Emmaline Henry was born on November 1, 1928, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and she began her career as a singer, appearing on local radio in her teens. She moved to Hollywood in the early 1950s and found her way into the choruses of several musicals, but producers soon noticed that her comic skills were superior to her singing.

She toured in musicals like "Top Banana" and later appeared in the film version of the show. She succeeded Carol Channing in the play "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." She made her television debut in a 1955 episode of the ZIV production "I Led Three Lives," followed by appearances in another ZIV TV show, "Highway Patrol."

She appeared on "The Red Skelton Show" in 1961 and subsequently made guest appearances on various sitcoms, including "The Farmer's Daughter," "The Munsters," and "Petticoat Junction."

Her first starring role was as John Astin's wife in "I'm Dickens, He's Fenster." In 1964-65, she appeared as Mickey Rooney's wife, Nora, in the short-lived sitcom "Mickey" and made a guest appearance on "Bonanza."

She also made feature film appearances in "Divorce American Style" (1967), "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), and "Harrad Summer" (1974). Following the cancellation of "I Dream of Jeannie" in 1970, she guest-starred on other sitcoms, including "Love, American Style," "The Bob Newhart Show," and in the dramatic television mini-series "Backstairs at the White House."

In 1971, she guest-starred in the final episode of "Green Acres" playing Lillian Grant, the sister of Oliver's former secretary Carol Rush. On "Three's Company," she appeared in the recurring role of Chrissy's boss, J.C. Braddock.

Her final appearance was the "Eight Is Enough" episode "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do," which first aired on September 19, 1979, just 21 days before her death in October 1979.

Emmaline Henry married actor Mark Roberts on November 1, 1969, and they divorced in 1974. She died of a brain tumor on October 8, 1979, at the age of 50, and is interred at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.