1. Early Life and Background
Agnes Moorehead's formative years were shaped by her family's background and her early exposure to performance, leading her to pursue extensive education in the dramatic arts.
1.1. Childhood and Education
Agnes Robertson Moorehead was born on December 6, 1900, in Clinton, Massachusetts. Her father, John Henderson Moorehead, was a Presbyterian clergyman, and her mother, Mary (née McCauley), was a former singer, who was 17 when Agnes was born. Moorehead later claimed to have been born in 1906 to appear younger for acting roles. She recounted her first public performance at the age of three, reciting the Lord's Prayer in her father's church. When her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, her ambition to become an actress intensified. Her mother fostered her imagination, often asking, "Who are you today, Agnes?" Moorehead and her younger sister, Peggy (Margaret Ann), frequently mimicked their father's parishioners at the dinner table, a practice encouraged by his amused reactions.
As a young woman, Moorehead joined the chorus of the St. Louis Municipal Opera Company, known as "The Muny." Alongside her interest in acting, she developed a lifelong commitment to religion; later in her career, colleagues like Dick Sargent noted her habit of arriving on set with "the Bible in one hand and the script in the other."
Moorehead pursued higher education, earning a bachelor's degree in biology in 1923 from Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, where she also participated in college stage plays. She later received an honorary doctorate in literature from Muskingum in 1947 and served on its board of trustees for a year. After her family relocated to Reedsburg, Wisconsin, she taught public school for five years in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin. During this time, she also earned a master's degree in English and public speaking from the University of Wisconsin (now the University of Wisconsin-Madison). She then undertook postgraduate studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating with honors in 1929. Moorehead also held an honorary doctoral degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.
1.2. Early Career Activities
Moorehead's initial foray into acting was marked by instability and periods of unemployment. She later recalled a time when she went four days without food, an experience that taught her "the value of a dollar." Despite these challenges, she found work in radio, where she quickly became a sought-after talent, often working on multiple programs in a single day. She credited radio with providing excellent training, allowing her to develop her voice and create a wide range of characterizations.
Moorehead met actress Helen Hayes, who encouraged her to venture into films, but her early attempts were unsuccessful. After being rejected for not being "the right type," Moorehead returned to radio, where her career continued to flourish.
2. Career
Agnes Moorehead's career was extensive and diverse, encompassing significant contributions across radio, theatre, film, and television, showcasing her remarkable versatility as an actress.
2.1. Radio Career
Moorehead's radio career was exceptionally prolific, establishing her as a leading voice in the medium. Her first radio role was as a replacement for Dorothy Denvir, playing Min Gump in The Gumps. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, she was one of the most in-demand actresses for radio dramas, particularly on the CBS program Suspense. During the show's 946-episode run, Moorehead was cast in more episodes than any other performer, earning her the title "First Lady of Suspense."
Her most acclaimed appearance on Suspense was in the play Sorry, Wrong Number, written by Lucille Fletcher, which first aired on May 18, 1943. In this performance, Moorehead portrayed a selfish, neurotic woman who overhears a murder plot via crossed phone wires, only to realize she is the intended victim. She recreated this bravura performance six times for Suspense and multiple times on other radio shows, always using her original, dog-eared script. The May 25, 1943, airing of the play was recognized for its cultural significance and made part of the National Sound Registry by the Library of Congress in 2014. Moorehead later recorded an album of the drama in 1952 and performed scenes from it in her one-woman stage show during the 1950s. The role was famously adapted for film in 1948, starring Barbara Stanwyck.
In 1941, Moorehead played Maggie in the short-lived Bringing Up Father program on the Blue Network. From 1942 to 1949, she portrayed the mayor's housekeeper in the radio version of Mayor of the Town. She also starred in The Amazing Mrs. Danberry, a situation comedy on CBS in 1946, where her title character was described as "the lively widow of a department store owner who has a tongue as sharp as a hatpin and a heart as warm as summer." Moorehead's final radio role was on January 6, 1974, just months before her death, as Mrs. Ada Canby in "The Old Ones Are Hard to Kill," the inaugural episode of CBS Radio Mystery Theater. Her extensive radio credits spanned from 1926 to 1974, including roles in Believe It or Not (1929-1930), Sherlock Holmes (1930-1933), Mysteries In Paris (1932-1933), Evenings In Paris (1933-1934), The Armour Hour (1933-1936), The March of Time (1936-1938), and as Eleanor Roosevelt multiple times.
