Tall, blonde B-film lead of the 1940s turned character actress from the 1950s on, most typically as cool, aloof women whose surface sophistication only thinly masks their insecurity. Foch made a good impression as one of Bela Lugosi's victims in the enjoyable "Return of the Vampire" (1943) and played another victimized heroine in cult director Joseph H. Lewis's unnerving Gothic noir, "My Name Is Julia Ross" (1945). Foch is perhaps best known for her striking performance as Milo ("as in Venus de"), the wealthy arts patron who attempts to snare painter Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) with her money in Vincente Minnelli's Oscar-winning "An American in Paris" (1951). She was also quite fine in her Oscar-nominated turn as the loyal secretary in the all-star "Executive Suite" (1954) and as one of the fleeing Israelites in Cecil B. DeMille's holiday favorite, "The Ten Commandments" (1956). Extremely active on TV from the late 1940s on, Foch appeared in many of the live anthology dramas of the 1950s as well as several quiz and news programs. Increased theatre work, some of it in administrative and directing capacities, took up the slack in her film career in the 1960s. She also began teaching film and drama at both USC and the American Film Institute. An Emmy nominee for a guest stint on "Lou Grant", Foch has also graced periodic TV and feature films in more recent years, including "Mahogany" (1975), "Rich and Famous" (1981) and "Sliver" (1993).
Profession(s):
Actor, theater director, teacher, assistant director, acting coach, concert pianist, painter
Sometimes Credited As:
Nina Consuelo Maud Fock
Family
father:Dirk Fock
husband:Michael Dewell (married 1966, divorced 1993; born c. 1931, died March 4, 1994 of lung cancer; mounted theatrical classics on tour and on Broadway and translated many plays into English; was a co-founder of the National Repertory Theater; founded the Los Angeles Free Shakespeare Festival in 1973; held a bachelor's degree from Yale, and a master's from the University of London; also studied at RADA, London)
mother:Consuelo Flowerton (was a famous WWI poster model)
National Board of Review Award Best Supporting Actress "Executive Suite" 1954
1992 Received screen credit as an acting coach for "Encino Man"
1986 Served as adjunct professor at USC graduate school of cinema and TV
1971 Returned to films with a supporting role in Otto Preminger's black comedy, "Such Good Friends"
1967 Directed the stage play, "Ways and Means"
1962 Played Mrs. Danvers in a TV adaptation of "Rebecca" starring James Mason and Joan Hackett
1960 Last film for over a decade, "Spartacus"
1959 Served as George Stevens' associate director for the film, "The Diary of Anne Frank"
1952 Was a panelist on the game show, "That Reminds Me"
1951 - 1954 Was a panelist on the current events game show, "It's News to Me", hosted by Walter Cronkite and John Daly
1951 Was a panelist on the game show, "Q.E.D."
1947 Broadway debut
1943 Signed by Columbia Pictures; made her film debut in "Return of the Vampire"
Raised in Manhattan
Pursued painting for a time and briefly worked as a concert pianist
Acted with touring and stock companies and various little theater groups
Performed on TV's "Chevrolet Tele-Theater" in the late 1940s
Was an adjunct member of the drama faculty at USC
Co-founded the Los Angeles Theatre Group with John Houseman
Member, senior faculty, American Film Institute
Named adjunct professor, USC graduate school of cinema and TV
Played Dr. Julianna Moorhouse on the short-lived occult drama series, "Shadow Chasers"
