Where is Inga Swenson now? What is she doing today?

Who is Inga Swenson?

Inga Swenson was born in Omaha, Nebraska USA, on 29 December 1932 – her zodiac sign is Capricorn and she holds American nationality. She is an actress who is perhaps still best known for her role in the musical “110 in the Shade” in 1964, in which she portrayed the lead character, and her performance saw her nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress.

Where is Inga Swenson now and what is she doing today?

Inga has been retired from acting since 1998, and is today leading a peaceful life in her hometown with her husband.

Early life and education

Inga was raised as an only child in Omaha by her father who was a car mechanic, and her mother who was working at a post office.

Inga didn’t grow up being interested in acting, but rather led a normal kid’s life. She attended Omaha Central High School at which she was very active as she played several sports, while she was also a member of the school’s drama club and appeared in several plays – it was around the time when she was finishing high school that she decided to pursue acting, and thus enrolled at Northwestern University at which she was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, and from which she matriculated in 1954.

Roles in plays

Inga is probably best known for her roles in plays rather than on the big screens. She made her debut performance in 1949 at the age of 17, when she portrayed a maid in the play “Peg O’ My Heart” performed at Stockbridge’s Berkshire Playhouse in Massachusetts. She went on to appear in many plays performed at All Playhouse Theatre in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania, such as “The Swan”, “The Merchant of Yonkers” and “Othello” in 1952, and the following year saw her appear in “The Treasure Hunt”, “The Telephone” and “The Lady’s Not for Burning” among others. In 1954, she had supporting roles in “The Country Girl” and the “Cocktail Party”, before being invited to portray Olivia in “Twelfth Night” at New York City’s Jan Hus Playhouse.

She made her Broadway debut in 1956, when she appeared in the play “New Faces of ’56 (revue)” performed at Ethel Barrymore Theatre, and in 1957 she starred as Princess Charlotte in “The First Gentleman” staged at New York City’s Belasco Theatre. The year 1958 saw her appear on the stage of Royal Poinciana Playhouse in Palm Beach in Florida, all American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford in Connecticut, and Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Inga appeared in a single play in 1959, portraying Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” performed at American Shakespeare Festival, and in 1960 she played Solveig in “Peer Gynt”, performed at New York City’s Phoenix Theatre.

The year 1962 saw her play Julie Jordan in “Carousel” as well as Gillian in “Bell, Book, and Candle”, while the following year she played in “Othello”, “Show Boat” and “110 in the Shade”. Some of her final performances in theatre plays before retiring from acting were in “The Crucible” performed at Los Angeles’ Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre in 1972, in “A Man for All Seasons” performed at Center Theatre Group as well and in “The Four Poster” played at Jackson’s New Stage Theatre in Massachusetts, both in 1979.

Inga went on three major US theatrical tours during her career. In 1957, she toured around the USA playing Marie Louise in “My Three Angels”, then playing Julie Jordan in “Carousel” in 1960, and she travelled portraying Lizzie Currie in “110 in the Shade” in 1963.

Roles in TV films and series

Inga made her debut film appearance in 1962 when she portrayed Ellen Anderson in the political drama “Advise & Consent” and the same year saw her play Kate Keller in the biographical film “The Miracle Worker”. In 1971, she appeared in the film “Earth II” and was in 1976 cast as Sister Monica in the Paramount’s rape and revenge thriller film “Lipstick”. The year 1978 saw her star in both “The Betsy” and “Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women” and two of her final roles in movies before retiring were in “Bay Coven” in 1987 and “Nutcracker: Money, Madness, and Murder” in the same year.

Inga made her debut TV series appearance in 1957, when she portrayed Liza in “Goodyear Playhouse”, and in the same year played Marjorie in the series “The Seven Lively Cats”.

She went on to play supporting characters in two series in the following year: “Playhouse 90” and “U.S. Steel Hour”, and some of her following roles were as Rose Maylie in “DuPont Show of the Month” and Lady Jane in “Hallmark Hall of Fame”. She was cast to appear in the popular courtroom drama series “The Defenders” in 1961 and 1962, and then played supporting characters in “Dr. Kildare”, “Bonanza” and “The Nurses” in 1963. After appearing in “American Musical Theatre” in 1964, Inga took a four-year break from acting in TV series, before appearing in “My Father and My Mother” in 1968. Some of her following notable roles were in “The Sod House Woman” in 1976, “Soap” and “Highcliffe Manor” both in 1979l – some of her final roles before retiring from acting were in “Hotel” in 1988, “The Golden Girls” and “Newhart” both in 1989.

She has also appeared in three mini-series: she played Amelia Foster in “Testimony of Two Men” in 1977, and Maude Hazard in both “North and South” and “North and South, Book II”, in 1985 and 1989, respectively.

Love life and husband

Years before making her debut as an actress, Inga met Lowell M. Harris who is an actor and a musician, and who encouraged her to pursue her dreams of becoming an actress. They met at a house party organized by a mutual friend who also introduced the two – they began dating a week later, and have been together to this day. Inga and Lowell married in a small ceremony on 21 February 1953, and she gave birth to two of their boys named Mark and James Harris, however, in 1987 not long after turning 26, James died in a motorcycle accident.

It is widely believed that Lowell is the only man Inga has been with, and that he is her first love. They have been leading a peaceful life together since they married, and there have been no controversies or even rumors surrounding their relationship.

Hobbies and other interests

Inga has always enjoyed spending time under the spotlight, and posing for the magazines she has appeared in.

She has been a lover of animals since she was a young girl and has had many pets during her life, most of which were cats and dogs.

Inga’s main hobby in her younger years was travelling and she has been all around the world for both work and pleasure, but didn’t like any city more than Paris in France.

She was physically active in her 20s and 30s, as she exercised at the gym as well as outdoors, and followed a strict diet, as this was important for both her health and her career as an actress.

She has her own favorite actors and actresses, some of whom are Robert De Niro, Heath Ledger and Kate Winslet, while some of the movies she has enjoyed watching the most are the trilogy “The Godfather”, “The Dark Night” and “The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”.

Age, height and net worth

Inga’s age is 87. She has brown hair and blue eyes, is 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall and weighs around 136lbs (62kgs).

As of August 2020, her net worth has been estimated at around $1.4 million.