Ann B. Davis | |
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Ann B. Davis, c. 1973
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Born |
Ann Bradford Davis May 5, 1926 Schenectady, New York, U.S. |
Died | June 1, 2014 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
(aged 88)
Cause of death | Subdural hematoma |
Alma mater | University of Michigan |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1953–1997 |
Known for |
The Bob Cummings Show The Brady Bunch |
Ann Bradford Davis (May 5, 1926 – June 1, 2014) was an American actress.
Davis achieved prominence for her role in the NBC situation comedy The Bob Cummings Show (1955–1959), for which she twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, but she was best known for playing the part of Alice Nelson, the housekeeper in ABC's The Brady Bunch (1969–1974).
Davis was born in Schenectady, New York, the daughter of Marguerite (née Stott) and Cassius Miles Davis. She had an identical twin, Harriet, and an older brother, Evans.
When Davis was three, she and her family moved to Erie in northwestern Pennsylvania. She graduated from Strong Vincent High School and later from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She originally enrolled as a pre-medical major; however, she changed her mind and went into drama after seeing her older brother's performance of Oklahoma! Davis graduated in 1948 with a degree in drama and speech.
In the 1953–1954 season, Davis appeared as a musical judge on ABC's Jukebox Jury.
Davis's first television success was as Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz in The Bob Cummings Show, 1955-1959. She auditioned for the role, because her friend's boyfriend was a casting director and recommended her for the part. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series twice out of four nominations for this role.