Jo Van Fleet, born Catherine Josephine Van Fleet on December 29, 1915, in Oakland, California, was an American stage, film, and television actress known for her powerful performances. She was the younger of two daughters born to Roy H. Van Fleet and Elizabeth "Bessie" Catherine (née Gardner) Van Fleet.

Her father, who worked for the railroads, passed away in 1919, leaving her mother to support the family by working as a sales lady in an Oakland dry goods store. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1936 and later pursued a graduate program at the College of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

Her professional stage career began in 1944 with her role as Miss Phipps in the production of "Uncle Harry" at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. She quickly gained recognition on Broadway, winning a Tony Award in 1954 for her performance as Jessie Mae Watts in Horton Foote's "The Trip to Bountiful."

Her Hollywood debut came in 1955 with Elia Kazan's "East of Eden," where she played Kate, the estranged mother of James Dean's character, earning her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Jo Van Fleet appeared in numerous films, including "The Rose Tattoo" (1955), "I'll Cry Tomorrow" (1955), "The King and Four Queens" (1956), and "Cool Hand Luke" (1967). She also had a successful career on television, with appearances in shows like "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Bonanza," and "The Wild Wild West." Her later roles included performances in "Cinderella" (1965) and "I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!" (1968).

Jo Van Fleet married William G. Bales in 1946, and they remained together until his death in 1990. She passed away on June 10, 1996, in Jamaica, New York, at the age of 80.