Martha Scott

About Martha Scott

Martha Ellen Scott (September 22, 1912 – May 28, 2003) was an American actress.

Scott was born in Jamesport, Missouri, the daughter of Letha (née McKinley) and Walter Scott, an engineer and garage owner; her mother was a second-cousin of U.S. President William McKinley. Scott became interested in acting in high school, but failed to earn a degree from the University of Michigan before pursuing her acting dream. She got her start acting in shortened Shakespeare productions at the Century of Progress world's fair in Chicago, Illinois in 1933 - 1934.

Scott eventually went to New York City, where she was cast as the original Emily in the Broadway production of Our Town. Her film debut in Our Town in 1940 saw her receiving an Academy Award nomination Best Actress for her luminous and critically acclaimed performance as Emily Webb. Scott's co-star was William Holden in the role of George Gibbs. Unfortunately the censors sanitized the film's last scene after Emily has died (set in a cemetery after Emily's death during childbirth in the stage production), and allowed her to live to make for a happy ending.