Ruth Warrick

Actress


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In her four-and-a-half-hour interview, Ruth Warrick (1916-2005) talks about her beginnings as "Miss Jubilesta," which led to a brief career in radio drama. She recalls her early chance meeting with Orson Welles, which led to her being cast in the groundbreaking feature film Citizen Kane as the wife of "Charles Foster Kane." She discusses her years under contract at RKO, and speaks of her friendship with Welles, who encouraged her to enter daytime drama. Warrick recounts her early experiences on live television, and outlines getting cast on her first daytime drama, Guiding Light. She describes working on the daytime serial As the World Turns, which led to her being cast as "Hannah Cord" in the popular nighttime drama Peyton Place, opposite Ryan O'Neal and Mia Farrow. She recalls being cast as "Phoebe Tyler" in Agnes Nixon's All My Children, and discusses All My Children's groundbreaking and sometimes controversial storylines. She concludes by commenting on what daytime drama does best, and speaks of various people with whom she has worked. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on June 29, 1999 in New York, NY.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"When I first signed up to do soaps, I would hear, 'How can Mrs. 'Citizen Kane' belittle herself in a soap opera?' But Orson Welles told me, 'That's nonsense. The best acting on television is in the daytime. Those people are the real storytellers. They're the real actors and actresses.' I was very grateful for that. And I tend to agree."  

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Ruth Warrick on meeting Orson Welles and being cast in the feature film "Citizen Kane"
08:41
Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
08:37
Ruth Warrick on developing her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler" 
03:56
Ruth Warrick on Carol Burnett appearing on All My Children
01:34
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's  groundbreaking AIDS storyline
05:03
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On her early life and influences; on radio and movies she enjoyed as a child; on deciding to become an actress
On her stint as "Miss Jubilesta"; on getting into radio

Chapter 2

On participating in early experimental television; on how radio people reacted to the advent of television and working in live television
On being cast in "Citizen Kane"; on her parents' reaction to her becoming an actress; on filming "Citizen Kane"

Chapter 3

On acting in "Citizen Kane"; on the controversey surrounding the release of "Citizen Kane"
On her contract with RKO Pictures and her relationship with Orson Welles; on her activities regarding the war effort during World War II

Chapter 4

On various feature films she did for RKO; on moving to New York and getting into television; on acting in live television
On various roles she played on television; on acting in Guiding Light; on Guiding Light creator Irna Phillips

Chapter 5

On being cast on As the World Turns; on the format of As the World Turns
On learning her lines for As the World Turns; on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place

Chapter 6

On playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place; on starring in various feature films
On being cast on All My Children; on her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"

Chapter 7

On working with Hugh Franklin on All My Children; on her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"; on All My Children's groundbreaking AIDS storyline
On All My Children's controversial storylines; on the casting of All My Children; on the show expanding to an hour-long format

Chapter 8

On shooting All My Children on location; on Carol Burnett appearing on All My Children; on the role of the daytime drama in modern culture
On daytime drama getting the respect it deserves; on her proudest professional achievements; on when television is at its best

Chapter 9

On Susan Lucci winning her Emmy for All My Children; on various people she's worked with in her career; on working for Agnes Nixon on All My Children
Shows

All My Children

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Ruth Warrick on developing her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler" 
03:56
Ruth Warrick on being cast as "Phoebe Tyler" on All My Children
06:29
Ruth Warrick on her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
06:38
Ruth Warrick on working with Hugh Franklin on All My Children
02:07
Ruth Warrick on her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
03:04
Ruth Warrick on the relationships of her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
05:55
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's groundbreaking AIDS storyline
05:03
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's controversial storylines
03:54
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's casting and staying true to her character "Phoebe Tyler" and to her fans
03:16
Ruth Warrick on All My Children expanding to an hour-long format
03:49
Ruth Warrick on All My Children being the first daytime drama to shoot on-location and what people learn from daytime drama
07:21
Ruth Warrick on Carol Burnett appearing on All My Children
01:34
Ruth Warrick on the challenges on being on All My Children for over thirty years
01:29
Ruth Warrick on what she's learned from her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
03:01
Ruth Warrick on the power of television and Susan Lucci winning her Emmy for All My Children
04:13
Ruth Warrick on working with Agnes Nixon on All My Children
03:14

