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Ruth Gordon Jones was an American film, stage, and television actress, as well as a screenwriter and playwright. Gordon began her career performing on Broadway at age nineteen. Known for her nasal voice and distinctive personality, she gained international recognition and critical acclaim for film roles that continued into her seventies and eighties. Her later work included performances in Rosemary's Baby (1968), Where's Poppa? (1970), Harold and Maude (1971), Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and Any Which Way You Can (1980).
Birth Name
Ruth Gordon Jones
Born
Friday, 30 October 1896
Died
Wednesday, 28 August 1985
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Movies | Maude | 2019 |
| Hal | Self | 2018 |
| A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss | Self / Minnie Castevet | 2010 |
| The 80th Annual Academy Awards | Self | 2008 |
| Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters | Maude | 2006 |
| Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust | (archive footage) | 2004 |
| Sex at 24 Frames Per Second | (archive footage) | 2003 |
| The Kid Stays in the Picture | Self | 2002 |
| Rosemary's Baby: A Retrospective | (archive footage) | 2000 |
| The Trouble with Spies | Mrs. Arkwright | 1987 |
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Movies | Maude | 2019 |
| Hal | Self | 2018 |
| A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss | Self / Minnie Castevet | 2010 |
| The 80th Annual Academy Awards | Self | 2008 |
| Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters | Maude | 2006 |
| Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust | (archive footage) | 2004 |
| Sex at 24 Frames Per Second | (archive footage) | 2003 |
| The Kid Stays in the Picture | Self | 2002 |
| Rosemary's Baby: A Retrospective | (archive footage) | 2000 |
| The Trouble with Spies | Mrs. Arkwright | 1987 |
| American Masters | Self | 1986 |
| Maxie | Mrs. Lavin | 1985 |
| Night of 100 Stars II | Self | 1985 |
| Delta Pi | Mugsy | 1984 |
| Voyage of the Rock Aliens | The Sheriff / Sheriff | 1984 |
| Don't Go to Sleep | Bernice | 1982 |
| Jimmy the Kid | Bernice | 1982 |
| Newhart | Blanche Devane | 1982 |
| Tom Cottle: Up Close | Self | 1982 |
| Night of 100 Stars | Self | 1982 |
| Late Night with David Letterman | Self - Guest | 1982 |
| Any Which Way You Can | Ma / Senovia 'Ma' Boggs | 1980 |
| My Bodyguard | Gramma | 1980 |
| Hardhat and Legs | Grandmother | 1980 |
| Scavenger Hunt | Arvilla Droll | 1979 |
| Boardwalk | Becky Rosen | 1979 |
| Every Which Way But Loose | Ma / Ma Boggs | 1978 |
| Taxi | Dee Wilcox | 1978 |
| Perfect Gentlemen | Ms. Cavagarno / Mrs. Cavagnaro | 1978 |
| The Prince of Central Park | Mrs. Miller | 1977 |
| The Love Boat | Mrs. Warner | 1977 |
| Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby | Minnie Castevet | 1976 |
| The Great Houdini | Cecilia Weiss | 1976 |
| The Big Bus | Old Lady | 1976 |
| Saturday Night Live | Essie Litella / Lillian Carter / Old lady / Mrs. Gillies / Self - Host | 1975 |
| Medical Story | Emily Dobson | 1975 |
| Rhoda | Carlton's Mother | 1974 |
| Kojak | Miss Eudora Temple | 1973 |
| Isn't It Shocking? | Marge Savage | 1973 |
| Emergency! | Lenore | 1972 |
| Harold and Maude | Dame Marjorie "Maude" Chardin / Maude Chardin | 1971 |
| Film '72 | Self | 1971 |
| Columbo | Abigail Mitchell | 1971 |
| Where's Poppa? | Mrs. Hocheiser | 1970 |
| Flip | Self | 1970 |
| What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? | Mrs Dimmock / Mrs. Dimmock | 1969 |
| The David Frost Show | Self - Guest | 1969 |
| Mia and Roman | Self | 1968 |
| Rosemary's Baby | Minnie Castevet | 1968 |
| The Dick Cavett Show | Self - Guest | 1968 |
| The Joey Bishop Show | Self - Guest | 1967 |
| Lord Love a Duck | Mrs. Barnard / Stella Bernard | 1966 |
| Inside Daisy Clover | The Dealer - Mrs. Clover | 1965 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Herself / Self - Guest / Herself - Guest | 1962 |
| The Mike Douglas Show | Herself - Actress / Herself | 1961 |
| Person to Person | Self | 1953 |
| The Prudential Family Playhouse | Paula Wharton | 1950 |
| The Ed Sullivan Show | Self - Guest | 1948 |
| Action in the North Atlantic | Mrs. Sarah Jarvis | 1943 |
| Edge of Darkness | Anna Stensgard | 1943 |
| Two-Faced Woman | Miss Ellis / Ruth Ellis | 1941 |
| Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet | Mrs. Ehrlich | 1940 |
| Abe Lincoln in Illinois | Mary Todd Lincoln | 1940 |
| Madame Butterfly | Minor Role | 1915 |
| The Whirl of Life | Undetermined Secondary Role / Dancer | 1915 |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1979 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Won |
| 1977 | Emmy | Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Special | Nominated |
| 1976 | Emmy | Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Comedy or Drama Series | Nominated |
| 1972 | Golden Globe | Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical | Nominated |
| 1969 | Oscar | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Won |
| 1969 | Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 1966 | Oscar | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| 1966 | Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 1953 | Oscar | Best Writing, Story and Screenplay | Nominated |
| 1951 | Oscar | Best Writing, Story and Screenplay | Nominated |
| 1948 | Oscar | Best Writing, Original Screenplay | Nominated |
