Peggy Moran was born in Clinton, Iowa, to Louise Moran, a dancer with the renowned Denishawn Dancers, and the celebrated artist Earl Moran, whose paintings adorned many a barracks wall during World War II. Earl's favorite model was Norma Jean Baker, who later became the iconic Marilyn Monroe. Although Peggy never modeled for Earl, a publicity still of the two was taken in Earl's atelier, with Peggy posing.
From a young age, Peggy was known as "Peggy," and her mother took her to see a famous psychic, Derio, who predicted that she would become an actress. This encounter had a profound impact on Peggy, and she began to pursue her passion for acting.
Peggy attended Hollywood High, where she was the escort of Mike Stokey, the founder of the original TV show, Stump the Stars. She also attended John Marshall High, where she appeared in every play or show she could.
Hollywood soon beckoned, and Peggy went to the front door of Warner Brothers, telling the guard that she wanted to become a movie star. This bold move led to her being introduced to a producer, an agent, and her career was launched. She appeared in a few early films, including Ernst Lubitsch's masterpiece, Ninotchka, and later moved to Universal Pictures.
At Universal, Peggy met producer Joe Pasternak, who introduced her to director Henry Koster. The two fell in love, and Henry cast her in her first film, First Love, opposite Deanna Durbin. Peggy went on to star in many "B" films, including The Mummy's Hand, which remains her most famous movie to this day.
Peggy's marriage to Henry was a long and happy one, and she gave birth to two sons, Nicolas and Peter. After her husband's passing in 1988, Peggy remained active, traveling to movie nostalgia conventions, playing billiards, dancing, and entertaining. She was also involved in her church, the Camarillo Church of Religious Science, where she studied to become a practitioner.
Sadly, Peggy's life was cut short in a car accident on August 26, 2002, and she passed away on October 24, just one day after her 84th birthday.