2.2. Theatre and Broadway
Moorehead maintained a strong connection to live performance throughout her career, appearing in numerous stage productions from her student days until shortly before her death. During her training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she performed in seven student productions.
Her notable stage roles included a national tour of Shaw's Don Juan in Hell in the 1950s, where she originated the role of Doña Ana, co-starring with Charles Boyer, Charles Laughton, and Cedric Hardwicke. This production toured extensively, culminating in a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall, and Moorehead participated in six tours between 1951 and 1954, later reprising the role in a 1973 revival at the Palace Theatre.
Moorehead also appeared in pre-Broadway engagements of the musical The Pink Jungle. Other stage credits include The Rivalry (1957), where she played Mrs. Stephen A. Douglas on tour before leaving the production prior to its New York debut; The Pink Jungle (1959) as Eleanor West; Prescription: Murder (1962) as Claire Fleming; Lord Pengo (1962-1963) as Miss Swanson; and High Spirits (1963) as Madame Arcati. In 1973, she took on the role of Aunt Alicia in the Broadway adaptation of Gigi, performing songs for the original cast recording, though she fell ill during the production and was replaced by Arlene Francis.
For over two decades, Moorehead toured nationally with her one-woman show, initially titled An Evening with Agnes Moorehead, which later became known as The Fabulous Redhead and, in the mid-1960s, Come Closer, I'll Give You an Earful.
2.3. Film Career
Moorehead's film career was marked by her ability to portray a wide array of characters, often in strong supporting roles that garnered critical acclaim and multiple award nominations. She skillfully depicted puritanical matrons, neurotic spinsters, possessive mothers, and comical secretaries.
2.3.1. Collaboration with Orson Welles
By 1937, Agnes Moorehead had joined Orson Welles's Mercury Players, becoming one of his principal performers alongside Joseph Cotten. Interestingly, Moorehead revealed in a 1973 interview on The Dick Cavett Show that she had met Welles by chance in 1922 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, when he was just seven years old and she was 22.
Moorehead performed in Welles's The Mercury Theatre on the Air radio adaptations and had a regular role opposite Welles in the serial The Shadow as Margo Lane. When Welles moved the Mercury Theatre to Hollywood in 1939 to work for RKO Pictures, several of his radio performers, including Moorehead, joined him. She made her film debut as Mary Kane, the mother of Welles's character Charles Foster Kane, in Citizen Kane (1941), a film widely regarded by critics as one of the greatest ever made. Moorehead was also featured in Welles's second film, The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), for which she received the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress and an Academy Award nomination.
She also appeared in Journey Into Fear (1943), another Mercury film production.
2.3.2. Major Film Roles
Moorehead received positive reviews for her performance as Baroness Aspasia Conti in Mrs. Parkington (1944), earning her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination. She also delivered a strong performance in The Big Street (1942) alongside Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball. However, two subsequent films, Government Girl (1943) with Olivia de Havilland and The Youngest Profession (1944) with adolescent Virginia Weidler, failed to find a significant audience.
By the mid-1940s, Moorehead became a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player, negotiating an unusual clause in her 6.00 K USD-a-week contract that allowed her to continue performing on radio. MGM typically restricted its actors from radio appearances, as the studio believed actors "didn't have the knowledge or the taste or the judgment to appear on the right sort of show."
She continued to take on supporting roles, including in The Youngest Profession (1943), Since You Went Away (1944), and the crime drama Dark Passage (1947), starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. In 1948, she played Aggie McDonald in Johnny Belinda, earning another Academy Award nomination. Moorehead portrayed Parthy Hawks, wife of Cap'n Andy and mother of Magnolia, in MGM's hit 1951 remake of Show Boat.
In the 1950s, Moorehead continued her film work, appearing in the big-budget Howard Hughes production The Conqueror (1956), starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward, a film she later expressed regret about participating in due to the health risks associated with its filming location. She starred as Cornelia Van Gorder in The Bat (1959) with Vincent Price. She also played the hypochondriac Mrs. Snow in Disney's popular film Pollyanna (1960). One of her most notable later film roles was as the maid Velma Cruther in Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), where she starred alongside Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Mary Astor, and Joseph Cotten. For this performance, she received her fourth Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination and her second Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. Moorehead's final starring role was in the low-budget ax murderer film Dear Dead Delilah (1972) with Will Geer. She also provided the voice of the friendly "Goose" in Hanna-Barbera's 1973 animated adaptation of E. B. White's children's book Charlotte's Web.
