Jessie Royce Landis (November 25, 1896 - February 2, 1972) was an American actress born Jessie Royce Medbury in Chicago, Illinois. Landis was a stage actress for much of her career. In the 1950s, she began appearing in movies as a character actress, most notably in North by Northwest (1959) and To Catch a Thief (1955), both starring Cary Grant and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. In North by Northwest she played Grant's character's mother (she was only 6 years older than Grant), and in To Catch a Thief she played Grace Kelly's mother. She also made many television appearances. She was married three times. Her autobiography, titled You Won't Be So Pretty (But You'll Know More) was published in 1954. Landis died of cancer in Danbury, Connecticut, aged 75.
Partial filmography
- Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949)
- It Happens Every Spring (1949)
- My Foolish Heart (1949)
- To Catch a Thief (1955)
- The Swan (1956)
- My Man Godfrey (1957)
- I Married a Woman (1958)
- North by Northwest (1959)
- Goodbye Again (1961)
- Boys' Night Out (1962)
- Critic's Choice (1963)
- Gidget Goes to Rome (1963)
- Airport (1970)
