At age 13, she changed the spelling of her first name from “Marian” to “Marion” because she thought it would look better on a marquee. Raised in Albert Lea, ...read more
At age 13, she changed the spelling of her first name from “Marian” to “Marion” because she thought it would look better on a marquee. Raised in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and San Diego as a teenager, Marion pursued acting in college, and worked at the La Jolla Playhouse afterwards. At age 25, Marion debuted in Forever Female (1953) with Ginger Rogers and William Holden: a star was born.
She worked steadily on the small screen as well, with guest appearances in The Lone Ranger and Perry Mason. You might know her as Mrs. C from Happy Days. And you might know her son, Jim — Jim Meskimen, talented impressionist, actor and @eg presenter.
