Milwaukee-born Nancy Olson was the daughter of a physician and educated at the University of Wisconsin. Discovered on stage after transferring to UCLA, the perceptibly pretty, peaches-and-cream blonde was quickly signed by Paramount Studios and handed co-star parts. Within a very short time the relatively inexperienced starlet was given the role of a lifetime as script girl Betty Schaefer, who attracts William Holden and irks Gloria Swanson in the towering classic Sunset Boulevard (1950). She won an Oscar nomination for "best supporting actress" as one of the more sane characters in the film, and her pairing with Holden went over so well they were cast in a succession of features: Union Station (1950), Force of Arms (1951), and Submarine Command (1951). Nancy's rising status in Hollywood came to a halt, however, when she married lyricist Alan Jay Lerner (who later wrote "On a Clear Day..." and Camelot") and abruptly put her acting on hold. Her career never recovered. Despite the fact they divorced in 1957 and she returned full-time to acting, she could see the writing on the wall. Nancy was just too old to play the fresh-faced, girl-next-door type she was known for. Disney managed to step in and give her a bit of a lift as Fred MacMurray's sterile love interest in The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) and Son of Flubber (1963), among others parts. Her squeaky-clean image was perfect for the studio's taste and she had the right amount of bounce for the light slapstick going on around her. She also found some sunny work on Broadway, notably in the plays "The Tunnel of Love," "Send Me No Flowers" and "Mary, Mary." In the 70s and 80s, she came back with a couple of secondary parts in TV series, but they were both short-lived. Her second marriage to record executive Alan W. Livingston was long lasting and their son, Christopher, is a sometime film director.
Sunset Blvd. (1950): $5,000

Two daughters (Liza and Jennifer) by first husband Alan J. Lerner. son by second husband Alan W. Livingston (former Chairman of the Board, Capitol Records). Mother of Christopher Livingston She was added to the Wall of Inspiration at her old high school, Wauwatosa East High School.