Dina Merrill

Photo of Dina Merrill

Biography

F. Hutton and Post cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, a debutante-age Merrill gave up college after one year and moved to New York to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She debuted on Broadway in "The Mermaids Singing" (1945) and kept busy for the next decade with acting studies, Broadway and stock theater roles and work in early TV anthology dramas. Already in her thirties, Merrill made her film debut with a sweet …
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Job Title

Actor, Producer

Born

Nedenia Marjorie Hutton on December 9, 1925 in New York City, New York, USA

Career Milestones

Acted in a number of TV anthology dramas of the 1950s, including "DuPont Show of the Month" and "The Desilu Playhouse"

Gained acting experience in stock companies and Broadway theater

1945

Made Broadway debut in the play, "The Mermaids Singing"

1957

Made feature film debut in a supporting role in the Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn romantic comedy, "Desk Set"

1958

Played first leading lady role, "A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed"

1960

Began playing mostly supporting roles in features again with the films, "Butterfield 8" and "The Sundowners"

1960

First played Shakespeare onstage in a production of "Othello"

1961

Acted in a summer theater revival tour of the John van Druten comedy-drama, "The Voice of the Turtle"

1963

Acted in a summer theater tour of the play, "Write Me a Murder"

1965

Acted as part of the Shaw Festival Repertory in stage productions of "Major Barbara" and "Misalliance"

1965

Last feature for ten years, "I'll Take Sweden" starring Bob Hope, Tuesday Weld and Frankie Avalon

1968

First TV-movie, "The Sunshine Patriot"

1975

Returned to features to play roles in "The Meal" and "Deliver Us From Evil"

1976

Returned to Broadway to act a leading role in the play, "Angel Street"

1979

First TV miniseries, "Roots: The Next Generations"

1981

Acted in a production of the play, "The V.I.P.s"

1983

Returned to Broadway to play a role in the revival of the landmark Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart-scored, George Balanchine-choreographed musical, "On Your Toes"

1984

First TV series role as regular, the short-lived NBC adventure series, "Hot Pursuit"; played Estelle Modrian

1986

Returned to features after another absence, this one of six years, to play a prominent role in the film, "Twisted"

2002

Co-starred in the A&E miniseries version of "The Magnificent Ambersons"

2004

Cast in the action thriller "Shade," set in the L.A. scene of poker hustlers