Actor
Nancy Olson
Born 14 July 1928 · Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Nancy Olson is an American actress born in Milwaukee. She is best known for playing the idealistic young writer Betty Schaefer in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard, which earned her an Oscar nomination. In the 1960s she became a familiar face in Disney live-action family comedies.
Key films
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Her breakout role as Betty Schaefer, the screenwriter opposite William Holden, in Billy Wilder's classic.
Union Station (1950)
Crime thriller released the same year, showing her as a leading lady in Hollywood.
Battle Cry (1955)
Major war drama in which she played a supporting role during her 1950s studio career.
Pollyanna (1960)
Disney family classic that began her long association with the studio's live-action films.
The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)
Popular Disney comedy in which she starred opposite Fred MacMurray.
Key awards
- 1951 Academy Award nomination, Best Supporting Actress (Sunset Boulevard)
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 30
- 1948Portrait of Jennie · as Teenager in Art GalleryActor
- 1949Canadian Pacific · as Cecille GautierActor
- 1950Sunset Boulevard · as Betty SchaeferActor
- 1950Union Station · as Joyce WillecombeActor
- 1950Mr. Music · as Katherine HolbrookActor
- 1951Submarine Command · as CarolActor
- 1951Force of Arms · as Lt. Eleanor MackayActor
- 1952Big Jim McLain · as Nancy VallonActor
- 1953So Big · as Dallas O'MaraActor
- 1954The Boy from Oklahoma · as Katie BranniganActor
- 1955Battle Cry · as Mrs. Pat RogersActor
- 1956High Tor · as JudithActor
- 1960Pollyanna · as Nancy FurmanActor
- 1961The Absent-Minded Professor · as Betsy CarlisleActor
- 1963Son of Flubber · as Betsy BrainardActor
- 1969Smith! · as Norah SmithActor
- 1972Snowball Express · as Sue BaxterActor
- 1974Airport 1975 · as Mrs. AbbottActor
- 1982Making Love · as ChristineActor
- 1987Sparky's Magic PianoActor
- 1989William Holden: The Golden Boy · as SelfActor
- 1995More Loverly Than Ever: The Making of 'My Fair Lady' · as SelfActor
- 1996Fred MacMurray: The Guy Next Door · as SelfActor
- 1997Flubber · as Secretary at Ford Motor CompanyActor
- 1998Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy · as SelfActor
- 2002Sunset Boulevard: A Look Back · as SelfActor
- 2002Pollyanna: The Making of a Masterpiece · as SelfActor
- 2002A Day in the Life of an Actress · as SelfActor
- 2002Recreating Pollyanna's America · as SelfActor
- 2008The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics · as SelfActor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.