Jean Hagen
American actress
Cite this page
“Jean Hagen.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/jean-hagen/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Jean Hagen. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/jean-hagen/
“Jean Hagen.” thisDay. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/jean-hagen/.
Who was Jean Hagen?
Jean Hagen (born Jean Shirley Verhagen; August 3, 1923 – August 29, 1977) was an American actress. Hagen was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Christian Verhagen, a Dutch immigrant, and Marie, his Chicago-born wife. The family moved to Elkhart, Indiana, when she was 12, and she graduated from Elkhart High School. She studied drama at Northwestern University, where she was a roommate of actress Patricia Neal. Billed under her birth name, she played Betty Webster on Those Websters. Hagen graduated from Northwestern in 1945. Hagen's career began on radio in the 1940s, performing in Light of the World, Hollywood Story, and other programs.
Historical significance
She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain (1952), and for three Primetime Emmy Awards for playing Margaret Williams on the first three seasons (1953–56) of the television sitcom The Danny Thomas Show (when titled as Make Room for Daddy). She was also known for her role as Doll Conovan in the classic film noir The Asphalt Jungle (1950). She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain (1952), and for three Primetime Emmy Awards for playing Margaret Williams on the first three seasons (1953–56) of the television sitcom The Danny Thomas Show.
Cite this page
“Jean Hagen.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/jean-hagen/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Jean Hagen. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/jean-hagen/
“Jean Hagen.” thisDay. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/jean-hagen/.