Dana Ivey
A masterful stage actress whose commanding presence and sharp wit made her a versatile and indispensable fixture of American theater for decades.
Born 1941 (age 85)·American actress·Birthday: August 12·The Silent Generation
Biography
With a voice that could convey aristocratic frost or maternal warmth in a single syllable, Dana Ivey carved out a singular career as a premier character actress on Broadway. An Atlanta native who trained at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she brought a classical precision to every role. She originated the part of Miss Daisy in Alfred Uhry's 'Driving Miss Daisy' off-Broadway, setting the template for the character. While she became a familiar face in films like 'The Color Purple' and 'The Addams Family', her home was the stage, earning five Tony nominations for a stunning range of work. From the pointillist world of Sondheim's 'Sunday in the Park with George' to the sharp comedy of 'The Last Night of Ballyhoo', Ivey was the actor other actors watched, a technician who never showed the seams, delivering performances of immense intelligence and quiet power.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dana was born in 1941, placing them squarely in The Silent 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 Dana Was Born
The biggest hits of 1941
#1 Movie
Sergeant York
Best Picture
How Green Was My Valley
Dana's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1941Born
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
1946Started school
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
1954Became a teenager
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Could drive
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1959Could vote
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Turned 21
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1971Turned 30
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 40
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 50
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 60
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 70
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 80
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 85 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Originated the title role in Alfred Uhry's 'Driving Miss Daisy' off-Broadway in 1987.
- Received five Tony Award nominations for featured and leading roles in plays.
- Won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play in 1997.
- Played Queen Elizabeth I in the Broadway production of 'The Herbal Bed'.
Did You Know?
She is the daughter of Mary Nell Ivey, who was the first female dean at the University of Georgia.
She provided the voice for the computer mother, MASTER CONTROL, in the Disney film 'TRON'.
She played the strict etiquette teacher, Miss Shields, in 'The Addams Family' film.
She succeeded Maggie Smith in the role of the Duchess of York in 'The Last of the Blonde Bombshells' on Broadway.
“I'm not a star; I'm a working actress.”
