Ruth Warrick was born on June 29, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri, to Frederick Roswell Warrick and Annie Louise Warrick. She began her career as a radio singer after winning an essay contest that sent her to New York City as Missouri's paid ambassador. There, she met her first husband, Erik Rolf, and was later hired by Orson Welles for her debut film role as Emily Monroe Norton in "Citizen Kane" (1941).

Her career in Hollywood included roles in films like "The Corsican Brothers" (1941), "Journey into Fear" (1943), and "Song of the South" (1946).

In the 1950s, she transitioned to television, becoming a cast member on soap operas such as "The Guiding Light" and "As the World Turns". Her most iconic role came in 1970 when she began playing Phoebe Tyler Wallingford on "All My Children," a role she portrayed until her death in 2005.

Ruth Warrick was also a political activist and married six times throughout her life. Her personal life included three children, and she celebrated her 80th birthday by attending a special screening of "Citizen Kane." She passed away on January 15, 2005, in New York City from complications of pneumonia.