Kay Medford, a veteran scene stealer with a unique dry wit, was born Margaret Kathleen Regan on September 14, 1919, in the Bronx, New York City. Her mother, Mary Regan, was a Shakespearean actress who performed on the road, and her father, James Regan, was Irish folk.
Kay's parents passed away when she was a teenager, and she found solace in humor and show business. She began her career as a nightclub waitress, developing a comedy routine that eventually earned her a spot at summer resorts in the Catskill Mountains.
In the 1940s, Kay moved to Hollywood, where she worked in films, often in unbilled roles, including Maisie Gets Her Man, Random Harvest, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Her breakthrough came with the film Swing Shift Maisie, where she landed a minor speaking role.
In the 1950s, Kay returned to films with featured roles in The Undercover Man, Guilty Bystander, and Mr. Walkie Talkie. She also became a popular cabaret performer, earning a huge following in New York and London. This led to her Broadway debut in 1951, where she played Cherry in "Paint Your Wagon."
Kay's success on stage and screen continued throughout the 1950s and 1960s, with notable roles in "John Murray Anderson's Almanac," "Lullaby," "Mr. Wonderful," "A Hole in the Head," and "Carousel." She also appeared in TV anthologies and films, including A Face in the Crowd, The Rat Race, and Bye, Bye Birdie.
In the 1960s, Kay won the New York Drama Critic's Award for her role as Dick Van Dyke's emasculating mother in "Bye, Bye Birdie." She then landed the role of a lifetime as the sermonizing Jewish mom in both the Broadway and film versions of Funny Girl, earning Tony and Oscar nominations.
Kay continued to work in films and TV throughout the 1970s and 1980s, appearing in BUtterfield 8, Ensign Pulver, A Fine Madness, The Busy Body, and Windows. She also appeared frequently on TV, often playing nosy relative characters in series like That's Life and To Rome with Love.
Kay remained unmarried and passed away on April 10, 1980, at the age of 60, due to cervical cancer.
