Actress Inga Swenson, known for her role as Gretchen Kraus on the popular 1980s sitcom “Benson,” passed away at the remarkable age of 90, as announced by her son on Friday.
Swenson peacefully passed away from natural causes while under hospice care in Los Angeles, according to her son Mark Harris, who shared the news with The Hollywood Reporter.
Swenson’s television career took flight when she took on the character of Kraus on “Benson,” which aired on ABC from 1979 to 1986.
“Benson” originated as a spinoff from the beloved sitcom “Soap,” where Swenson’s character Ingrid Svenson enjoyed a multi-episode story arc.
Due to Swenson’s exceptional performance, she was cast in a new role on “Benson” as a comedic foil to Robert Guillaume’s butler character. This role garnered her three Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination.
Her television career kickstarted in the late 1950s with appearances on shows such as “Playhouse 90” and “Goodyear Playhouse.” She also made guest appearances on “Dr. Kildare,” “Bonanza,” and “Barnaby Jones.”
Following her time on “Benson,” Swenson went on to appear in the miniseries “North & South” and “Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder,” as well as making guest appearances on sitcoms like “Newhart” and “The Golden Girls.”
In 1962, she also had the opportunity to star in two critically acclaimed films, “The Miracle Worker” and “Advise & Consent.”
Swenson’s notable stage roles include portraying Lizzy in “110 in the Shade,” which earned her a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical in 1963. She also landed a role in the Hal Prince-directed production of “Baker Street” the following year.
In 1968, Swenson portrayed Eliza in a revival of the iconic musical “My Fair Lady.”
Born on December 29, 1932, in Omaha, Nebraska, Swenson graduated from Omaha Central High School in 1950 before pursuing studies in acting at Northwestern University.
In addition to her son, Inga Swenson is survived by her husband, singer-actor Lowell Harris, and her granddaughter, Lily. Sadly, her other son James passed away in a motorcycle accident at the age of 26 back in 1987.
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