Irene Ryan, born Irene Noblitt on October 17, 1902, in El Paso, Texas, was an American actress and comedian who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television, and Broadway. She was the second child and daughter of Catherine J. "Katie" (née McSharry) and James Merritt Noblitt, with her father being an army sergeant from North Carolina and her mother having emigrated from Ireland.

Irene Ryan was 17 years younger than her sister Anna. She began her performing career at the age of 11 when she won $3 for singing "Pretty Baby" in an amateur contest at the Valencia Theater in San Francisco. This prize inspired her to pursue a career in entertainment.

At the age of 20, she married writer-comedian Tim Ryan, and they performed together in vaudeville as a double act known as "Tim and Irene." They starred in 11 short comedies for Educational Pictures between 1935 and 1937, with Irene playing the flighty young woman who drove Tim to distraction.

Their catchphrase, "Will you stop?" became well-known. The couple divorced in 1942, but Irene kept the surname Ryan. She toured with Bob Hope during World War II and was known as "the gal who makes Bob Hope laugh."

Irene Ryan continued to work in motion pictures into the late 1940s and early 1950s, generally playing fussy or nervous women. In 1946, she married Harold E. Knox, who worked in film production, but they divorced in 1961. She joined the cast of "The Jack Carson Show" on CBS Radio in 1946, playing a neighborhood storekeeper who operated a combination candy shop and lending library.

She was nominated for Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1963 and 1964 for her role as Daisy May "Granny" Moses on "The Beverly Hillbillies," which aired from 1962 to 1971.

Her career spanned 50 years, and she was known for her versatility and comedic talent. She accompanied Bob Hope on his famous military tours and was known as "the gal who makes Bob Hope laugh." After "The Beverly Hillbillies" ended, she co-starred in the Broadway musical "Pippin" with Ben Vereen.

Unfortunately, despite wonderful reviews from critics, she took ill, was discovered to have an inoperable brain tumor, and died soon after at the age of 70 on April 26, 1973, in Santa Monica, California. Her gravestone has the name "Granny" on it, and she left an estate worth over $1 million, which she used to start the Irene Ryan Foundation for theatre aspirants.