Born in London, the renowned actress was the daughter of St. John Field, a distinguished King's Counsel. Her educational pursuits took her to the esteemed institutions of Paris and Vienna, where she honed her craft and refined her artistic sensibilities. Her mother, a cousin of the illustrious Confederate General Robert E. Lee, paid tribute to his beloved home state by bestowing upon her the name "Virginia".
This talented thespian was blessed with an actress aunt, Auriol Lee, who paved the way for her debut on the stage. Her inaugural performance was in the 1933 production of "This Side Idolatry", alongside the accomplished actor Leslie Howard. Subsequently, she was signed by 20th Century Fox, albeit through a screen test as a favor to another actress. However, she soon found herself typecast as the "other woman" or relegated to secondary roles in films featuring Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto.
Despite this, Virginia experienced greater success on the Broadway stage, where she took center stage in the screwball comedy "The Doughgirls" (1942) at the Lyceum Theatre, and the Moss Hart farce "Light Up the Sky" (1948),alongside the talented Sam Levene, Barry Nelson, and Glenn Anders.
