Peggy Rea
Peggy Jane Rea was a Los Angeles-born American actress known for her many roles in television, often playing matronly characters.
Before she became an actress, Rea left UCLA to attend business school. She landed a job as a production secretary at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1940s. Later, she was an assistant to writer-musician Kay Thompson until Thompson dropped her in April 1948. Some of the points of discord apparently included Rea's insistence on staying at the Algonquin Hotel (rather than Essex House, where Thompson was staying), and disappearing, on at least one occasion, on the eve of their New York opening to see Born Yesterday on Broadway without telling Thompson. The time had come for Peggy to make her mark as the character actress she was born to be.
She quickly landed on her feet with a supporting role in the National Road Company production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire (as Eunice Hubbell, 1948–1949) starring Anthony Quinn. Thompson severed ties with Rea, however the younger woman kept in touch with other members of Thompson's family, including Thompson's mother, brother and younger sister, with whom she enjoyed cordial relations.
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Films (28)
Le Diable en robe bleue
1995 · Carter’s Secretary
Nothing But the Truth
1995 · Flora
A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion
1993 · Rose
Made in America
1993 · Alberta
Love Field
1992 · Mrs. Heisenbuttel
Angel of Death
1990 · Marci
In Country
1989 · Mamaw
Curfew
1989 · Mrs. Mary Cox
Hamburger: The Motion Picture
1986 · Mrs. Cratchmatter
Fun and Games
1980 · Rose
The Great Cash Giveaway Getaway
1980 · Motel Owner
A Rainy Day
1979 · Mrs. Jewels
The Cracker Factory
1979 · Pomeroy
The Gift of Love
1978 · Mrs. Mooney
Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid
1978 · Woman on Train
Lipstick
1976 · Reporter
Promise Him Anything
1975 · Mother
Win, Place or Steal
1975 · Josephine
Blood Sport
1973 · Mrs. Birdsong
Hunter
1973 · Helen Shaw's Friend
The Night Stalker
1972
What's the Matter with Helen?
1971 · Mrs. Schultz
Cold Turkey
1971 · Mrs. Proctor
The Learning Tree
1969 · Miss McClintock
Valley of the Dolls
1967 · Neely O'Hara's Vocal Coach (uncredited)
Strange Bedfellows
1965 · Mavis Masters
Looking for Love
1964 · Relative (uncredited)
7 Faces of Dr. Lao
1964 · Mrs. Peter Ramsey
Séries (45)
The Single Guy
1995 · Aunt Heidi
Grace Under Fire
1993 · Jean Kelly
Notre belle famille
1991 · Ivy Baker
Cross of Fire
1989 · Eunice Schultz
Monsters
1988 · Babs
MacGyver
1985 · Angry Woman At Airport
The Golden Girls
1985 · Mrs. Contini
The Dukes of Hazzard
1979 · Lulu (Coltrane) Hogg
Flying High
1978 · Sauna woman
The Bastard
1978 · Shopkeeper
Busting Loose
1977
Quincy, M.E.
1976
Charlie's Angels
1976 · Bridget
Ellery Queen
1975
Bronk
1975
Paper Moon
1974
The Magician
1973 · Emma
ABC Afterschool Special
1972 · Mrs. Atwater
The Waltons
1972 · Rose Burton
All in the Family
1971 · Bertha
The Odd Couple
1970 · Miss Rykof
The Immortal
1970
Medical Center
1969 · Landlady
Marcus Welby, M.D.
1969 · Mrs. Baker
Here's Lucy
1968 · Maude
Adam-12
1968 · Sandra Quillan
Mannix
1967
Ironside
1967
Mission: Impossible
1966 · Cleaning Woman
Family Affair
1966
Run, Buddy, Run
1966
The Wild Wild West
1965
Gidget
1965
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964 · Revivalist
Burke's Law
1963 · Sylvia Lewis
The Patty Duke Show
1963
Ben Casey
1961
Dr. Kildare
1961 · Dorothy Gitner, Nurse Helen O'Hara, Nurse Carrie
77 Sunset Strip
1958
The Donna Reed Show
1958
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957 · Lulu, Peggy, Widow, Jean Mosely
Gunsmoke
1955 · Shopkeeper (uncredited), Lady, Dress Shop Owner, Mrs. Roniger, Rosey, Bess Roniger
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954 · Mrs. Lacy
I Love Lucy
1951 · Nurse, Susan, Clubwoman, Dorothy
The Red Skelton Show
1951 · Miss Katie, Big Bertha Kropnik, Housewife, Woman Grocery Shopper, Woman on Street