Trivia

Reprised her signature role of Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the age of 80 to wonderful reviews. A year later, she gave her last performance on stage at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, California on August 21, 2001, playing opposite David Hyde Pierce in Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.

She and then-husband José Ferrer co-starred with Paul Robeson in Othello in 1943-1944. Allegations that their association with the left-wing Robeson cast them under suspicion of having Communist ties during the McCarthy era, are completely false. Rumor was she was never able to forge a film career until the 70s due to the Robeson association, however, although opportunity presented itself, she had no film career before the McCarthy era, and Ferrer's career never suffered from the friendship with Robeson. She was quite happy with her stage appearances and teaching.

With Haskel Frankel, Uta wrote "Respect for Acting", considered one of the most significant book on acting. It remains in print and a consistent seller.

In 1999, she won a third Tony, a lifetime special achievement award.

One child with José Ferrer, Leticia Thyra Ferrer, born on October 15, 1940 in New York. In Uta Hagen's autobiography "Sources: A Memoir," her daughter's first name "Leticia" stood for happiness, and her second name "Thyra" is from the name of Uta's mother.

Awarded a National Medal of the Arts at the White House by President Bush in March 2003.

Made an auspicious film debut as the grandmother in Tom Tryon's eerie best-seller The Other (1972) at the age of 53.

Acting lessons were given by her to Robert De Niro, Kenneth McMillan, Liza Minnelli and Al Pacino (among others).

Received the Women's International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award in 1994.

After husband/coach Herbert Berghof died in 1990, she took over the chairmanship of HB Studios and the theatre of the HB Playwrights Foundation.

Wrote a cook book entitled "Love for Cooking."

Won a 1999 Special Tony Award (New York City) lifetime achievement award.

Of Welsh-German ancestry on her father's side and Danish on her mother's side.

Received a (USA) National Medal of Arts, 2002.

Suffered a stroke in October of 2001.

Her father was Dr. Oskar Frank Leonard Hagen, an art historian, musicologist, composer, conductor, Handel authority, and professor of the history of art at the University of Goettingen and the University of Wisconsin. Her mother was Thyra Araalie Leisner, an opera singer. Uta is also the sister of Holger Hagen and sister-in-law of Bruni Löbel.

Her father named her after a famous statue in the Naumburg Cathedral titled Ute.

She was the celebrity spokeswoman for BIC Ballpoint Pens and Blatz Beer.

Her last name rhymes with "noggin".

Played Ophelia opposite Eva Le Gallienne's Hamlet in a Massachusetts production in 1936.

Received three Tony Awards: two as Best Actress (Dramatic), in 1951 for "The Country Girl" and in 1963 for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," and, in 1999, a Special Lifetime Achievement Tony Award.

The roles for which she won Tony Awards for Best Actress earned Academy Awards for other actresses: Grace Kelly as Georgie Elgin in The Country Girl (1954) and Elizabeth Taylor as Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).

Was living in New York in January 2003.

Among her many illustrious awards: Theatre Hall of Fame (1981), the Mayor's Liberty Bell (1986), and the John Houseman Award (1987) for distinguished service.

She has a granddaughter, Teresa Teuscher Biefeldt, and a great-granddaughter, Thyra Bielfeldt.