2.4. Television Career
Moorehead made a significant impact on television, with her most iconic role being Endora in Bewitched, alongside numerous other notable guest appearances.
2.4.1. Endora in "Bewitched"
In 1964, Moorehead accepted the role of Endora, Samantha's (Elizabeth Montgomery) quick-witted, mortal-loathing witch mother in the situation comedy Bewitched. She later admitted that she had not expected the show to succeed and eventually felt constrained by its immense popularity. However, she had shrewdly negotiated her contract to appear in only eight of every 12 episodes, which allowed her sufficient time to pursue other projects. Moorehead often found the quality of television writing to be below standard, dismissing many Bewitched scripts as "hack" in a 1965 interview for TV Guide.
Despite her reservations, the role of Endora brought her an unprecedented level of recognition, as Bewitched consistently ranked among the top-10 programs during its initial years. Moorehead received six Emmy Award nominations for her work on the series. She frequently reminded interviewers of her long and distinguished career, stating to the New York Daily News in 1965, "I've been in movies and played theatre from coast to coast, so I was quite well known before 'Bewitched,' and I don't particularly want to be identified as the witch." Despite this ambivalence, she remained with Bewitched until its conclusion in 1972. Before her death in 1974, she reflected that while she enjoyed playing Endora, the role was not particularly challenging, and the show itself was "not breathtaking," though she acknowledged that her flamboyant and colorful character resonated with children. She expressed fondness for the show's star, Elizabeth Montgomery, and enjoyed working with her. However, co-star Dick Sargent, who replaced the ailing Dick York as Samantha's husband Darrin Stephens in 1969, reportedly had a more difficult relationship with Moorehead, describing her as "a tough old bird."
In the fall of 1964, Moorehead participated in a five-minute commercial spot featuring casts from both Bonanza and Bewitched, promoting the new 1965 Chevrolet line. Moorehead appeared alongside Dan Blocker, extolling the virtues of the new '65 Chevy II.
2.4.2. Other Major Television Appearances
Moorehead was a frequent guest star on various television series. In 1959, she appeared on shows such as The Rebel and Alcoa Theatre. Her acclaimed performance in the radio play Sorry, Wrong Number inspired the writers of the CBS television series The Twilight Zone to script an episode with Moorehead in mind. In "The Invaders" (broadcast January 27, 1961), Moorehead played a woman whose isolated farm is terrorized by mysterious intruders. The script was unusual as it contained only one line of dialogue, delivered at the very end; her character gasped in terror but otherwise remained silent, a stark contrast to her famed vocal performance in Sorry, Wrong Number.
Moorehead also had guest roles on Channing, Custer, Rawhide (in "Incident at Poco Tiempo" as Sister Frances), and The Rifleman. On February 10, 1967, she portrayed Miss Emma Valentine in "The Night of the Vicious Valentine" on The Wild Wild West, a performance for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
In her later years, Moorehead's health began to decline. In 1970, she appeared as a dying woman who haunts her own house in the early Night Gallery episode "Certain Shadows on the Wall". She co-starred with Shelley Winters and Debbie Reynolds in the horror film What's the Matter with Helen? (1971). She also reprised her role in Don Juan in Hell on Broadway and on tour, performing with an all-star cast that included Edward Mulhare, Ricardo Montalbán, and Paul Henreid. In January 1974, just three months before her death, two episodes featuring Moorehead, including the series' premiere, aired on the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, a popular radio show produced and directed by Himan Brown.
3. Personal Life
Moorehead's private life, including her relationships and political leanings, sometimes drew public attention, particularly regarding speculation about her sexual orientation.
3.1. Marriages and Relationships
In 1930, Agnes Moorehead married actor John Griffith Lee. They divorced in 1952, a year after they had fostered a boy named Sean Lee. She later married actor Robert Gist in 1954, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1958. Moorehead's will made no provision for her foster son, Sean Lee, stating that she had "no children, natural or adopted, living or deceased," as she had fostered him only until his 18th birthday.
3.2. Political Views
Moorehead generally kept her political beliefs private, rarely speaking about them publicly. However, she was known to have supported both Franklin Delano Roosevelt and her close friend Ronald Reagan. She notably portrayed Eleanor Roosevelt multiple times throughout her career. She also supported Reagan during his 1966 campaign for Governor of California.
