Tall, blonde B-film lead of the 1940s turned character actress from the 1950s on, most typically as cool, aloof women whose surface sophistication only thinly masks their insecurity. Foch made a good impression as one of Bela Lugosi's victims in the enjoyable "Return of the Vampire" (1943) and played another victimized heroine in cult director Joseph H. Lewis's unnerving Gothic noir, "My Name Is Julia Ross" (1945). Foch is perhaps best known for her striking performance as Milo ("as in Venus de"), the wealthy arts patron who attempts to snare painter Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) with her money in Vincente Minnelli's Oscar-winning "An American in Paris" (1951). She was also quite fine in her Oscar-nominated turn as the loyal secretary in the all-star "Executive Suite" (1954) and as one of the fleeing Israelites in Cecil B. DeMille's holiday favorite, "The Ten Commandments" (1956).
Extremely active on TV from the late 1940s on, Foch appeared in many of the live anthology dramas of the 1950s as well as several quiz and news programs. Increased theatre work, some of it in administrative and directing capacities, took up the slack in her film career in the 1960s. She also began teaching film and drama at both USC and the American Film Institute. An Emmy nominee for a guest stint on "Lou Grant", Foch has also graced periodic TV and feature films in more recent years, including "Mahogany" (1975), "Rich and Famous" (1981) and "Sliver" (1993).
Family
FATHER: Dirk Fock. Symphony conductor, composer.
MOTHER: Consuelo Flowerton. Actor, showgirl. Was a famous WWI poster model.
Companion
HUSBAND: Michael Dewell. Producer, writer, translator. Married 1966, divorced 1993; born c. 1931, died March 4, 1994 of lung cancer; mounted theatrical classics on tour and on Broadway and translated many plays into English; was a co-founder of the National Repertory Theater; founded the Los Angeles Free Shakespeare Festival in 1973; held a bachelor's degree from Yale, and a master's from the University of London; also studied at RADA, London.
Milestone
Raised in Manhattan
Pursued painting and briefly worked as a concert pianist
Acted with touring and stock companies and various little theater groups
1943: Signed by Columbia Pictures; made her film debut in "Return of the Vampire"
1947: Broadway debut, "John Loves Mary"
1951: Appeared with Gene Kelly in the award-winning musical "An American in Paris"
1951 - 1954: Panelist for the current events game show, "It's News to Me"; hosted by Walter Cronkite and John Daly
1954: Received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Executive Suite"
1956 - 1958: Regular on John Houseman's CBS "Playhouse 90" television series
1956: Played Pharaoh's sister who found the baby Moses in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments"
1959: Served as George Stevens' associate director for the film, "The Diary of Anne Frank"
1960: Last film for over a decade, "Spartacus" opposite Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier
1962: Played Mrs. Danvers in a TV adaptation of "Rebecca" starring James Mason and Joan Hackett
1967: Directed the stage play, "Ways and Means"
1971: Returned to films with a supporting role in Otto Preminger's black comedy, "Such Good Friends"
1975: Appeared in the film "Mahogany" starring Diana Ross
1985: Played Dr. Julianna Moorhouse on the short-lived occult drama series, "Shadow Chasers"
1992: Received screen credit as an acting coach for "Encino Man"
Jarrod McDonald
Fascinating to watch
There's something mesmerizing about a Nina Foch performance...she seems to excel at playing cool, detached victims...I've never seen anyone else ...
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SusanHeidarifar
NINA FOCH - A gret actress.
Nina was one of the great, unsung hero's of the silver screen. She could take a few lines and REALLY ...
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