Born in New York City. A fashion model while still in her teens, she studied darma and dance for three years before making her Broadway debut in 1951. She later replaced Barbara Bel Geddes in the stage production of The Moon Is Blue and became an instant film star when she repeated that role on the screen in 1953. Despite a reserved evaluation of her performance by the critics, she was nominated for a best actress Academy Award and seemed headed for a successful career in films. She was signed by Fox, but after two other starring roles (THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN, 1954, and PRINCE OF PLAYERS, 1955), she disappeared from the screen in the mid-50s, returning only once in 1963 in a supporting part (THE CARDINAL). She was also seen again on Broadway in 1962, in Step on a Crack, then earned her living as a typist. Her marriage to actor-director David Swift ended in divorce. Little was heard of her until February of 1978, when she was found dead of an overdose of sleeping pills, a suicide note by her side. The police report said she had a history of mental illness.  Nominated for Actress 1953: THE MOON IS BLUE 1 nomination