Cloris Leachman: Oscar-Winning Actress of The Last Picture Show and Youn

Cloris Leachman was an American actress and comedian, a character-acting legend who won an Oscar for The Last Picture Show and an unmatched collection of Emmys. Born on April 30, 1926, in Des Moines, Iowa, she worked for seven decades and was equally brilliant in drama and comedy.

Leachman won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Last Picture Show in 1971. She starred in the sitcom Phyllis from 1975 to 1977, winning a Golden Globe, and played the frightening Frau Blucher in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein in 1974. She won eight Primetime Emmy Awards in total, including one in 2006 for a guest role on Malcolm in the Middle.

Leachman married George Englund in 1953, and they had five children; their son Bryan died in 1986. She continued working into her nineties. She died of a stroke, with COVID-19 a contributing factor, at her home in Encinitas, California, on January 27, 2021, at age 94. Remembered for her fearlessness and her humor, she kept audiences laughing for generations.

Achievements: Won the Academy Award for The Last Picture Show (1971), played Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein (1974), won a Golden Globe for Phyllis (1975-1977), won eight Primetime Emmy Awards.

Birth: April 30, 1926 - Des Moines, Iowa.

Profession: Actress, comedian and model.

Interesting Facts: Director Peter Bogdanovich predicted on set that she would win an Oscar for her role in The Last Picture Show. She was a former Miss Chicago and a finalist in the 1946 Miss America pageant.