- Born
- Died
- Birth nameVivian Roberta Jones
- Height5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
- Born as Vivian Roberta Jones in Cherryvale, Kansas, she had a brother and four sisters. Her family moved to Independence, Kansas, and later studied drama under Anna Ingleman and William Inge. Their next move, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, brought her to that city's Little Theatre, which provided her the money she needed to study under Eva Le Gallienne in New York. After arriving in 1932 she had trouble finding stage work until she began a two-year stint in Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein's "Music in the Air".
She next understudied Ethel Merman in the hit "Anything Goes." Her first starring role was as Kay Thompson's last minute replacement in "Hooray for What!", starring Ed Wynn. In 1945, while starring in a touring company of "Voice of the Turtle" she had a nervous breakdown. After undergoing psychotherapy and limited movie work, she returned to the play at the La Jolla (California) Playhouse, where she was seen by Desi Arnaz who decided she was perfect for the role of Ethel Mertz (Ball and Arnaz's first choice, Bea Benaderet, was unavailable) in the I Love Lucy (1951) television series.
At first she didn't want the part (too frumpy), and hated being cast as the wife of William Frawley (she was 42, he was 64, and the two never got along). Frawley, an alcoholic and on the professional skids had actively campaigned for the role of Fred Mertz after learning that Gale Gordon was also unavailable. Desi Arnaz hired him, but only under strict conditions regarding alcohol consumption and professionalism. The runaway success of the series forced the two to work together but Frawley never forgave Vance for a comment she made about the disparity in their ages, which he overheard. After I Love Lucy (1951) ended she divorced her third husband, married again to John Dodds, and they moved to Stamford, Connecticut, the first time she had lived east of the Mississippi (aside from work) in many years.
In 1962, she began work on The Lucy Show (1962), but the pressures of long-distance commuting didn't suit her, so after three years she limited her herself to guest appearances. In 1974, she and her husband moved to Belvedere, California (just north of San Francisco Bay) so she could be near her sister. She battled ill-health throughout much of the 1970s and died in 1979, aged 70, of breast and bone cancer.- IMDb mini biography by: Ed Stephan/Robert Sieger
- SpousesJohn Richard Dodds(January 16, 1961 - August 17, 1979) (her death)Philip Ober(August 12, 1941 - April 24, 1959) (divorced)George Nathan Koch(January 6, 1933 - July 11, 1940) (divorced)Joseph Shearer Danneck, Jr.(October 6, 1928 - April 20, 1931) (divorced)
- ParentsRobert JonesEuphemia Jones
- Often starred in Lucille Ball's television shows
- Husky voice
- First person to win an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
- Vance and co-star William Frawley were offered an Ethel and Fred spin-off of I Love Lucy (1951). Despite their intense disliking of each other, Frawley was quite game, but Vivian wasted no time in declining. Producer Jess Oppenheimer was quoted as saying that the infamous feud between Vance and William Frawley was exaggerated. While television's favorite neighbors may not have been "chummy" in real life, they were professionals who for the most part treated each other with respect during rehearsals and filming.
- In the 1970s, she discovered commercials were a lucrative way to capitalize on fame, with a three-year $250,000 contract. She became known as Maxine, in the Maxwell House Commercials.
- She returned to Broadway in the late 1960s, early 1970s, and usually commanded a $2,500/week salary. When she would return to her hometown of Albequerque, New Mexico, she would only accept a maximum of $250/week for little theater performances.
- Legend has it that a clause in her television contract required her to stay 10 pounds heavier than co-star/producer Lucille Ball. Actually, this contract never existed, at least not in legal, binding form. It was a mock contract given to Vance by Ball as a gag gift sparking the legend it was a real contract.
- Lucille Ball was supposedly brutally cold to her at their first meeting and later that same day one of the show's staff asked her how she could work for such a bitch to which Vivian Vance replied, "If this show's a success then I'm going to learn to love that 'female dog'.
- "Champagne, for everyone!" While dining at a restaurant, upon hearing of former co-star William Frawley's death on Thursday, March 3rd, 1966.
- When I die, there will be people who send flowers to Ethel Mertz.
- Advice to actress Kaye Ballard on doing a series: Kaye, you must use your own first name because I go through life just being called Ethel Mertz. No one even knows who Vivian Vance was.
- Desi (Arnaz) sometimes came on the set of "The Lucy Show" and they acted like they were still married, him hugging her and she asking him for advice.
- The Lucy Show (1962) - $8,000 /wk + bonuses
- I Love Lucy (1951) - $280 /week (first season)
- I Love Lucy (1951) - $450 /wk (season 1)
- I Love Lucy (1951) - $1,000 /wk (season 2)
- I Love Lucy (1951) - $3,500 /wk (season 3)
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