About Kay Medford
Margaret Kathleen Regan (September 14, 1916 – April 10, 1980), better known as Kay Medford, was an American actress and singer. For her performance as Rose Brice in the musical Funny Girl and the film adaptation of the same name, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress respectively. == Early years == Medford was born in 1916. Her mother had been an actress with a Shakespearean stock group in Connecticut. Orphaned in her teens, she adopted the name Kay Medford professionally, and began her career after graduating from high school and working as a nightclub waitress. == Look magazine feature, 1942 == A multi-page portrait in the March 10, 1942, issue of Look magazine first brought her to national attention. While living a spartan existence in New York, looking for acting roles, she came to the attention of columnist Whitney Bolton (New York Morning Telegraph) and then his friend, MGM producer Mervyn LeRoy. After auditioning for LeRoy, he signed her to a personal contract and began her star-grooming, fitness, and weight-loss regimen in New York before she headed to Los Angeles. == Career == Eventually adopting the name "Kay Medford", she began entertaining professionally by performing at summer resorts in the Catskill Mountains. In 1949, she toured with a nightclub routine in which she did impersonations of Hollywood celebrities.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.