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Nancy Wickwire
Nancy Wickwire
Nancy Wickwire
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Nancy Marie Wickwire (November 20, 1925 – July 10, 1974) was an American stage and television actress known for her roles on several daytime soap operas.[1]

Key Information

Early years

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Nancy Wickwire was born on November 20, 1925, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the younger child of two daughters of Ruth Marie (née Larson) and Alva Burton Wickwire, who was a traveling manager with Railway Express Agency.[2] Wickwire was a graduate of the John Harris High School (1943) and earned a Bachelor of Science from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (1948).[3]

Wickwire acted in productions at her high school, in the Harrisburg Community Theater,[4] and on radio station WSBA.[5] She also won a scholarship to study acting at Old Vic School in London, England (1949-1951).[3][6]

Television

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Wickwire's major media debut came in March 1960 in Valley of Decision, a television remake of The Valley of Decision, a 1945 film that starred Gregory Peck and Greer Garson. Wickwire, who was awarded the lead when Glynis Johns was unable to continue due to illness, played the part of "an Irish lass of a working class family going to work as a housemaid for the richest family in Pittsburgh."[7]

Wickwire's visibility then increased when she appeared on Omnibus.[8] She appeared on Guiding Light (Lila Taylor Kelly, 1954–1955), As the World Turns (Claire English, 1960–1964), Another World (Liz Matthews, 1969–1971), and Days of Our Lives (Phyllis Anderson, 1972–73).[6]

In addition, she made guest appearances on a number of prime time series, including Route 66, The Fugitive, The Invaders, Ironside and Gunsmoke (where she starred as “Nell”, a psychotic, over protective and over religious older sister in the 1963 episode “My Sister’s Keeper” - S9E6). Her last appearance was in a 1973 episode of Barnaby Jones.

She also starred in a dramatic program for the British Broadcasting Corporation.[8]

Stage

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Wickwire acted in summer stock theatre productions in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Syracuse, New York.[9] Her Broadway debut came in Saint Joan (1951).[8] Her other Broadway credits include Here's Where I Belong (1965), The Impossible Years (1965), Traveller Without Luggage (1964), Abraham Cochrane (1964), The Golden Age (1963), Seidman and Son (1962), Measure for Measure (1957), and The Grand Prize (1955).[10]

For two summers, she acted in productions at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut.[8]

Personal life and death

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Wickwire was married to director Basil Langton.[10] She died from cancer at Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco, California, on July 10, 1974. She was forty-eight years old.[11]

References

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Nancy Wickwire

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''Nancy Wickwire'' was an American actress known for her work on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in major repertory companies, and in daytime soap operas and television series. Born on November 20, 1925, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Wickwire began her professional career on stage, making her Broadway debut in a 1951 revival of Saint Joan. She appeared in several Broadway productions, including featured roles in plays such as Here's Where I Belong and Traveller Without Luggage. She won Village Voice Off-Broadway (Obie) awards for her performances in A Clearing in the Woods (1959) and The Cherry Orchard (1955). She was also noted for leading performances with important repertory companies. In the 1960s and 1970s, Wickwire gained particular recognition for her work in daytime television soap operas, including Another World and Days of Our Lives. Her television credits also extended to guest appearances on series such as Ironside, The Streets of San Francisco, and others. She was married to actor Basil Langton from 1959 until their divorce in 1969. Wickwire died of cancer on July 10, 1974, in San Francisco, California, at the age of 48.

Early life and education

Birth and background

Nancy Wickwire was born on November 20, 1925, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Limited details are available about her early background prior to her education and professional training.

Education and training

Nancy Wickwire graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1948. She then studied acting at the Old Vic School in London for two years on a scholarship. This formal training in both the United States and England provided her with a strong foundation in classical acting techniques prior to her entry into professional theater. She made her professional stage debut in 1951.

Stage career

Broadway and Off-Broadway

Nancy Wickwire began her Broadway career with her debut in the 1951 revival of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, appearing in the ensemble alongside Uta Hagen in the starring role. She subsequently took on featured roles in several Broadway productions during the 1950s and 1960s, including The Grand Prize opposite Tom Poston, Seidman and Son opposite Sam Levene, The Golden Age, and Traveller Without Luggage with Ben Gazzara. Wickwire achieved particular distinction in Off-Broadway productions, where she appeared in the original New York staging of Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood and in revivals of classic works such as The Way of the World, The Cherry Orchard (as Varya), and Rosmersholm. Her Off-Broadway performances earned her notable recognition and awards, including the Vernon Rice Award in 1955 for her performances in The Way of the World and The White Devil. She received an Obie Award in 1956 for her performance as Varya in The Cherry Orchard and another Obie Award in 1959 for her portrayal of Virginia in A Clearing in the Woods. In 1962, she was honored with the Lola D'Annunzio Award for her overall contributions to Off-Broadway theater.

Repertory and regional theater

Nancy Wickwire maintained a significant presence in American repertory and regional theater throughout much of her career, affiliating with several established companies and festivals. She became a key member of the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco in September 1973, holding that position until her death in July 1974. This engagement represented the culmination of her stage work, during which she resided in San Francisco. Earlier in her professional life, she acted with the Yale Repertory Theater, Tyrone Guthrie's Minneapolis Theater, the American Shakespeare Festival, the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Empire Music Festival, and the Boston Arts Festival. These associations reflected her commitment to ensemble-based and classical theater outside of commercial New York productions.

Television career

Anthology series and early roles

Nancy Wickwire's early television work primarily featured appearances in dramatic anthology series, which were a staple of 1950s and early 1960s programming. She performed on Camera Three and The DuPont Show of the Month. Additional anthology credits included roles on Kraft Television Theatre and Studio One, known for their live broadcasts and serious subject matter. She also made guest appearances on 1960s episodic series, including The Fugitive, Profiles in Courage, The F.B.I., The Invaders, and Ironside. These roles established her as a character actress in crime, suspense, and dramatic programming before her transition to daytime television.

Soap operas and later guest appearances

Nancy Wickwire transitioned to daytime soap operas in the late 1960s, securing recurring roles that marked a significant phase of her television career. She portrayed Liz Matthews on Another World from 1968 to 1971. The character also crossed over to the related spin-off Somerset in 1970, where Wickwire played Elizabeth 'Aunt Liz' Matthews. She followed this with another soap opera role as Phyllis Anderson on Days of Our Lives from 1972 to 1973. These daytime parts coincided with her regional theater commitments in San Francisco. In her later television work, Wickwire made guest appearances on prime-time series, including an episode of The Streets of San Francisco in 1972 and one on Barnaby Jones in 1973. These marked her final on-screen credits before her death in 1974.

Personal life

Death

Nancy Wickwire died of cancer on July 10, 1974, at Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco, California, at the age of 48.
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