Whether portraying a glum, withering wallflower, a drab and dowdy housewife, a klutzy maid or a cynical gossip, eccentric character comedienne Alice Ghostley had the ability to draw laughs from the skimpiest of material with a simple fret or whine. Making a name for herself on the Tony-winning Broadway stage, her eternally forlorn looks later evolved as an amusingly familiar plain-Jane presence on TV sitcoms and in an occasional film or two during the 50s, 60s and 70s. Alice was born in a whistle-stop railroad station in the tiny town of Eve, Missouri, where her father was employed as a telegraph operator. She grew up in various towns in the Midwest died in 2003. The couple had no children.
Accepted the Best Actress Oscar in 1969 on Maggie Smith s behalf for Ms. Smiths performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie . Ms. Smith was in London on Academy Awards night, and Ms. Ghostley filled in since the two actresses had previously starred together on Broadway in "New Faces of 1956."
She earned a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Play for her various characterizations in "The Beauty Part" in 1963, and won the award in 1965 for Lorraine Hansberry s "The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window."
Ghostley, who became a regular as the insecure Aunt Esmerelda, actually made her first appearance on "Bewitched" as a bumbling mortal maid. The producers were so impressed with her that they created Esmerelda for her, the Stephens babysitter who disappeared either fully or partially when she felt inadequate or upset.
Was partially inspired to become an entertainer by a cousin who was a tightrope walker for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
According to her friend Kaye Ballard , she was actually born in 1924 and made herself two years younger.
In one scene of The Graduate , she had a cameo appearance with Marion Lorne. Two years later, her character Esmeralda on "Bewitched" should fill the void after Lorne, playing Aunt Clara, had suddenly died in 1968.
Her father was a telegraph operator.
Her death on September 21, 2007 left Bernard Fox as the last surviving adult cast member of "Bewitched" . Fox played Dr. Bombay in eighteen episodes of the series between 1966 and 1972.
Was a staunch Democrat.
When I first started out, I had this natural ability to sing. That was,another reason why I chose New York, with all the musicals that were,happening at the time. But I looked so different from everyone else. I,was never what you would call an ingnue. I was having difficulty,finding jobs. Get your eyes straightened, they would tell me, and maybe,we can work with you.
The best job I had then [in New York] was as a theater usher. I saw all,the plays for free. What I saw before me was a visualization of what I,wanted to do and what I wanted to be. .
