Alice Ghostley |
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Alice Margaret Ghostley (August 14, 1926 – September 21, 2007) was a Tony Award-winning American actress. She was best known for her roles as Esmeralda on Bewitched (in which she had a recurring role from 1969 to 1972), as Cousin Alice on Mayberry R.F.D. (1970-1971) and as Bernice Clifton on Designing Women (1986-1993) for which she received the Emmy Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1992.
Alice Ghostley was born in Eve, Vernon County, Missouri, where her father worked as a telegraph operator. She grew up in Henryetta, Oklahoma. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Oklahoma but dropped out to pursue a career in theatre.
Ghostley first came to Broadway in Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952 and in the film version released in 1954. She appeared in the 1960 revue A Thurber Carnival and in The Beauty Part (1962), playing several distinct roles in each. She also performed in several musical comedies, including Shangri-La (1956).