Jessie Royce Landis Movies and Career Information

Jessie Royce Landis (November 25, 1896 - February 2, 1972) was an American actress. She was 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 To Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959), both starring Cary Grant and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. In North by Northwest she played Grant's character's mother, and in To Catch a Thief she played Grace Kelly's mother. She also made many television appearances. She was married three times. Her third husband was Major General J.F.R. "Jeff" Seitz. He died in 1978. 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.