Grace Lee Whitney
Biography
Grace Lee Whitney was an American singer and actress born Mary Ann Chase on April 1, 1930, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She was adopted by the Whitney family, who renamed her Grace Elaine. At age fourteen, she began her entertainment career as a girl singer on WJR radio in Detroit. After leaving home, she used the name Lee Whitney and later became known as Grace Lee Whitney. In her late teens, she moved to Chicago, where she toured with the Fred Waring and Spike Jones Bands and opened in nightclubs for Buddy Rich and Billie Holiday. Whitney is best known for portraying Janice Rand in the original Star Trek television series and subsequent films. She died on May 1, 2015.
Career overview
Grace Lee Whitney was an American actress and singer born on April 1, 1930, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Born as Mary Ann Chase, she was adopted by the Whitney family and renamed Grace Elaine. She began her career in entertainment at fourteen years old, working as a girl singer on WJR radio in Detroit. After leaving home, she used the name Lee Whitney and eventually became known as Grace Lee Whitney.
During her late teens, Whitney moved to Chicago. In this city, she opened in nightclubs for Buddy Rich and Billie Holiday. Her early performance career also included touring with the Fred Waring and Spike Jones Bands.
Whitney is best known for her acting role as Janice Rand in the original Star Trek television series and the subsequent Star Trek films. According to The Movie Database, she has fifty three known credits. She died on May 1, 2015, at the age of eighty five.
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Career timeline
Full Filmography
62 titles- The Captains (2011) as Self
- Bring Back... Star Trek (2009) as Self
- Star Trek: Of Gods and Men (2007) as Janice Rand
- Bring Back... (2005) as Self
- Star Trek: Voyager (1995) as Commander Janice Rand
- Diagnosis: Murder (1993) as Encounter Group Abductee
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) as Excelsior Communications Officer
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) as Commander Rand
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) as Commander Janice Rand (Woman in Cafeteria)
- The Kid with the 200 I.Q. (1983)
- Hart to Hart (1979) as Chic Lady
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) as CPO Janice Rand
- Cannon (1971)
- The Name of the Game (1968) as Suzette
- The Outsider (1968)
- Way Down Cellar (1968) as Velma
- Mannix (1967) as Gloria
- Cimarron Strip (1967) as Katie
- Rango (1967)
- Ironside (1967) as Stripper (uncredited)
- Star Trek (1966) as Janice Rand
- Batman (1966) as Neila
- The Big Valley (1965) as Maggie
- Run for Your Life (1965) as Billie
- Run for Your Life (1965) as Millie
- Bewitched (1964) as Babs Livingston
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963) as Mona
- The Outer Limits (1963) as Carla Duveen
- Arrest and Trial (1963)
- Arrest and Trial (1963) as Sally Burns
- Temple Houston (1963) as Tangerine O'Shea
- Irma la Douce (1963) as Kiki
- The Man from Galveston (1963) as Texas Rose
- Critic's Choice (1963)
- The Virginian (1962) as Nina
- The Virginian (1962) as Heather
- Sam Benedict (1962) as Susan Craig
- The Eleventh Hour (1962) as Dawn
- A Public Affair (1962) as Tracey Phillips
- Pocketful of Miracles (1961) as Queenie's Broad (uncredited)
- Surfside 6 (1960)
- Surfside 6 (1960) as Bernice
- Peter Loves Mary (1960) as Roxanne Jones
- The Untouchables (1959) as Fran
- The Untouchables (1959) as Penny
- The Detectives (1959)
- The Detectives (1959) as Susie
- Some Like It Hot (1959) as Rosella (uncredited)
- The Rifleman (1958)
- Bat Masterson (1958) as Louise Talbot
- 77 Sunset Strip (1958)
- 77 Sunset Strip (1958) as Natasha
- 77 Sunset Strip (1958) as April
- The Naked and the Dead (1958) as Girl in Dream Sequence
- The Walter Winchell File (1957)
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Ellen
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955) as Saloon Girl
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Pearl
- Top Banana (1954) as Miss Holland (uncredited)
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Audrey Henderson
- Death Valley Days (1952) as Verna
- The Texan Meets Calamity Jane (1950) as Cecelia Mullen
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Grace Lee Whitney best known for?
Grace Lee Whitney is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Captains (2011), Star Trek: Voyager (1995), Mr. Jones (1993), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).
When and where was Grace Lee Whitney born?
Grace Lee Whitney was born on April 1, 1930 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. They passed away on May 1, 2015.
How many credits does Grace Lee Whitney have?
Grace Lee Whitney has accumulated over 62 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1950 to 2011.
What is Grace Lee Whitney's background in cinema and television?
Grace Lee Whitney was an American singer and actress born Mary Ann Chase on April 1, 1930, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She was adopted by the Whitney family, who renamed her Grace Elaine. At age fourteen, she began her entertainment career as a girl singer on WJR radio in Detroit. After leaving home, she used the name Lee ...
Grace Lee Whitney by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Arrest and Trial (1963) — aged about 33
- Arrest and Trial (1963) as Sally Burns — aged about 33
- Some Like It Hot (1959) as Rosella (uncredited) — aged about 29
- Star Trek (1966) as Janice Rand — aged about 36
- The Untouchables (1959) as Fran — aged about 29
- The Untouchables (1959) as Penny — aged about 29
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