Jean Stapleton, born Jeanne Murray, was a renowned actress who began her journey in the world of entertainment in Manhattan, New York City. Her mother, Marie A. (Stapleton),was an opera singer, and her father, Joseph Edward Murray, was a successful billboard advertising salesman. Stapleton's paternal grandparents were of Irish descent, and she was a distant cousin of actress Betty Jane Watson. Moreover, her uncle, Joseph E. Deming, was an accomplished vaudevillian, and her brother, Jack Stapleton, was a stage actor.
Stapleton's educational background saw her graduating from Wadleigh High School in New York City in 1939. Prior to pursuing her acting career, she worked as a secretary. Stapleton made her stage debut at the Greenwood Playhouse on Peaks Island, Maine, in the summer of 1941, and subsequently made her New York stage debut in the 1948 production of "The Corn Is Green".
Throughout her illustrious career, Stapleton appeared on Broadway in a variety of productions, including the musicals "Damn Yankees" (1955) and "Bells Are Ringing" (1956). She reprised her roles in the film adaptations of these productions, starring in "Damn Yankees" (1958) and "Bells Are Ringing" (1960). Other notable Broadway credits include the original companies of "Rhinoceros" (1961) and "Funny Girl" (1964).
Stapleton's impressive resume also includes her role as Abby Brewster in the 1986-87 revival of "Arsenic and Old Lace".
