Vivian Vance

Vivian Vance, born Vivian Roberta Jones on July 26, 1909, in Cherryvale, Kansas, was an American actress best known for her role as Ethel Mertz on the iconic sitcom "I Love Lucy" from 1951 to 1957.

She won the 1953 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her performance on the show. Her early life was marked by a love for acting that clashed with her mother's strict religious beliefs, leading her to rebel and eventually change her surname to Vance. She moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to pursue acting and later studied under Eva Le Gallienne in New York City.

Her career began on Broadway in 1932, where she performed in numerous shows, often as a member of the chorus. She eventually graduated to supporting parts and had her most successful stage role as Nancy Collister in the Cole Porter musical "Let's Face It!" alongside Danny Kaye and Eve Arden.

Full Name	Vivian Vance
Gender	Female
Occupation	Actress
Date of Birth	26-July-1909 (70 years)
Birth Year	1909
Birth Location	Cherryvale, Kansas, U.S.
Death Time	17-August-1979
Death Location	Belvedere, California

In 1947, she moved to California to pursue film opportunities, appearing in "The Secret Fury" and "The Blue Veil."

Her breakthrough came when she was cast as Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy," a role she initially did not want due to its frumpy nature and her age difference with co-star William Frawley. After "I Love Lucy," she starred in "The Lucy Show" from 1962 to 1965 and made guest appearances in various TV shows.

Her personal life included multiple marriages, with her final husband being John Dodds, whom she married in 1961. She struggled with health issues in her later years, including bone cancer, and passed away on August 17, 1979, in Belvedere, California. Posthumously, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.