Famous American actress Agnes Robertson Moorehead worked in radio, cinema, television, and theater. She was best known for playing Endora, a witty witch mother on the comedic TV show “Bewitched.” The Magnificent Ambersons, Mrs. Parkington, Johnny Belinda, Raintree County, The Singing Nun, Citizen Kane, All That Heaven Allows, and Show Boat are among the films in which Moorehead appeared. She appeared on stage in seven productions while still a student, and she continued to perform up until a few months before she passed away. Moorehead was primarily recognized for his portrayals of pompous, humorous, or conceited characters. She was nominated for six Emmy Awards, four Academy Awards, and two Golden Globes for her performances in character roles. She also won one Primetime Emmy Award. The American beauty had a very successful four-decade career and was once one of the most sought-after actresses in the business. Today’s Hollywood women have drawn inspiration from Moorehead in large numbers. At the age of 73, the adored actress passed away in April 1974.
Early Childhood & Life
Mildred Moorehead, a former vocalist, and her husband John Henderson Moorehead welcomed Agnes Robertson Moorehead into the world on December 6, 1900, in Clinton, Massachusetts.
When she was three years old, she began acting and recited The Lord’s Prayer for the first time in a church. Her desire to pursue acting became quite strong after she and her family relocated to St. Louis, Missouri.
She allegedly earned her diploma from St. Louis’ Central High School in 1918. She later graduated from Ohio’s New Concord campus of Muskingum College with a bachelor’s degree. Moorehead then enrolled at Muskingum University, where he later earned an honorary degree.
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he later completed a master’s degree in English and public speaking at the University of Wisconsin while working as a five-year teacher in a public school.
After that, Moorehead continued her graduate studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she received her 1929 degree. Later on, Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, awarded her an honorary doctorate.
Career of Agnes Moorehead
Agnes Moorehead began her radio career by making her debut in the 1929 episode of “Believe It or Not.” Beginning with the plays “Soldiers and Women,” “Scarlet Pages,” and “Candle Light,” she acted on stage simultaneously.
She made an appearance on the radio program “Sherlock Holmes” between 1930 and 1933. Soon after, she appeared in the play “All the King’s Horses,” “Evenings in Paris,” and “The Gumps,” as well as on the radio.
The actress went on to appear on a number of radio shows, such as “The New Penny,” “Way Down East,” “The March of Time,” “Terry and the Pirates,” “The Shadow,” “The Mercury Theatre on the Air,” “The Campbell Playhouse,” “Cavalcade of America,” and “The Adventures of Superman.” Following this, she was given roles in more radio programs like “Bringing Up Father” and “Bulldog Drummond.”
Moorehead began portraying Marilly and Mrs. Elbert Stevenson, respectively, on the radio shows “Mayor of the Town” and “Suspense” in 1942.
The Youngest Profession, Jane Eyre, The Seventh Cross, Mrs. Parkington, Keep Your Powder Dry, Her Highness and the Bellboy, The Lost Moment, The Woman in White, Johnny Belinda, The Great Sinner, and Caged are just a handful of the films she appeared in in the late 1940s.
The Colgate Comedy Hour, Studio 57, Wagon Train, Playhouse 90, Alcoa Theatre, Adventures in Paradise, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, The Twilight Zone, Chanting, and The Greatest Show on Earth were some of the popular television plays she appeared in as a guest star between 1953 and 1964.
She had appearances on stage and in movies at this time. The plays “Don Juan in Hell,” “The Rivalry,” and “The Pink Jungle,” as well as the movies “Main Street to Broadway,” “The Left Hand of God,” “The Swan,” “The Opposite Sex,” “Raintree County,” “Pollyanna,” and “How the West Was Won,” was among Moorehead’s significant works.
In the comedy series “Bewitched,” the American beauty was then given the role of Endora, a witty witch mother who despises mortals, in 1964. She portrayed Sister Cluny in the movie “The Singing Nun” in 1966. She made an appearance in a “The Wild Wild West” episode a year later. Then, in 1970, Moorehead made appearances in the dramas “Barefoot in the Park” and “The Virginian.”
She worked on the films “What’s the Matter with Helen” and “Marriage: Year One” as well as the television films “Suddenly Single” and “The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove” in 1971. In the same year, she appeared as a guest star in the dramas “Rod Serling’s Night Gallery” and “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.” The actress then appeared in “Rolling Man” and “Night of Terror” for television.
Bigger Works of Agnes Moorehead
Agnes Moorehead portrayed Madame Acanti in the musical “High Spirits” in the year 1963. She was chosen to play Velma Cruther in the American psychological thriller movie “Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte” a year later. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this performance.
Recognition & Achievements
Moorehead played Miss Emma Valentine in an episode of “The Wild Wild West” that aired on February 10, 1967. She was given a “Primetime Emmy Award” for “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series” for this performance.
For her work in the movie “Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte,” she won a “Golden Globe Award” in the category of “Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.”
On February 8, 1960, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Moorehead was honorably enshrined in the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 1994.
Individual Life of Agnes Moorehead
In 1930, Agnes Moorehead wed actor John Griffith Lee. Sean was an adoptive son who was reared by the couple until he went away. John and Agnes separated in 1952.
In 1954, Agnes Moorehead married actor Robert Gist after divorcing John Griffith Lee. Prior to their breakup in 1958, the pair shared four years of living together.
The actress passed away from uterine cancer on April 30, 1974, in Rochester, Minnesota, at the age of 73.
In Dayton, Ohio, in the Dayton Memorial Park, she was laid to rest.
Moorehead left Muskingum College $25,000 in his will. She left her mother, Mildred, her belongings, including her dress and jewels. She left her Beverly Hills home to Franklin Rohner, her lawyer. Small bequests were also left for her friends and housekeepers. The actress didn’t mention her adopted son Sean in her will.
Estimated Net Worth
Moorehead’s involvement in 113 films and television programs, including Dear Dead Delilah, Frankenstein: The True Story, Love, American Style, The Greatest Show on Earth, The Magical World of Disney, The Wild Wild West, What’s the Matter with Helen?, Barefoot in the Park, and The Lone Ranger, contributed significantly to her wealth.
Agnes appeared in 254 episodes of Bewitched, which was her most lucrative job.
Her former Beverly Hills home sold for $16 million in April 2017. In the 1950s, she moved into the home. Franklin Rohner, Agnes’s attorney, received the house from her.
Agnes Moorehead, an American actress, had a $5 million estimated net worth at the time of her passing.
Trivia
In 1948, Agnes Moorehead became the first female co-host of the Academy Awards.
She was a devoutly pious woman who frequently held the Bible and the script in each hand.
She did not love filming “Bewitched” because it required her to get up at 4:45 in the morning and work until 8:00 in the evening.