As the World Turns

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Ruth Warrick on being cast on As the World Turns
11:01
Ruth Warrick on the half-hour format of As the World Turns and the shooting process of the show
05:44
Ruth Warrick on memorizing her lines for live TV on As the World Turns
03:13

Guiding Light

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Ruth Warrick on getting a job on Guiding Light
01:52
Ruth Warrick on Guiding Light creator Irna Phillips
08:13

Peyton Place

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Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
10:24
Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
08:37
Ruth Warrick on being nominated for an Emmy for Peyton Place
01:27

Robert Montgomery Presents

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Ruth Warrick on starring in an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents and her thoughts on the advent of videotape
03:51
Topics

Anthology Drama

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Ruth Warrick on acting in live television
10:15

Characters & Catchphrases

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Ruth Warrick on developing her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler," and learning that an audience can accept a villainous character that they "love to hate" 
03:56
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's  casting and staying true to her character "Phoebe Tyler"
03:16
Ruth Warrick on what she's learned from her All My Children  character "Phoebe Tyler"
03:01

Emmy Awards

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Ruth Warrick on being nominated for an Emmy for Peyton Place
01:27

Health and Medicine

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Ruth Warrick on All My Children's  groundbreaking AIDS storyline
05:03

Pop Culture

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Ruth Warrick on developing her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler," and learning that an audience can accept a villainous character that they "love to hate"
03:56
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's  casting and staying true to her character "Phoebe Tyler"
03:16
Ruth Warrick on what she's learned from her All My Children  character "Phoebe Tyler"
03:01

TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)

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Ruth Warrick on acting in live television
10:15

Technological Innovation

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Ruth Warrick on participating in an early experimental television test
03:03
Ruth Warrick on starring in an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents  and her thoughts on the advent of videotape
03:51

War

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Ruth Warrick on World War II
04:01

World War II

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Ruth Warrick on World War II
04:01
Professions

Actress

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Ruth Warrick on acting in live television
10:15
Ruth Warrick on developing her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler," and learning that an audience can accept a villainous character that they "love to hate" 
03:56

Performers

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Ruth Warrick on acting in live television
10:15
Genres

Daytime/Primetime Serials

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Ruth Warrick on acting on Guiding Light
01:52
Ruth Warrick on her stint on As the World Turns
19:58
Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
10:24
Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
09:57
Ruth Warrick on playing "Phoebe Tyler" on All My Children
03:56
Ruth Warrick on playing "Phoebe Tyler" on All My Children
27:08
Ruth Warrick on playing "Phoebe Tyler" on All My Children
13:29
Ruth Warrick on working with Agnes Nixon on All My Children
03:14
People

Fred Astaire

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Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Fred Astaire
11:25

Carol Burnett

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Ruth Warrick on Carol Burnett's appearance on All My Children
01:34

Ted Corday

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Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Ted Corday
11:25
Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Ted Corday
11:25

Jackie Gleason

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Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Jackie Gleason
11:25

Eileen Herlie

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Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Eileen Herlie
11:25

Susan Lucci

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Ruth Warrick on the power of television and Susan Lucci winning her Emmy
04:13

Agnes Nixon

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Ruth Warrick on working with Agnes Nixon on All My Children
03:14

Pat O'Brien

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Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Pat O'Brien
11:25

Ryan O'Neal

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Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" opposite Ryan O'Neal on Peyton Place
08:37

Irna Phillips

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Ruth Warrick on Guiding Light creator Irna Phillips
08:13

Orson Welles

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Ruth Warrick on meeting Orson Welles and being cast in the feature film "Citizen Kane"
08:41
Ruth Warrick on acting in Orson Welles' feature film "Citizen Kane"
02:13
Ruth Warrick on acting in the feature film "Citizen Kane"
04:13
Ruth Warrick on the controversy surrounding the release of the film "Citizen Kane"
12:49

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