Although not consider a beauty, Maureen Stapleton has become a star of stage, screen and television in a career that has spanned some forty years and is noted for her strong, earthy portrayals of somewhat unstable women that have earned her critical praise and accolades.

The Troy, New York native dropped out of college at age 18 and moved to NYC to pursue an acting career. After studying with Herbert Berghof and at the Actors Studio, Stapleton made her Broadway debut in the 1946 revival of Sean O'Casey's "The Playboy of the Western World". Within five years, she delivered a star-making