3.3. Controversies Regarding Sexual Orientation
Moorehead's sexual orientation has been the subject of considerable speculation and debate. Several articles in the alternative press have identified her as a lesbian. Her Bewitched co-star, Paul Lynde, openly stated, "Well, the whole world knows Agnes was a lesbian - I mean classy as hell, but one of the all-time Hollywood dykes." Journalist Boze Hadleigh reported an incident, also attributed to Lynde, where Moorehead allegedly "screamed at him [her husband] that if he could have a mistress, so could she" upon discovering his infidelity.
In a 1973 interview with Hadleigh, when given the opportunity to address the rumors about her sexual orientation, Moorehead responded wryly, neither confirming nor denying them. When Hadleigh listed several actresses known for lesbian or bisexual relationships and asked if Moorehead had ever, she replied, "Yes, you'd love to put me in their excellent company! Even if I don't belong in the same category. [Smiles wryly]... Those ladies were more beautiful than me."
In contrast, Moorehead's close friend Debbie Reynolds categorically denied that Moorehead was a lesbian, asserting in her autobiography that the rumor was "maliciously" started by one of Moorehead's husbands during their divorce proceedings. Paul Gregory, Moorehead's longtime friend and producer, concurred with Reynolds' assessment. Quint Benedetti, Moorehead's longtime employee who was openly homosexual, also stated that Moorehead was not a lesbian and attributed the story to Paul Lynde's frequent gossiping and rumor-mongering.
4. Death
Agnes Moorehead's final years were marked by a battle with cancer, which some speculate was linked to environmental factors during her film career.
Moorehead was among many individuals who developed cancer after exposure to radioactive fallout from atmospheric atomic bomb tests during the filming of The Conqueror (1956) in Iron City, Utah. The cast and crew of the film totaled 220 people. By the end of 1980, it was determined that 91 of them had developed some form of cancer, and 46 had died from the disease. This group included John Wayne himself, Susan Hayward, Pedro Armendáriz (who died by suicide while suffering from cancer), and the film's director Dick Powell, all of whom later succumbed to cancer or cancer-related illnesses.
Moorehead died at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, on April 30, 1974, at the age of 73. The cause of death was uterine cancer. She is entombed in a crypt at Dayton Memorial Park in Dayton, Ohio.
5. Assessment and Legacy
Agnes Moorehead's career was characterized by critical acclaim and a lasting cultural influence, particularly through her iconic television roles and her contributions to the art of acting.
5.1. Awards and Nominations
Moorehead received numerous accolades throughout her career, recognizing her significant contributions to film and television.
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | The Magnificent Ambersons | Nominated |
| New York Film Critics Circle | Best Actress | Won | ||
| 1944 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Mrs. Parkington | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture | Won | ||
| 1948 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Johnny Belinda | Nominated |
| 1964 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture | Won | ||
| 1966 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Bewitched | Nominated |
| 1967 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| 1968 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| 1969 | Nominated | |||
| 1970 | Nominated | |||
| 1971 | Nominated | |||
| 1967 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | The Wild Wild West | Won |
5.2. Criticism and Controversy
Despite her success, Moorehead had a complex relationship with her most famous role as Endora in Bewitched. While it brought her unprecedented recognition, she often expressed feeling "trapped" by its success and found many of the scripts to be "hack," though she acknowledged the character's appeal, particularly to children. Her co-star, Dick Sargent, who played Darrin Stephens for the latter half of the series, described her as "a tough old bird," indicating a challenging working relationship.
Beyond her professional critiques, Moorehead's personal life, specifically her sexual orientation, became a subject of public controversy and speculation. While some colleagues, such as Paul Lynde, openly claimed she was a lesbian, others, including her close friend Debbie Reynolds and longtime producer Paul Gregory, vehemently denied these rumors, attributing them to malicious gossip. Moorehead herself offered a cryptic response when questioned directly, neither confirming nor denying the speculation, which only fueled further discussion. This ongoing debate about her private life continues to be a notable aspect of her public perception.
5.3. Cultural Impact
Agnes Moorehead's lasting influence on popular culture is profound, largely due to her iconic television roles and her significant contributions to the art of acting across various media. Her portrayal of Endora in Bewitched remains one of the most memorable characters in television history, defining the archetype of the flamboyant, powerful, yet comically interfering mother-in-law. This role, in particular, resonated deeply with audiences and cemented her status as a cultural icon.
