Inga Swenson, who was nominated for three Emmys for her role as German cook Gretchen Kraus on the 1980s ABC sitcom “Benson,” has died at age 90.
The character Gretchen originated on the ’70s series “Soap,” as did Benson, the character played by Robert Guillaume, who headlined the eponymous spin-off.
Swenson died Sunday night of natural causes in Los Angeles at a board and care facility. Her son, Mark, told TMZ on Friday that her husband, Lowell Harris, was with her when she died.
Swenson was also a trained lyric soprano, who was nominated for two Tony Awards for her roles in the musicals “110 in the Shade” and “Baker Street.” Her other Broadway credits included serving as a stand-in for Julie Andrews’ in the 1960 production of “Camelot” and “The First Gentleman” in 1957, for which she won a Theatre World Award.
She had supporting roles in the 1962 films “The Miracle Worker” and...
The character Gretchen originated on the ’70s series “Soap,” as did Benson, the character played by Robert Guillaume, who headlined the eponymous spin-off.
Swenson died Sunday night of natural causes in Los Angeles at a board and care facility. Her son, Mark, told TMZ on Friday that her husband, Lowell Harris, was with her when she died.
Swenson was also a trained lyric soprano, who was nominated for two Tony Awards for her roles in the musicals “110 in the Shade” and “Baker Street.” Her other Broadway credits included serving as a stand-in for Julie Andrews’ in the 1960 production of “Camelot” and “The First Gentleman” in 1957, for which she won a Theatre World Award.
She had supporting roles in the 1962 films “The Miracle Worker” and...
- 7/28/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Actor and singer Inga Swenson, who played Gretchen the cook on the popular ’80s sitcom “Benson,” on Sunday in Los Angeles. Swenson died of natural causes, according to TMZ. She was 90.
She was known for starring as Gretchen Kraus in the ABC series “Benson,” which aired for seven years from 1979 to 1986. The show follows Benson DuBois (Robert Guillaume) who is hired as head of household for a governor; Gretchen was the German cook with whom Benson had a workplace rivalry and friendship. For her role as Gretchen, Swenson was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress. “Benson” was a spin-off of the show “Soap,” in which Swenson also appeared for multiple episodes as the character Ingrid Svenson.
A trained lyric soprano, Swenson also had a successful career on Broadway, performing in lauded starring roles in the 1960s. She starred as Lizzy Curry in “110 in the Shade” and Irene Adler in “Baker Street,...
She was known for starring as Gretchen Kraus in the ABC series “Benson,” which aired for seven years from 1979 to 1986. The show follows Benson DuBois (Robert Guillaume) who is hired as head of household for a governor; Gretchen was the German cook with whom Benson had a workplace rivalry and friendship. For her role as Gretchen, Swenson was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress. “Benson” was a spin-off of the show “Soap,” in which Swenson also appeared for multiple episodes as the character Ingrid Svenson.
A trained lyric soprano, Swenson also had a successful career on Broadway, performing in lauded starring roles in the 1960s. She starred as Lizzy Curry in “110 in the Shade” and Irene Adler in “Baker Street,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Inga Swenson, the two-time Tony-nominated singer and actress who as the dictatorial German cook Gretchen Kraus sparred with Robert Guillaume‘s character on the 1980s ABC sitcom Benson, has died. She was 90.
Swenson died Sunday night of natural causes in hospice care in Los Angeles, her son, Mark Harris, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Swenson also sparkled in two critically acclaimed 1962 films released seven weeks apart — as the mother of Helen Keller (Patty Duke) in Arthur Penn’s The Miracle Worker (1962) and as the wife of a U.S. senator with a dark secret (Don Murray) in Otto Preminger’s political thriller Advise & Consent (1962).
On the strength of those performances, the Nebraska native — no, she was not born in Germany — was cast in 1963 as the spinster Lizzy in 110 in the Shade, based on N. Richard Nash’s play The Rainmaker. She received a Tony nomination for best actress in a musical for that performance,...
Swenson died Sunday night of natural causes in hospice care in Los Angeles, her son, Mark Harris, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Swenson also sparkled in two critically acclaimed 1962 films released seven weeks apart — as the mother of Helen Keller (Patty Duke) in Arthur Penn’s The Miracle Worker (1962) and as the wife of a U.S. senator with a dark secret (Don Murray) in Otto Preminger’s political thriller Advise & Consent (1962).
On the strength of those performances, the Nebraska native — no, she was not born in Germany — was cast in 1963 as the spinster Lizzy in 110 in the Shade, based on N. Richard Nash’s play The Rainmaker. She received a Tony nomination for best actress in a musical for that performance,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Inga Swenson, known for her role as German cook Gretchen Kraus in the sitcom Benson, has died at the age of 90. According to reports, her son Mark says the actress died on July 23 of natural causes. Mark also says her husband, Lowell Harris, was with her at a board and care facility in Los Angeles when she died. Her health reportedly was on the decline for the past six months. Swenson appeared in over 150 episodes, earning three Emmy nominations for her work on the 1980s show over seven years. Swenson had a recurring role as Ingrid Svenson in the TV sitcom Soap, which served as the basis for the spin-off show Benson. In Benson, Kraus serves as a German cook who plays foil against the titular character (Robert Guillaume), the head of household affairs for widowed Governor Euge (James Noble). Apart from her work on Benson, Swenson made a name...
- 7/28/2023
- TV Insider
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