Anne Jackson
A master of sharp, neurotic comedy on stage and screen, she formed one of American theater's most beloved and enduring partnerships with husband Eli Wallach.
1925–2016 (age 91)·American actress·Birthday: September 3·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Anne Jackson brought a uniquely frazzled, deeply human energy to every role, specializing in characters vibrating with intelligent anxiety. While she graced films like 'The Shining' and 'Dirty Dingus Magee', her true home was the stage, where her comic timing and emotional precision shone. Her career is inextricably linked with that of her husband, Eli Wallach; together, they were a Broadway institution for over half a century, their chemistry a blend of practiced ease and spontaneous spark. Winning an Obie for two one-act plays in 1963, she possessed a rare ability to find both the humor and pathos in everyday desperation. Jackson represented a specific New York breed of actor: versatile, unpretentious, and utterly committed to the craft of live performance.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Anne was born in 1925, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anne Was Born
The biggest hits of 1925
#1 Movie
The Gold Rush
Anne's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1925Born
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1930Started school
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1938Became a teenager
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Could drive
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1943Could vote
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Turned 21
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1955Turned 30
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 40
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 50
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 60
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 70
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 80
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2016Died at 91
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1963 for her performances in the off-Broadway double bill 'The Typists' and 'The Tiger'.
- Received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in Paddy Chayefsky's 'Middle of the Night' in 1956.
- Starred alongside her husband Eli Wallach in over a dozen stage productions, including the Broadway revival of 'Twice Around the Park'.
- Appeared in over 20 feature films, including a memorable role as the doctor's wife in Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining'.
Did You Know?
She and Eli Wallach were married for 66 years, from 1948 until his death in 2014.
She studied acting at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse in New York under Sanford Meisner.
Jackson and Wallach had three children, all of whom pursued careers in the arts: Peter, Katherine, and Roberta.
She made her Broadway debut in 1945 in the play 'Signature'.
“The wonderful thing about acting with Eli is that I never know what he's going to do next, and he never knows what I'm going to do.”
