June Squibb was born on November 6, 1929, in Vandalia, Illinois, and began her career as a theatrical actor, working with the Cleveland Play House and receiving additional acting lessons from the HB Studio in New York City. She made her Broadway debut in the musical "Gypsy" (1959) and continued to work in theater, television, and film throughout her career.

June Squibb gained widespread recognition for her role as Kate Grant in the film "Nebraska" (2013), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

She has also appeared in films such as "The Age of Innocence" (1993), "In & Out" (1997), "Meet Joe Black" (1998), and "About Schmidt" (2002). On television, she had recurring roles on shows like "Ghost Whisperer," "Getting On," "Shameless," and "Good Girls."

In her personal life, June Squibb was married to actor Edward Sostek and later to acting teacher Charles Kakatsakis, with whom she had a son, Harry, a filmmaker.

June Squibb converted to Judaism in the 1950s and has been open about her experiences with ageism in show business, stating that "rules are meant to be broken."