Beyond Endora, Moorehead's versatility was evident in her extensive radio work, where she was known as the "First Lady of Suspense" for her captivating vocal performances, especially in Sorry, Wrong Number. Her ability to create vivid characters purely through voice demonstrated her mastery of the craft. In film, her collaborations with Orson Welles in groundbreaking works like Citizen Kane showcased her dramatic range and contributed to cinematic history. Moorehead's memorable characters, whether puritanical matrons, neurotic spinsters, or comical figures, left a lasting impression, highlighting her talent for embodying complex personalities with depth and nuance. Her work continues to be celebrated for its enduring quality and her unique ability to command attention in any role.
5.4. Posthumous Tributes and Honors
Agnes Moorehead's legacy continued to be recognized after her death through various tributes and honors. In 1994, she was posthumously inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame, acknowledging her roots and contributions to the arts.
In her will, Moorehead made significant bequests to educational institutions. She bequeathed 25.00 K USD to Muskingum College, with instructions to establish one or more "Agnes Moorehead Scholarships" to support future students. She also divided her collection of manuscripts, leaving half to Muskingum and the other half to the University of Wisconsin. Furthermore, her family's Ohio farm, along with her collection of Bibles and biblical scholarship materials, was left to John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Her mother, Mary, received all of Moorehead's clothing and jewelry, and provisions were made to support her mother for the remainder of her life. Her Beverly Hills home, including its furnishings and personal property, was left to her attorney, Franklin Rohner. Additionally, Moorehead made small bequests to friends, domestic staff, and various charitable organizations, reflecting her philanthropic spirit.
6. Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Citizen Kane | Mary Kane | |
| 1942 | The Magnificent Ambersons | Fanny Minafer | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress |
| The Big Street | Violette Shumberg | ||
| 1943 | Journey into Fear | Mrs. Mathews | |
| The Youngest Profession | Miss Featherstone | ||
| Government Girl | Adele - Mrs. Delancey Wright | ||
| Jane Eyre | Mrs. Reed | ||
| 1944 | Since You Went Away | Mrs. Emily Hawkins | |
| Dragon Seed | Third Cousin's Wife | ||
| The Seventh Cross | Madame Marelli | ||
| Mrs. Parkington | Baroness Aspasia Conti | Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture | |
| Tomorrow, the World | Aunt Jesse Frame | ||
| 1945 | Keep Your Powder Dry | Lieut. Colonel Spottiswoode | |
| Our Vines Have Tender Grapes | Bruna Jacobson | ||
| Her Highness and the Bellboy | Countess Zoe | ||
| 1947 | Dark Passage | Madge Rapf | |
| The Lost Moment | Juliana Borderau | ||
| 1948 | Summer Holiday | Cousin Lily | |
| The Woman in White | Countess Fosco | ||
| Station West | Mrs. Caslon | ||
| Johnny Belinda | Aggie MacDonald | ||
| 1949 | The Stratton Story | Ma Stratton | |
| The Great Sinner | Emma Getzel | ||
| Without Honor | Katherine Williams | ||
| 1950 | Caged | Ruth Benton | |
| Captain Blackjack | Mrs. Emily Birk | ||
| 1951 | Fourteen Hours | Christine Hill Cosick | |
| Adventures of Captain Fabian | Aunt Jezebel | ||
| Show Boat | Parthy Hawks | ||
| The Blue Veil | Mrs. Palfrey | ||
| 1952 | The Blazing Forest | Jessie Crain | |
| 1953 | The Story of Three Loves | Aunt Lydia | Segment: "The Jealous Lover" |
| Scandal at Scourie | Sister Josephine | ||
| Main Street to Broadway | Mildred Waterbury | ||
| Those Redheads From Seattle | Mrs. Edmonds | ||
| 1954 | Magnificent Obsession | Nancy Ashford | |
| 1955 | Untamed | Aggie | |
| The Left Hand of God | Beryl Sigman | ||
| All That Heaven Allows | Sara Warren | ||
| 1956 | The Conqueror | Hunlun | |
| Meet Me in Las Vegas | Miss Hattie | ||
| The Swan | Queen Maria Dominika | ||
| The Revolt of Mamie Stover | Bertha Parchman | ||
| Pardners | Mrs. Matilda Kingsley | ||
| The Opposite Sex | Countess de Brion | ||
| 1957 | The True Story of Jesse James | Mrs. Samuel | |
| Jeanne Eagels | Nellie Neilson | ||
| Raintree County | Ellen Shawnessy | ||
| The Story of Mankind | Queen Elizabeth I | ||
| 1958 | The Tempest | Vassilissa Mironova | |
