Originating from Gisborne, New Zealand, she pursued drama studies in London before launching a transatlantic stage career. Her Broadway debut came as Edith in Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit, a role she sustained from 1941 to 1943, and she later appeared in productions such as Make Way for Lucia (1948), I Know My Love (1949), Season in the Sun (1950) and Faithfully Yours (1951). Transitioning to telev…
