Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907 – November 28, 1976) was an American actress, comedienne, screenwriter, and singer,[4] known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday (1940), opposite Cary Grant, as well as for her portrayals of Mame Dennis in Auntie Mame (1958) and Rose in Gypsy (1962). A noted comedienne,[5] she won all five Golden Globes for which she was nominated. Russell won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1953 for her portrayal of Ruth in the Broadway show Wonderful Town (a musical based on the film My Sister Eileen, in which she also starred). She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress four times during her career.
In addition to her success as a comedic lead, Russell was known for playing dramatic characters, especially wealthy, dignified, ladylike women, being one of the few actresses of her time who regularly played professional women such as judges, reporters, and psychiatrists.[6] She had a wide career span from the 1930s to the 1970s and attributed her long career to the fact that, although usually playing classy and glamorous roles, she never became a sex symbol.[7]