| 1959 | Night of the Quarter Moon | Cornelia Nelson | |
| The Bat | Cornelia van Gorder | ||
| 1960 | Pollyanna | Mrs. Snow | |
| 1961 | Twenty Plus Two | Mrs. Eleanor Delaney | |
| Bachelor in Paradise | Judge Peterson | ||
| 1962 | Jessica | Maria Lombardo | |
| How the West Was Won | Rebecca Prescott | ||
| 1963 | Who's Minding the Store? | Mrs. Phoebe Tuttle | |
| 1964 | Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte | Velma Cruther | |
| 1966 | The Singing Nun | Sister Cluny | |
| 1969 | The Ballad of Andy Crocker | Lisa's Mother | |
| 1971 | What's the Matter with Helen? | Sister Alma | |
| 1972 | Dear Dead Delilah | Delilah Charles | |
| 1973 | Charlotte's Web | The Goose | Voice |
| 2005 | Bewitched | Endora | Uncredited; archive footage |
7. Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Poor Mr. Campbell | Adrice Campbell | Television movie |
| 1953 | The Revlon Mirror Theater | Martha Adams | Episode: "Lullaby" |
| 1955 | The Colgate Comedy Hour | Aunt Minnie | Episode: "Roberta" |
| 1956 | Matinee Theatre | Mrs. Barnes | Episode: "Greybeards and Witches" |
| Studio 57 | Mrs. Tolliver | Episode: "Teacher" | |
| 1957 | Climax! | Irene | Episode: "Locked in Fear" |
| Wagon Train | Mary Halstead | Episode: "The Mary Halstead Story" | |
| 1958 | The DuPont Show of the Month | Madame Defarge | Episode: "A Tale of Two Cities" |
| Playhouse 90 | Rose Ganun | Episode: "The Dungeon" | |
| Suspicion | Katherine Searles | Episode: "The Protege" | |
| 1959 | G.E. True Theatre | Ana Konrad Bethlen | Episode: "Deed of Mercy" |
| Alcoa Theatre | Mrs. Adams | Episode: "Man of His House" | |
| The Rebel | Mrs. Martha Lassiter | Episode: "In Memoriam" | |
| 1960 | Startime | Carmen Lynch | Episode: "Closed Set" |
| The Millionaire | Katherine Boland | Episode: "Millionaire Katherine Boland" | |
| The Chevy Mystery Show | Elizabeth Marshall | Episode: "Trial by Fury" | |
| Adventures in Paradise | Jikiri | Episode: "The Krismen" | |
| Rawhide | Sister Frances | S3:E8, "Incident at Poco Tiempo" | |
| Shirley Temple's Storybook | Hepzibah Pyncheon Mombi the Witch Witch | 3 episodes | |
| The Rifleman | Alberta 'Bertie' Hoakam | Episode: "Miss Bertie" season 3, episode 14 | |
| 1961 | The Twilight Zone | Woman | Episode: "The Invaders" |
| My Sister Eileen | Aunt Harriet | 2 episodes | |
| 1963-1965 | Burke's Law | Pauline Moss Dona Ynez Ortega y Esteban Liz Haggerty | 2 episodes |
| 1964 | Channing | Professor Amelia Webster | Episode: "Freedom Is a Lovesome Thing God Wot" |
| The Greatest Show on Earth | Millie | Episode: "This Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There" | |
| 1964-1972 | Bewitched | Endora | 146 episodes; Main role |
| 1966 | The Lone Ranger | Black Widow | Episode: "The Trickster/Crack of Doom/The Human Dynamo" |
| 1966 | Password | Herself | Game Show Contestant / Celebrity Guest Star |
| 1967 | The Wild Wild West | Emma Valentine | Episode: "The Night of the Vicious Valentine" |
| Custer | Watoma | Episode: "Spirit Woman" | |
| 1969 | Lancer | Mrs. Normile | Episode: "A Person Unknown" |
| The Red Skelton Show | Bertha Bluenose | Episode: "He Wanted to Be a Square Shooter But He Found That his Barrel was Round" | |
| 1970 | Barefoot in the Park | Mrs. Wilson | Episode: "Pilot" |
| The Virginian | Emma Garvey | Episode: "Gun Quest" | |
| 1971 | Night Gallery | Emma Brigham | 2 episodes |
| Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | Mrs. Pringle | Episode: "Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove" | |
| Love, American Style | Mrs. Cooper | Segment: "Love and the Particular Girl" | |
| 1971 | Marriage: Year One | Grandma Duden | Television movie |
| Suddenly Single | Marlene | Television movie | |
| The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove | Mrs. Pringle | Television movie | |
| 1972 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Mrs. Ramsey | Episode: "He Could Sell Iceboxes to Eskimos" |
| Rolling Man | Grandmother | Television movie | |
| Night of Terror | Bronsky | Television movie | |
| 1973 | Frankenstein: The True Story | Mrs. Blair | Television movie |
| 1974 | Rex Harrison Presents Stories of Love | Hercules's Wife | Television movie |
8. Theater
Moorehead began appearing on stage during her training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She appeared in seven productions as a student. She continued acting in the theater throughout her career until just a few months before her death.
