- Born
- Died
- Birth nameCatherine Josephine Van Fleet
- Height5′ 6½″ (1.69 m)
- Jo Van Fleet was born on December 29, 1915 in Oakland, California. She established herself as a notable dramatic actress on Broadway over several years, winning a Tony Award in 1954 for her skill in a difficult role, playing an unsympathetic, even abusive character, in Horton Foote's "The Trip to Bountiful" with Lillian Gish and Eva Marie Saint. Her first film role was playing the estranged mother of James Dean's character in East of Eden (1955). This debut performance earned Van Fleet an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her subsequent film work was steady through 1960, then very sporadic, and include such films as The Rose Tattoo (1955), I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955), The King and Four Queens (1956), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) and Cool Hand Luke (1967).
In 1958, Van Fleet was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance in "Look Homeward, Angel" on Broadway. Other films include Wild River (1960), Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1965) and I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1968). Her television work include Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), Bonanza (1959), Thriller (1960) and The Wild Wild West (1965).
Jo Van Fleet died at age 80 of undisclosed causes on June 10, 1996 in Queens, New York City.
- IMDb mini biography by: Ray Hamel
- SpouseWilliam Glenn Bales(1946 - September 8, 1990) (his death, 1 child)
- ChildrenMichael Gardner Bales
- Was just 1 and a half years older than Susan Hayward, who played her daughter in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955).
- Received the 1954 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) in a Play for her performance in Horton Foote's "The Trip to Bountiful", in which she co-starred with Lillian Gish and Eva Marie Saint.
- Studied acting at the New York Neighbourhood Playhouse. Made her Broadway debut in 1946. Long-standing member of the Actors Studio.
- Was the 43rd actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for East of Eden (1955) at The 28th Annual Academy Awards (1956) on March 21, 1956.
- Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7010 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
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