Jane Wyman

Jane Wyman (born January 5, 1917, St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S.—died September 10, 2007, Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.) American actor who had a long, distinguished career in film and television, but was perhaps equally well known as the first wife (1940–48) of former president Ronald Reagan.

Wyman’s father died when she was a small child, and she was placed in the care of neighbours, whose last name she took. Determined to have a career in show business, Wyman moved to California and became a chorus girl. She spent several years as a singer on the radio, appearing in the choruses of movie musicals and in bit parts, and starring in a number of B movies before her portrayal of an alcoholic’s girlfriend in The Lost Weekend (1945) proved to be her breakthrough as a dramatic actress.

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After starring in The Yearling (1946), for which she received her first Academy Award nomination, Wyman won the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of a deaf rape victim in Johnny Belinda (1948); she also won Oscar nominations for her roles in The Blue Veil (1951) and Magnificent Obsession (1954). Other notable films included The Glass Menagerie (1950) and All That Heaven Allows (1955).

Wyman then branched out into television with the anthology series Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre (1955–58); she often hosted and starred in various episodes of the show. She semiretired but made a few more motion pictures, including Pollyanna (1960), and occasional guest appearances on television. Wyman returned to prominence and found a new audience with the TV series Falcon Crest (1981–90), in which she starred as the domineering matriarch Angela Channing, owner of a California winery.