AmericanActressTheatreObie Award

Anne Jackson

American actress Anne Jackson (1925-2016) achieved prominence across stage, screen, and television, noted for her partnership with Eli Wallach and critical acclaim.

1. Early Life

Anne Jackson's early life was marked by her birth in Pennsylvania, a family move to Brooklyn, and her foundational education and acting training in New York.

1.1. Birth and Upbringing

Born on September 3, 1925, in Millvale, Pennsylvania, Anne Jackson was the youngest of three daughters. Her parents were Stella Germaine (née Murray) and John Ivan Jackson, a barber. Her older sisters were Catherine, who was eight years her senior, and Beatrice, who was three years older. While her birth year was sometimes misreported as 1926, census records and interviews confirm the 1925 date. Her mother had Irish Catholic ancestry, while her father, whose original name was Ivan JakšekovićCroatian, had emigrated from Croatia (then part of Austria-Hungary) in 1918 at the age of seventeen, settling in Pittsburgh before changing his name to John Jackson. When Anne was eight years old, her family relocated to Brooklyn, New York.

1.2. Education and Acting Training

In Brooklyn, Jackson attended Franklin K. Lane High School. Following her high school education, she pursued formal acting training in New York City. She honed her craft at two highly respected institutions: the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors Studio.

2. Acting Career

Anne Jackson's extensive acting career spanned over five decades, encompassing significant contributions to theatre, film, and television.

2.1. Stage Career

Jackson made her Broadway debut in 1945. Over the years, she built a distinguished career on the stage, appearing in numerous notable productions. Her theatre credits include acclaimed plays such as Summer and Smoke, Arms and the Man, Luv, The Waltz of the Toreadors, Mr. Peters' Connections, and Lost in Yonkers. Her performance in Paddy Chayefsky's Middle of the Night earned her a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 1956. In 1963, she received an Obie Award for Best Actress for her distinguished performances in two Off-Broadway plays, The Typists and The Tiger.

2.2. Film and Television Career

Jackson's screen career included a variety of film roles. Her film credits feature appearances in The Tiger Makes Out, The Secret Life of an American Wife, How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life, Lovers and Other Strangers, Dirty Dingus Magee, Folks!, and a memorable role as the Doctor in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror film The Shining, though some of her scenes were not included in the European cut of the film.

She also had a prolific career in television, with numerous appearances across various series and telefilms. Her television work includes roles in Armstrong Circle Theatre, Academy Theatre, The Philco Television Playhouse, Studio One, The Untouchables, The Defenders, and multiple appearances on Gunsmoke where she played different characters. She also appeared in Marcus Welby, M.D., Rhoda, The Facts of Life, Highway to Heaven, Law & Order, and ER. Beyond acting, Jackson also lent her voice as the narrator for Stellaluna on an episode of the PBS series Reading Rainbow.

The following table lists her film and television appearances:

YearTitleRoleNotes
1950So Young So BadJackie Boone
1951Armstrong Circle TheatreLenaTV series
1952Lux Video TheatreSaraTV series
1952-1953The DoctorMary / Agatha BunnermanTV series
1953-1954The Philco Television PlayhouseDaughterTV series
1955Studio OneFredda Walters / Mattie HobbsTV series
1956-1962General Electric TheaterJenny DuttonTV series
1959The JourneyMargie Rhinelander
1960Play of the WeekEadie HortonTV series
1960LullabyEadie Horton
1960Tall StoryMyra Sullivan
1962The UntouchablesEdna GordonTV series
1964GunsmokePhoebe PrestonTV series
1964The DefendersSally BrandtTV series
1967The Tiger Makes OutGloria Fiske
1967CBS PlayhouseVivian SpearsTV series
1968How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your LifeMuriel Laszlo
1968The Secret Life of an American WifeVictoria Layton
1970Zig ZagJean Cameron
1970The Angel LevineCustomer in Delicatessencameo
1970Lovers and Other StrangersKathy
1970Dirty Dingus MageeBelle Nops
1971The TypistsSylvia Payton
1972GunsmokePhoebe PrestonTV series
1972Marcus Welby, M.D.Alicia BlairTV series
1973Sticks and BonesHarriet
1974Orson Welles' Great MysteriesVivienne CarsonTV series
1975Play for TodayHelene HanffTV series
1976IndependenceAbigail Adams
1977Nasty HabitsSister Mildred
1977RhodaBeaTV series
1979The Bell JarDr. Nolan
1979The Family ManMaggie Madden
1980The ShiningDoctorScenes not in the European cut
1980A Private BattleKatie Ryan
1980Blinded by the LightFrances Bowers
1981Leave 'em LaughingShirlee
1982A Woman Called GoldaLou Kaddar
1984Sam's SonHarriet Orowitz
1985The EqualizerMrs. Henrietta FieldsTV series
1985The Facts of LifeGwenTV series
1986Tall Tales & LegendsMother NatureTV series
1987Out on a LimbBella AbzugTV mini-series, 2 episodes
1987Worlds BeyondMarian BurgessTV series
1987Highway to HeavenMarge MalloyTV series
1987Everything's RelativeRae BeebyTV series
1988Baby MLorraine Abraham
1990Funny About LoveAdele
1992Folks!Mildred Aldrich
1997Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two WomenMaman
1997Law & OrderJudge Jane SimonsTV series
1999Man of the CenturyMargaret Twennies
2000Something SweetGrandma
2002The Education of Max BickfordPatTV series
2003ERMrs. LangstonTV series
2008Vote and Die: Liszt for PresidentPartisan woman
2008Lucky DaysCorkie(final film role)

3. Personal Life

Beyond her professional acting career, Anne Jackson's personal life was largely defined by her long and successful marriage to Eli Wallach and her continued involvement in the arts through teaching.

3.1. Marriage and Partnership

Jackson and her husband Eli Wallach in 2010
Jackson and her husband Eli Wallach in 2010

Anne Jackson was married to actor Eli Wallach from March 5, 1948, until his death on June 24, 2014. Their marriage was one of the longest and most successful unions in the entertainment industry, lasting over 66 years. The couple frequently acted together, forming a notable professional partnership that extended across various stage and screen productions. Together, they had three children: Peter, Katherine, and Roberta.

3.2. Later Career and Teaching

In her later years, Jackson continued to act, often appearing in cameo roles. She also dedicated her time to teaching acting, sharing her vast experience and knowledge with aspiring performers. She was an instructor at the HB Studio in Manhattan, a renowned acting school.

4. Death

Anne Jackson passed away at her home in Manhattan on April 12, 2016, at the age of 90.

5. Legacy and Archives

Anne Jackson's artistic contributions and personal papers have been preserved for future research. In March 2017, the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin announced the acquisition of her archive along with that of her husband, Eli Wallach. The collection was made available for research in 2018, providing valuable insights into their careers and lives. Additionally, interviews with Anne Jackson are part of the University of Wisconsin's Actors Studio audio collection.