Peggy Cass was a versatile and talented actress, comedian, game show panelist, and announcer who entertained audiences for decades. She was best known for her role as Agnes Gooch in the Broadway and film versions of Auntie Mame, for which she won a Tony Award and received an Oscar nomination. She also appeared in many other stage, film, and television productions, such as A Thurber Carnival, Gidget Goes Hawaiian, The Doctors, and To Tell the Truth. She died of heart failure on March 8, 1999, at the age of 74. Here is a look at her life, career, and legacy.
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Early Life and Career
Peggy Cass was born Mary Margaret Cass on May 21, 1924, in Boston, Massachusetts. She attended Cambridge Latin School and became interested in acting as a member of the drama club. However, she never had a speaking part in any of the club’s productions. After graduating, she spent most of the 1940s in search of an acting career. She received acting training at HB Studio in New York City and eventually landed the lead role of Billie Dawn in a traveling production of Born Yesterday.
She made her Broadway debut in 1949 with the play Touch and Go. She also appeared in several radio and television shows, such as The Bob Hope Show, The Jack Benny Program, and The Phil Silvers Show. She became a regular panelist on the popular game show To Tell the Truth, where she displayed her wit and humor.
Breakthrough Role as Agnes Gooch
In 1956, she was cast as Agnes Gooch, the timid secretary of the eccentric socialite Mame Dennis, in the Broadway comedy Auntie Mame. The play was based on the novel by Patrick Dennis, who also wrote under the pseudonym Virginia Rowans. Cass’s performance as the mousy but lovable Agnes was a hit with critics and audiences alike. She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and later reprised her role in the 1958 film adaptation starring Rosalind Russell. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for her portrayal of Agnes on screen.
Cass continued to work with Patrick Dennis on other projects, such as First Lady: My Thirty Days in the White House, a mock-biographical novel that featured photographs by Cris Alexander of Cass and other actors who portrayed the novel’s characters.
Other Stage and Screen Roles
Cass was also a versatile performer who appeared in various genres and mediums. She starred in the 1960 Broadway revue A Thurber Carnival, adapted by James Thurber from his own works. She played several characters throughout the performance, such as the mother in “The Wolf at the Door”, the narrator of “The Little Girl and the Wolf”, a nameless American tourist (who insisted Macbeth was a murder mystery), Miss Alma Winege in “File and Forget” (who wanted to ship Mr. Thurber 36 copies of Grandma Was a Nudist which he did not order), Mrs. Preble in “Mr. Preble Gets Rid of His Wife”, Lou in “Take Her Up Tenderly” (who was helping make old poetry more cheerful), and Walter Mitty’s wife.
She also appeared in several films, such as Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961), If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968), The Trouble with Angels (1966), The Out-of-Towners (1970), Child’s Play (1972), The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972), The Last of Sheila (1973), The Cheap Detective (1978), Evil Under the Sun (1982), and Me Myself and I (1992).
She also had many television roles, such as The Doctors (1978-1979), Match Game (1973-1982), Love American Style (1970-1974), All My Children (1983-1984), Trapper John M.D. (1985-1986), Murder She Wrote (1987-1991), Newhart (1987-1990), Cheers (1991-1993), Wings (1994-1995), and Touched by an Angel (1997).
She also returned to Broadway in several plays, such as Don’t Drink the Water (1966-1968), Plaza Suite (1968-1970), The Front Page (1969-1970; 1986-1987), 42nd Street (1980-1989), and The Octette Bridge Club (1985).
Death and Legacy
On March 8, 1999, Cass died of heart failure in New York City at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She was survived by her husband, Eugene Feeney, whom she married in 1979. She was previously married to Carl Fisher from 1948 to 1965.
Cass left behind a legacy of laughter and entertainment for generations of fans. She was a versatile and talented actress who could play comedy, drama, and musical roles with ease. She was also a witty and charming personality who delighted audiences with her humor and intelligence. She was a trailblazer for women in comedy and a beloved figure in the entertainment industry. She will always be remembered as the unforgettable Agnes Gooch and as a star of stage and screen.
