Peggy Rea
Acting
Born March 31, 1921, Los Angeles, California, USA
Peggy Jane Rea was a Los Angeles-born American actress known for her many roles in television, often playing matronly characters. Before she became an actress, Rea left UCLA to attend business school. She landed a job as a production secretary at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1940s. Later, she was an assistant to writer-musician Kay Thompson until Thompson dropped her in April 1948. Some of the points of discord apparently included Rea's insistence on staying at the Algonquin Hotel (rather than Essex House, where Thompson was staying), and disappearing, on at least one occasion, on the eve of their New York opening to see Born Yesterday on Broadway without telling Thompson. The time had come for Peggy to make her mark as the character actress she was born to be. She quickly landed on her feet with a supporting role in the National Road Company production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire (as Eunice Hubbell, 1948–1949) starring Anthony Quinn. Thompson severed ties with Rea, however the younger woman kept in touch with other members of Thompson's family, including Thompson's mother, brother and younger sister, with whom she enjoyed cordial relations.
Filmography
- 1995Devil in a Blue Dress — Carter’s Secretary
- 1995Nothing But the Truth — Flora
- The Single Guy — Aunt Heidi
- 1993A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion — Rose
- Grace Under Fire — Jean Kelly
- 1993Made in America — Alberta
- 1992Love Field — Mrs. Heisenbuttel
- Step by Step — Ivy Baker
- 1990Angel of Death — Marci
- 1989Curfew — Mrs. Mary Cox
- 1989In Country — Mamaw
- Monsters — Babs
- 1986Hamburger: The Motion Picture — Mrs. Cratchmatter
- MacGyver — Angry Woman At Airport
- The Golden Girls — Mrs. Contini
- 1980Fun and Games — Rose
- 1980The Great Cash Giveaway Getaway — Motel Owner
- 1979A Rainy Day — Mrs. Jewels
- 1979The Cracker Factory — Pomeroy
- The Dukes of Hazzard — Lulu (Coltrane) Hogg
- Flying High — Sauna woman
- 1978Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid — Woman on Train
- The Bastard — Shopkeeper
- 1978The Gift of Love — Mrs. Mooney
- Busting Loose
- Charlie's Angels — Bridget
- 1976Lipstick — Reporter
- Quincy, M.E.
- Bronk
- Ellery Queen
- 1975Promise Him Anything — Mother
- 1975Win, Place or Steal — Josephine
- Paper Moon
- 1973Blood Sport — Mrs. Birdsong
- 1973Hunter — Helen Shaw's Friend
- The Magician — Emma
- ABC Afterschool Special — Mrs. Atwater
- 1972The Night Stalker
- The Waltons — Rose Burton
- All in the Family — Bertha
- 1971Cold Turkey — Mrs. Proctor
- 1971What's the Matter with Helen? — Mrs. Schultz
- The Immortal
- The Odd Couple — Miss Rykof
- Marcus Welby, M.D. — Mrs. Baker
- Medical Center — Landlady
- 1969The Learning Tree — Miss McClintock
- Adam-12 — Sandra Quillan
- Here's Lucy — Maude
- Ironside
- Mannix
- 1967Valley of the Dolls — Neely O'Hara's Vocal Coach (uncredited)
- Family Affair
- Mission: Impossible — Cleaning Woman
- Run, Buddy, Run
- Gidget
- 1965Strange Bedfellows — Mavis Masters
- The Wild Wild West
- 19647 Faces of Dr. Lao — Mrs. Peter Ramsey
- 1964Looking for Love — Relative (uncredited)
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — Revivalist
- Burke's Law — Sylvia Lewis
- The Patty Duke Show
- Ben Casey
- Dr. Kildare — Dorothy Gitner, Nurse Helen O'Hara, Nurse Carrie
- 77 Sunset Strip
- The Donna Reed Show
- Have Gun, Will Travel — Lulu, Peggy, Widow, Jean Mosely
- Gunsmoke — Shopkeeper (uncredited), Lady, Dress Shop Owner, Mrs. Roniger, Rosey, Bess Roniger
- The Wonderful World of Disney — Mrs. Lacy
- I Love Lucy — Nurse, Susan, Clubwoman, Dorothy
- The Red Skelton Show — Miss Katie, Big Bertha Kropnik, Housewife, Woman Grocery Shopper, Woman on Street