| Year | Play | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Courage | Understudy |
| 1929 | Soldiers and Women | Understudy |
| 1929 | Scarlet Pages | Company |
| 1929 | Candle Light | Company |
| 1934 | All the King's Horses | Company |
| 1951 | Don Juan In Hell | Doña Ana. Moorehead originated the role in a national tour which culminated in a sold-out appearance at Carnegie Hall. Moorehead engaged in six tours of the production between 1951 and 1954 and appeared in a 1973 revival at the Palace Theatre. |
| 1954 | An Evening with Agnes Moorehead | Herself. Moorehead toured nationally in this one-woman show on and off for over 20 years. It became best known under the name The Fabulous Redhead and in the mid-1960s as Come Closer, I'll Give You an Earful. |
| 1957 | The Rivalry | Mrs. Stephen A. Douglas. Moorehead toured with the play but dropped out before its New York debut. |
| 1959 | The Pink Jungle | Eleanor West |
| 1962 | Prescription: Murder | Claire Fleming |
| 1962 | Lord Prego | Miss Swanson |
| 1963 | High Spirits | Madame Arcati |
| 1973 | Gigi | Aunt Alicia |
9. Radio
Moorehead appeared on hundreds of individual broadcasts across a radio career that spanned from 1926 to her final two appearances, on CBS Radio Mystery Theater in 1974.
| Year | Program | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1929-1930 | Believe It or Not | Ensemble |
| 1930-1933 | Sherlock Holmes | Ensemble |
| 1931 | The Ben Bernie Show | Ensemble |
| 1932-1933 | Mysteries In Paris | Nana |
| 1933-1934 | Evenings In Paris | Anna |
| 1933-1936 | The Armour Hour | Ensemble |
| 1934 | The Gumps | Min |
| 1934-1935 | Heartthrobs of the Hills | Ensemble |
| 1935-1937 | Dot and Will | Rose |
| 1935-1936 | The New Penny | |
| 1936 | Way Down East | |
| 1936-1938 | The March of Time | Ensemble / Eleanor Roosevelt. |
| 1937 | Terry and the Pirates | The Dragon Lady |
| 1937-1939 | The Shadow | Margo Lane |
| 1938 | The Mercury Theatre on the Air | Ensemble |
| 1938 | The Campbell Playhouse | Ensemble |
| 1938-1941 | Cavalcade of America | Ensemble |
| 1939-1940 | Brenda Curtis | Brenda's mother |
| 1939-1940 | The Aldrich Family | Mrs. Brown |
| 1940 | The Adventures of Superman | Lara |
| 1941-1942 | Bringing Up Father | Maggie |
| 1941-1942 | Bulldog Drummond | Ensemble |
| 1942-1949 | Mayor of the Town | Marilly |
| 1942-1960 | Suspense | Mrs. Elbert Stevenson. Moorehead's appearances on Suspense were so numerous that she became known as "The First Lady of Suspense". Her most noted role was as Mrs. Elbert Stevenson in "Sorry, Wrong Number". She first performed the role on May 25, 1943, and reprised it on eight occasions through her last appearance on the program in 1960. |
| 1974 | CBS Radio Mystery Theater | Ada Canby, Lorna Kitteridge |