JEAN HAGEN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Jean Hagen was born on August 3rd, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois with the birth name Jean Shirley Verhangen born to parents, Christian and Marie Verhagen.  At the age of twelve her family relocated to Elkhart, Indiana and she completed her high school education there.
 
She first became interested in acting when Hagen found work at a local theater as an usher and was also studying drama part time.  Soon she was given the chance to work as a stage actress making her Broadway debut on, "Another Part of the Forest" (1946) followed by roles in other Broadway productions such as, "Swan Song" and "The Traitor".  
 
Hagen was also working on radio in the early 1940's such as on the serial, "Light of the World" and "Hollywood Story".  In 1949, she had her film debut in, "Adam's Rib" starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, followed by a role in, "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950) co-starring Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Marilyn Monroe, James Whitmore, John McIntire and Sam Jaffe.  She is best remembered for her role in the film, "Singin' in the Rain" starring alongside Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor, as silent movie star, Lina Lamont.  For this role Jean Hagen earned her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.  
 
From this role other opportunities soon followed such as a role on the television series, "Make Room for Daddy" (1953).  For this part she earned three Emmy Award nominations.  However, dissatisfied with the series she chose to leave and found work else where such as on, "The Shaggy Dog" and the series, "The Dupont Show with June Allyson" (1960). 
 
Even though work was available to her, the work was never at the level that she was beginning to become accustomed to.  Jean appeared in the film, "Sunrise at Campobello" (1960) co-starring Ralph Bellamy, Greer Garson and Hume Cronyn and "Dead Ringer" (1964) also starring Bette Davis, Karl Malden, Peter Lawford and Philip Carey.   
 
In the 1960's she was becoming too ill to work which caused her to have to take an early retirement and reside is a convalescent home.  She did return to the industry one more time in 1977 appearing on the television movie, "Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn".
 
Hagen was married only one time to Tom Seidel from 1947 through 1965 and the couple had two children together, Christine and Aric.  She did not re marry and on August 29th, 1977 she passed away at the age of fifty four in Los Angeles, California after suffering from throat cancer.  She is buried in Chapel of the Pines Crematory.  Jean Hagen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to television. 
 

Filmography

1977 Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn
1976 The Streets of San Francisco
1976 Starsky and Hutch 
1964 Dead Ringer 
1963 Dr. Kildare 
1960-1963 Wagon Train 
1962 Panic in Year Zero! 
1962 Ben Casey
1961 The Andy Griffith Show
1961 G.E. True Theater
1961 Zane Grey Theater 
1961 Stagecoach West 
1960 Sunrise at Campobello 
1960 The DuPont Show with June Allyson 
1959 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1959 The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor
1959 The Shaggy Dog 
1957 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 
1957 Spring Reunion
1956 The Ford Television Theatre
1956 Climax!
1953-1956 The Danny Thomas Show
1955 The Big Knife
1954 Shower of Stars 
1953 Half a Hero
1953 Latin Lovers
1953 Arena 
1952 Shadow in the Sky 
1952 Carbine Williams 
1952 Singin' in the Rain 
1951 No Questions Asked 
1951 Night Into Morning 
1950 A Life of Her Own
1950 The Asphalt Jungle
1950 Side Street
1950 Ambush 
1949 Adam's Rib