Cloris Leachman's beginnings - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 05-30-2019, 07:42 PM

What was her career/reputation like pre-1971?

It sort of seems (to the Leachman uninformed like me) that she suddenly became a respected comedian and Oscar winning dramatic actress all of a sudden.

DJM77 · 05-30-2019, 08:00 PM

She worked a lot pre-1971. It looks like the most notable role for her up to then was playing Ruth Martin in 28 episodes of Lassie.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001458/

PracTz · 05-31-2019, 11:03 AM

Miss Leachman has worked steadily if not always prominently as a performer ever since she won Miss Chicago in 1946!

One thing about her actual origins that seem a bit unconventional is that in her bio she revealed that she found out in her teens that her namesake mother had been married to a man other than her legal father that Miss Leachman had never previously heard of when she was conceived but that that Mr. Leachman WAS her actual father.

05-30-2019, 07:42 PM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,493	Cloris Leachman's beginnings What was her career/reputation like pre-1971? It sort of seems (to the Leachman uninformed like me) that she suddenly became a respected comedian and Oscar winning dramatic actress all of a sudden.

05-30-2019, 08:00 PM	#2
DJM77 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: May 15, 2001 Location: Missouri Posts: 5,553	She worked a lot pre-1971. It looks like the most notable role for her up to then was playing Ruth Martin in 28 episodes of Lassie. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001458/
	__________________ Marge: There are only 49 stars on that flag. Abe: I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize Missouri!

05-31-2019, 11:03 AM	#3
PracTz Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2002 Location: United States of America [Happily Living in the 20th Century] Posts: 2,711	Miss Leachman has worked steadily if not always prominently as a performer ever since she won Miss Chicago in 1946! One thing about her actual origins that seem a bit unconventional is that in her bio she revealed that she found out in her teens that her namesake mother had been married to a man other than her legal father that Miss Leachman had never previously heard of when she was conceived but that that Mr. Leachman WAS her actual father.