Virginia, a renowned character actress, left an indelible mark on the silver screen, with her most iconic role being that of the Swedish "Mrs. Olsen", whose extraordinary expertise in brewing coffee was unmatched. Her uncanny ability to materialize in the kitchen of hapless young housewives, who struggled to produce a decent cup of coffee, earned her a reputation as a coffee connoisseur. Her mantra, which she fervently believed, was that only "Mountain Grown" Folger's brand Coffee was worthy of being consumed, and any other type was simply inferior.
Born in the quaint Iowa town of Stanton, Virginia's family later relocated to Los Angeles, where she pursued a career in radio while attending the University of California, Los Angeles. Under the guidance of actor/director Fritz Feld, whom she married in 1940, Virginia honed her skills for a theatrical career. In 1942, she signed a contract with Warner Bros. and began appearing in various films. Her first film was the 1943 production of Edge of Darkness, in which she played a Norwegian peasant girl named "Miss Olson".
Throughout her illustrious career, Virginia appeared in a diverse range of films, including the prestigious High Noon (1952) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961),as well as the horror classics The Mummy's Curse (1944) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). She was a favorite of Stanley Kramer, featuring in several of his films. However, it was her 21-year tenure as the endearing "Mrs. Olsen" in the 1960s, where she would pour Folger's Coffee and offer words of comfort to young married couples, that cemented her status as a beloved household name.
