Her name "Swoosie" is derived from the air plane "Swoose" - half swan, half goose - which her father piloted in WW-II.
In 1962, Swoosie and her father both appeared on the game show "To Tell The Truth". Col. Kurtz was the contestant, and 18-year-old Swoosie came out at the end of the game to identify her father by handing him his uniform jacket.
May 28, 1991: Starred in the first production of Terrence McNally's play "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" with Nathan Lane, Christine Baranski, and Anthony Heald.
Has twice won Broadway's Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play): in 1981 for "The Fifth of July" and in 1986 for "The House of Blue Leaves." She was also nominated two other times: in 1978 as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play) for "Tartuffe," and in 2004 as Best Actress (Play) for "Frozen."
Swoosie Kurtz Detailed Biography
Swoosie Kurtz (born on September 6, 1944, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American actress.
Kurtz is the only child of Air Force Colonel Frank Kurtz, and his wife, author Margo Kurtz. She got her unique first name "Swoosie" from her father. It is derived from the sole surviving example, at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, of the B-17D Flying Fortress airplane, named "The Swoose" or simply "Swoose" - half swan, half goose - which her father piloted during World War II.
The family moved frequently due to her father's career. When it came time to enter college, Kurtz decided on the University of Southern California where she majored in drama. She then attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Kurtz was awarded Broadway's "triple crown" (the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards) for her portrayal of Gwen in Lanford Wilson's The Fifth of July. Her second Tony was for her performance in The House of Blue Leaves.
Kurtz had starring roles in the television series Love, Sidney and Sisters. She has also received an Emmy for her guest-starring performance on Carol Burnett's comedy series Carol & Company. She performs in all media and almost always receives stellar reviews.
Recently, Kurtz has had a recurring guest role as Judy Miller's mother on the CBS sitcom Still Standing, and she is widely respected as one of the best supporting actresses in Hollywood today.
She has never married or had children. She was linked in a brief relationship with actress Cherry Jones.
