Nydia Westman, a charming character actress, was born in 1902 to a family of vaudevillians, actor-composer Theodore Westman and actress-playwright Lily Wren. She was thrust into the spotlight at a young age as part of the family act, "Troubles of Joy," alongside her younger brother, Theodore Westman Jr., who tragically passed away in 1927.
As a teenager, Nydia honed her craft on the Orpheum, Ziegfeld, and Keith circuits, before making her Broadway debut in the comedy "Pigs" in 1924. She went on to become a mainstay of the New York theater scene throughout the late 1920s, starring in notable productions such as "Two Girls Wanted" (1926),"Jonesy" (1929),and "Lysistrata" (1930).
With the advent of sound, Nydia transitioned to film, making her movie debut in 1932 with the dramas "Strange Justice" and "Manhattan Tower." She appeared in a range of films, including dramas like "Success at Any Price" (1934),"Craig's Wife" (1936),and "The Gorgeous Hussy" (1936),as well as comedies like "Ladies Should Listen" (1934) with Cary Grant, "The Cat and the Canary" (1939) with Bob Hope, and "The Late George Apley" (1947) with Ronald Colman.
Nydia's film career was marked by her ability to play cute and flighty foils to leading men, and she appeared in numerous musicals, including "Sweet Adeline" (1934),"Pennies from Heaven" (1936),"Hullabaloo" (1940),"The Chocolate Soldier" (1941),and "Hers to Hold" (1943).
In the post-war years, Nydia shifted her focus to stage and television work. On Broadway, she appeared in productions such as "The Madwoman of Chaillot" (1948),"The Emperor's New Clothes" (1953),and "The Sleeping Prince" (1956),and won an Obie Award for her off-Broadway performance in Samuel Beckett's "Endgame" (1958).
Nydia's television career was marked by her appearances in a range of showcase dramas and comedies, including "The Donna Reed Show" (1958),"Perry Mason" (1957),"The Addams Family" (1964),"The Munsters" (1964),"F Troop" (1965),"Family Affair" (1966),and "Bewitched" (1964). She also appeared frequently on the revamped "Dragnet" (1967) series in the 1960s.
Nydia Westman passed away in 1970, leaving behind a legacy as a beloved character actress and a talented performer who brought joy and sparkle to audiences across the decades.
