Mildred Dunnock was a petite American character actress celebrated for her portrayal of Linda Loman in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman". She played the part opposite Lee J. Cobb at the Morosco Theatre for 742 consecutive performances between 1949 and 1950. Dunnock recreated her role for the screen the following year and was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress.
Mildred Dunnock first discovered her potential to perform in public when called upon to read in front of her classmates at Western High School. She quickly realized that she had a voice. Her initial training was served at Agora, the dramatic society of Baltimore's Goucher College. After graduation, she continued her studies at Columbia, completing a master's degree in theatre arts.
Dunnock's early career was marked by struggle and hardship. She didn't gain recognition for her performances until the 1940s, when she appeared in "King Richard II", "Foolish Notion" and "The Corn is Green". One of her biggest hits was as Lavinia Hubbard in Lillian Hellman's "Another Part of the Forest" (1946-47).
Mildred Dunnock was also a talented film actress, known for her roles in "Kiss of Death" (1947),"Baby Doll" (1956),"Peyton Place" (1957),"The Nun's Story" (1959),and "The Story on Page One" (1959). She received two Academy Award nominations for her performances.
In the 1960s, Dunnock appeared in two films with Geraldine Page: "Sweet Bird of Youth" (1962) and "What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?" (1969). As film roles diminished, she appeared on television and returned to stage work, particularly at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, acting in plays by Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill.
Mildred Dunnock received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance for her starring role in "A Place Without Doors" by Marguerite Duras in 1971. She spent her final years in relative seclusion at Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, and died there of age-related problems in July 1991. A teaching theatre at Goucher College is named in her honour.
