 North and South, Book II Dorothea Dix 6 episodes
1990–1992 Coach Marlene Watkins 2 episodes
1992 Law & Order Mrs. Barbara Ryder Episode: "Blood Is Thicker"
1992 Night Court Louise Cahill 2 episodes
1993 Crossroads Aunt Dorothy Episode: "The Nickel Curve"
1994 Homicide: Life on the Street Lorraine Freeman Episode: "All Through the House"
1999–2000 The Sopranos Livia Soprano 21 episodes

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes
1951 The Taming of the Shrew[16] Hostess / Curtis
1953 Love's Labour's Lost Princess of France
1953 The Merchant of Venice Nerissa
1956 The Good Woman of Setzuan Mrs. Mi Tzu
1957 Miss Isobel Miriam Ackroyd
1959 Much Ado About Nothing Ursula
1962 Tchin-Tchin Pamela Pew Pickett (understudy)
1963 Strange Interlude Nina Leeds
1966 3 Bags Full Genevieve
1966 The Alchemist Performer
1966 Yerma Dolores
1967 After the Rain Gertrude Forbes-Cooper
1968 Cyrano de Bergerac Roxane's Duenna / Sister Claire
1968 Forty Carats Mrs. Latham
1971 And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little Ceil Adams
1971 Mary Stuart Queen Elizabeth
1972 Enemies Tatiana
1973 The Plough and the Stars Mrs. Gogan
1973 Veronica's Room The Woman (standby)
1975 The Glass Menagerie Amanda Wingfield (standby)
1980 Morning's at Seven Ida Bolton
1984 Awake and Sing! Bessie Berger
1985 The Octette Bridge Club Connie
1988 The Cocktail Hour Ann
1989 Love Letters Melissa Gardner (replacement)
1993 The White Liars & Black Comedy Miss Furnival / Sophie, Baroness Lemberg

Awards and nominations

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Year Organization Category Series Result
1978 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lou Grant Won
1979 Nominated
1980 Won
1981 Won
1982 Won
1994 Tony Awards Best Actress in a Play The White Liars & Black Comedy Nominated
1999 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series The Sopranos Nominated
1999 Viewers for Quality Televisions Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series Nominated
2000 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Won
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Won
2001 Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "WNY Girl in Play At Carnegie Tech". The Buffalo News. April 12, 1947. p. 16. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  2. ^ Bergan, Ronald (June 21, 2000). "Nancy Marchand". The Guardian. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  3. ^ Massachusetts, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901–1955 and 1966–1970
  4. ^ a b c "Actress Nancy Marchand, Buffalo Natives, Dies". The Buffalo News. June 20, 2000. p. 7. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Dr. Marchand". The Buffalo News. March 28, 1981. p. 24. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  6. ^ 1870 United States census, 1920 United States census
  7. ^ "Standing By Studio Arena, Nancy Marchand Credits Her Success to Her Hometown Theater". Buffalo News. June 2, 1997.
  8. ^ Chase, Anthony (April 30, 1991). "Nancy Marchand's Stage of Life". Buffalo News.
  9. ^ "Carnegie Mellon's Notable Alumni" (PDF). Carnegie Mellon University. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 15, 2013.
  10. ^ "Alumni". HB Studio.
  11. ^ "Standing By Studio Arena". Buffalo News. June 2, 1997.
  12. ^ Kaplan, Don (June 20, 2000). "'Sopranos' mom loses her fight for life". New York Post. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  13. ^ Gussow, Mel. (The New York Times). "Obituaries: Nancy Marchand, Actress Known for 'Lou Grant,' 'Sopranos'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 2, 2000. p. B7. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  14. ^ Rawson, Christopher (February 1, 2001). "Theater family comes together to celebrate Hall of Fame honorees". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  15. ^ Johnson, Allan (March 4, 2001). "How Livia Was Able to Return This Season". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  16. ^ "Nancy Marchand". Broadway Internet Database. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
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