Person Biography:
Vanessa Brown, a talented actress, was born to Austrian-Jewish émigrés who fled their homeland to Paris in 1937 before settling in the United States. Growing up, she became exceptionally fluent in four languages: German, French, Italian, and English.
Brown's early interest in acting led her to audition for Lillian Hellman at the age of 13, showcasing her perfect Teutonic accent. She eventually earned the chance to understudy Ann Blyth on Broadway in the classic stage drama "Watch on the Rhine" in 1941. Brown was given a featured role and later toured the play using the stage name Tessa Brind.
A gifted student, Brown also wrote and directed plays at her New York high school. She was a natural on the radio quiz show "Quiz Kid," which caught the attention of Hollywood and David O. Selznick. Brown made her film debut in "Youth Runs Wild" (1944) and went on to appear in several teen roles throughout the 1940s.
After high school graduation, Brown progressed to young adult roles, earning attention for her part in "Tarzan and the Slave Girl" (1950). However, she abruptly left the series after only one attempt.
In the 1950s, Brown moved to television, becoming a panelist on quiz shows like "Leave It to the Girls" (1949) and "Pantomime Quiz," as well as starring in regular dramatic programming. She found renewed attention on Broadway in the hit play "The Seven Year Itch" opposite Tom Ewell.
Brown's career continued to evolve, with appearances in films like "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952) and "Rosie!" (1967). She also had running parts on daytime and nighttime TV programs.
In her later years, Brown's health declined due to breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 1988. Despite successful surgery, the cancer returned, and Brown passed away on May 21, 1999, at the age of 71, at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California.
