Ruth Carol Hussey (October , â€" April , ) was an American actress
best known for her Academy Award-nominated role as photographer
Elizabeth Imbrie in The Philadelphia Story.Hussey was born in
Providence, Rhode Island, October , . She was also known as Ruth Carol
O'Rourke. Her father, George R. Hussey, died of the Spanish flu in
when she was seven years old. Ten years later, her mother, Julia
Corbett Hussey, married a family friend, William O'Rourke, who had
worked at the family's mail-order silver enterprise. She grew up at
Ontario Street. She had an older brother, Robert, and a younger
sister, Betty.After obtaining her early education in Providence's
public schools, Hussey studied art at Pembroke College and graduated
from that institution in . She never landed a role in any of the plays
for which she tried out at Pembroke. She then received a degree in
theatre from the University of Michigan School of Drama, and worked as
an actress with a summer stock company in Michigan for two seasons.
She also attended Boston Business College and Michigan School of
Drama.After working as an actress in summer stock, she returned to
Providence and worked as a radio fashion commentator on a local
station. She wrote the ad copy for a Providence clothing store and
read it on the radio each afternoon. She was encouraged by a friend to
try out for acting roles at the Providence Playhouse. The theater
director there turned her down, saying the roles were cast only out of
New York City. Later that week, she journeyed to New York City and on
her first day there, she signed with a talent agent who booked her for
a role in a play starting the next day back at the Providence
Playhouse.
best known for her Academy Award-nominated role as photographer
Elizabeth Imbrie in The Philadelphia Story.Hussey was born in
Providence, Rhode Island, October , . She was also known as Ruth Carol
O'Rourke. Her father, George R. Hussey, died of the Spanish flu in
when she was seven years old. Ten years later, her mother, Julia
Corbett Hussey, married a family friend, William O'Rourke, who had
worked at the family's mail-order silver enterprise. She grew up at
Ontario Street. She had an older brother, Robert, and a younger
sister, Betty.After obtaining her early education in Providence's
public schools, Hussey studied art at Pembroke College and graduated
from that institution in . She never landed a role in any of the plays
for which she tried out at Pembroke. She then received a degree in
theatre from the University of Michigan School of Drama, and worked as
an actress with a summer stock company in Michigan for two seasons.
She also attended Boston Business College and Michigan School of
Drama.After working as an actress in summer stock, she returned to
Providence and worked as a radio fashion commentator on a local
station. She wrote the ad copy for a Providence clothing store and
read it on the radio each afternoon. She was encouraged by a friend to
try out for acting roles at the Providence Playhouse. The theater
director there turned her down, saying the roles were cast only out of
New York City. Later that week, she journeyed to New York City and on
her first day there, she signed with a talent agent who booked her for
a role in a play starting the next day back at the Providence
Playhouse.
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