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Inga Swenson

Inga Swenson

Actress

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Inga Swenson (December 29, 1932 - July 23, 2023) was an American actress. Inga Swenson was a graduate of Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska, Class of 1950. Swenson was a member of Alpha Phi sorority at Northwestern University where she studied in their famed Drama Department. Swenson is best known to American audiences for her portrayal of Gretchen Kraus, the autocratic and acerbic German cook (later Head Housekeeper and Budget Director) on the TV sitcom "Benson." She got the part by appearing in a multi-episode stint as Ingrid Svenson, birth mother of Corinne Tate (Diana Canova), on the tv sitcom "Soap." Both series were created by Susan Harris and produced by Witt-Thomas-Harris Productions (who later created "The Golden Girls" and "Empty Nest.") She also appeared as northern matriarch Maude Hazard in the acclaimed mini-series "North and South" in 1985 and again in 1986. Earlier in her career, Swenson had a notable turn on the TV western series "Bonanza" in two episodes: "Inger, My Love" (1962) and "Journey Remembered" (1963). Swenson took a brief leave of absence from her starring role in "110 in the Shade" on Broadway to appear in "Journey Remembered." The appearances were significant in that she played Lorne Greene's character's second wife, the mother of Hoss Cartwright, played by Dan Blocker. She was actually four years younger than Blocker. After "Bonanza" ended its 14-year run, Swenson guest starred in an episode of Lorne Greene's short-lived crime drama "Griff." Also early in her career, Swenson had supporting roles in the films "Advise and Consent" (1962) and "The Miracle Worker" (1962) in which she played Helen Keller's mother. She was a trained lyric soprano and starred on Broadway in "New Faces" (circa 1956) and "The First Gentleman" (1959), and received Tony Award nominations for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in "110 in the Shade" (1964) and "Baker Street" (1965). Swenson was married to actor-singer Lowell Harris, with whom she had two sons, James (deceased) and Mark. Though her Swedish-sounding name and trademark accent on "Benson" suggest otherwise, she was born and raised in the U.S., and normally spoke with an American accent. Description above from the Wikipedia article Inga Swenson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Born: December 29, 1932 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Died: July 23, 2023 (Age 90)

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Inga Swenson  Movies & TV Credits

Title Rating Job Role(s) Year
Movie
7.8
ActressEllen Anderson1962
Movie
5
ActressMrs. Craddock1978
Movie
8.2
ActressKate Keller1962
Movie
5.7
ActressSister Monica1976
Movie
6.4
ActressMaria1958
Movie
7.9
ActressHerself (segment "Rose-Marie")2005
TV Show
7
ActressGretchen Kraus
158 Episodes
1979-1986
Limited Series
7.9
ActressMaude Hazard
11 Episodes
1985-1985
TV Show
8.4
Actress40 Episodes1989-1991
TV Show
8
ActressLady Jane
1 Episode
1951-1978
TV Show
6.9
ActressMrs. Marston
1 Episode
1972-1997
TV Show
6.8
Actress1 Episode1966-1970
TV Show
7.6
Actress1 Episode1977-1995
TV Show
8.1
ActressHolly
1 Episode
1985-1992
TV Show
6.8
ActressPaula Waller
1 Episode
1961-1966
TV Show
6.6
Actress1 Episode1972-1976
TV Show
7.6
Actress1 Episode1982-1990
TV Show
8
ActressIngrid Svenson
7 Episodes
1977-1981
TV Show
6.7
Actress1 Episode1978-1981
TV Show
8
Actress1 Episode1977-1981
Movie
7.2
ActressLavinia1967
Movie
5.3
ActressIlyana Kovalefskii1971
Movie
4.7
ActressMatty Kline1987
Movie
8
ActressNora Bayes1978
Limited Series
7.3
ActressMarilyn
3 Episodes
1987-1987
TV Special
7.2
ActressSelf1985
Title Rating Job Role(s) Year
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