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Jane Wyman

Jane Wyman (born January 4, 1914) is an American actress.

Born Sarah Jane Mayfield in Saint Joseph, Missouri, she later took the name Sarah Jane Fulks in honor of the neighbor family who "unofficially adopted" her after her parents divorced. In 1928, she and her mother moved to Southern California, where her mother, Le Jerne Pichelle, tried to start her own acting career. When that was unsuccessful, she turned to her daughter as a surrogate, but neither was able to move Hollywood. The two moved back to Missouri, where Sarah Jane attended college, but in 1930 she began a radio singing career, calling herself Jane Durrell.

In 1936, she was back in Hollywood, obtaining bit parts in My Man Godfrey and Cain and Mabel. In 1939 she received her first starring role, in Torchy Plays With Dynamite. In the previous year, she had co-starred with Ronald Reagan in Brother Rat. The two were married in 1940, but divorced in 1948. They had two children; Maureen Reagan (1941-2001), and Michael Reagan (born March 18, 1945). Michael was adopted during their marriage.

Wyman finally gained critical notice in the film noir The Lost Weekend. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946 for The Yearling, and finally won the Oscar in 1948 for her role as the deaf-mute rape victim in Johnny Belinda.

The Oscar win gave her the ability to choose meatier roles, although she still showed a liking for musical comedy. She worked with such directors as Alfred Hitchcock on Stage Fright, with Frank Capra on Here Comes the Groom and with Michael Curtiz on The Story of Will Rogers. She starred in The Glass Menagerie, Just for You, Let's Do It Again, The Blue Veil (another Oscar nomination), So Big, Magnificent Obsession (Oscar nomination), Lucy Gallant, All That Heaven Allows and Miracle in the Rain.

In the 1950s, she hosted a television anthology series, Jane Wyman Theater. She gained fans of a new generation in the 1980s when she starred as the diabolical vintner Angela Channing in the nighttime soap opera Falcon Crest.

Academy Awards and Nominations

  • 1955 - Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role - Magnificent Obsession
  • 1952 - Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role - The Blue Veil
  • 1949 - Won Best Actress in a Leading Role - Johnny Belinda
  • 1947 - Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role - The Yearling

Wyman has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; one for motion pictures at 6607 Hollywood Blvd. and one for television at 1620 Vine Street.


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and one for television at 1620 Vine Street. His last work was mainly in television, reprising his Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones roles. Wyman has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; one for motion pictures at 6607 Hollywood Blvd. He later starred in a TV drama series, Barnaby Jones, beginning in 1973. She gained fans of a new generation in the 1980s when she starred as the diabolical vintner Angela Channing in the nighttime soap opera Falcon Crest. Ebsen also starred in the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. In the 1950s, she hosted a television anthology series, Jane Wyman Theater. It was still earning good ratings when it was canceled by CBS because advertisers shunned a series that attracted a rural audience.

She starred in The Glass Menagerie, Just for You, Let's Do It Again, The Blue Veil (another Oscar nomination), So Big, Magnificent Obsession (Oscar nomination), Lucy Gallant, All That Heaven Allows and Miracle in the Rain. Although scorned by critics, the show was a massive hit, attracting as many as 60 million viewers on CBS between 1962 and 1971. She worked with such directors as Alfred Hitchcock on Stage Fright, with Frank Capra on Here Comes the Groom and with Michael Curtiz on The Story of Will Rogers. The show depicted a stereotypical hillbilly family from the Ozarks getting rich on oil and moving to a stereotypical rich neighborhood in Beverly Hills. The Oscar win gave her the ability to choose meatier roles, although she still showed a liking for musical comedy. Ebsen's work in television started as the sidekick to Fess Parker in the Davy Crockett series, but he became famous in 1962 when he starred as Jed Clampett in the television show The Beverly Hillbillies. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946 for The Yearling, and finally won the Oscar in 1948 for her role as the deaf-mute rape victim in Johnny Belinda. From 1941 to 1946 he served as a lieutenant in the United States Coast Guard.

Wyman finally gained critical notice in the film noir The Lost Weekend. Ebsen's career may have been damaged by losing the Wizard of Oz part; he appeared only in minor Westerns for many years after this incident. Michael was adopted during their marriage. Haley didn't run the same risk because the makeup was changed in the meantime from a dust to a paste. In the previous year, she had co-starred with Ronald Reagan in Brother Rat. The two were married in 1940, but divorced in 1948. They had two children; Maureen Reagan (1941-2001), and Michael Reagan (born March 18, 1945). While Ebsen was in the hospital for two weeks, recovering from a near-fatal allergic reaction to the dust, he was silently replaced by Jack Haley. In 1939 she received her first starring role, in Torchy Plays With Dynamite. He was rushed to the hospital nine days after filming began, when his lungs seized after a week of inhaling aluminum dust from the dangerously experimental "tin" makeup.

In 1936, she was back in Hollywood, obtaining bit parts in My Man Godfrey and Cain and Mabel. He recorded all his songs, went through all the rehearsals, and started filming with the rest of the cast. The two moved back to Missouri, where Sarah Jane attended college, but in 1930 she began a radio singing career, calling herself Jane Durrell. Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Man in the 1938 classic The Wizard of Oz. When that was unsuccessful, she turned to her daughter as a surrogate, but neither was able to move Hollywood. He began his career as a dancer, making his film debut in 1935's Broadway Melody of 1936 and starring in various screen musicals including 1938's My Lucky Star. In 1928, she and her mother moved to Southern California, where her mother, Le Jerne Pichelle, tried to start her own acting career. Buddy Ebsen (Christian Rudolph Ebsen) (April 2, 1908 - July 7, 2003) was an American actor best remembered for his role in the popular television series The Beverly Hillbillies.

Born Sarah Jane Mayfield in Saint Joseph, Missouri, she later took the name Sarah Jane Fulks in honor of the neighbor family who "unofficially adopted" her after her parents divorced. Jane Wyman (born January 4, 1914) is an American actress. 1947 - Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role - The Yearling. 1949 - Won Best Actress in a Leading Role - Johnny Belinda.

1952 - Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role - The Blue Veil. 1955 - Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role - Magnificent Obsession.