Person Biography:
Alice Pearce was a renowned American actress, comedian, and scene-stealer, born in New York City as the only child of a bank vice-president. She was raised in various European schools, wherever her father had business, before settling back in New York City and starting her career in summer stock shows. Pearce's talent soon landed her on the nightclub circuit, where she became a huge hit, and eventually paved the way to Broadway.
Her breakthrough performance came in the 1943 revue "New Faces of 1943," and she went on to star in the 1944 musical "On the Town" as Lucy Schmeeler, a sexless, adenoidal blind date. She was the only performer retained from the original cast when Gene Kelly transferred the musical to film. Despite her impressive performance, Pearce did not receive a slew of comedy vehicles, but she did appear in several films, often in small but memorable roles.
Pearce's television career began with her own variety show in 1949, and she later found success as the nagging and nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz in the popular sitcom "Bewitched" from 1964 to 1966. She was ideally paired with George Tobias as her hen-pecked husband, Abner, and the two provided non-stop hilarity. Tragically, Pearce developed ovarian cancer and passed away in 1966 at the age of 48, just two seasons into the show. She won a posthumous Emmy Award for her work on "Bewitched" a few months after her death.
