Jessie Royce Landis, a renowned actress, was hailed as an "international star" in her New York Times obituary. Her stage debut occurred at the tender age of 20, when she took on the role of the young countess in "The Highwayman" at the Playhouse in Chicago. Shortly thereafter, she made her way to Broadway, where she would go on to establish herself as a prominent figure in the world of theater.
In 1950, Landis ventured to London, where she starred in "Larger Than Life", a dramatization of W. Somerset Maugham's novel, for which she received an award for the best performance of the year. The following year, she took on the prima donna role in "And So To Bed", a singing part that showcased her impressive vocal talents.
In 1954, Landis published her autobiography, "You Won't Be So Pretty", a memoir that offered a glimpse into her life and career. Her film career, which had been building momentum, truly took off in the mid-1950s with her roles as the mother of both Grace Kelly and Cary Grant.
In "To Catch a Thief" (1955),Landis played the mother of the glamorous actress, while in "North by Northwest" (1959),she portrayed the mother of the debonair Cary Grant. Interestingly, despite claiming to have been born the same year as Grant, Landis was actually more than seven years his senior.
