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Virginia Gregg

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Voice Actress

The Resume

    (March 6, 1916-September 15, 1986)
    Born in Harrisburg, Illinois
    Birth name is Virginia Lee Gregg
    Popular character actress known for her work on radio and television
    Famous as the voice of Norman Bates' Mother (Norma) in the 'Psycho' films
    Also known for voicing Tarra on 'The Herculoids' and 'The Space Stars'
    Work was featured on the radio programs 'The Adventures of Sam Spade,' 'Dragnet,' 'Dr. Kildare,' 'Gunsmoke,' 'The Jack Benny Program,' 'Let George Do It,' 'Lux Radio Theatre,' 'One Man's Family,' 'Yours Truly,' 'Johnny Dollar,' and 'The Zero Hour and Mutual Radio Theater'
    Acted in 'Body and Soul,' 'I'll Cry Tomorrow,' 'Operation Petticoat,' 'All the Fine Young Cannibals,' 'Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing,' 'Shootout at Big Sag,' and 'The Hanging Tree'
    Guest starred in episodes of 'The Rockford Files,' 'Perry Mason,' 'Emergency!' 'Marcus Welby, M.D.' 'Wagon Train,' 'Make Room for Daddy,' 'My Favorite Martian,' 'Gunsmoke,' 'Dragnet,' 'Ironside,' and 'Bonanza'

Why she might be annoying:

    She was afraid to do live television broadcasts.
    She was called 'a female version of William Conrad.'
    She tended to be cast in roles as sultry 'other women' or 'loose women.'
    One of her most sizable on-screen roles was in the namesake for Fine Young Cannibals.
    She actually shared the role of Norma Bates with Jeanette Nolan and Paul Jasmin, but she gets all the credit usually.
    She, Nolan, and Jasmin read the dialogue individually and then had the audio spliced together by the studio Sound Department.
    Ironically, she played another Mrs. Bates in an episode of 'Dragnet' (no relation to 'Norma Bates').
    She also played a lady named 'Mrs. Butterworth' in an episode of 'The Waltons' (no not that one).
    She summed up her work as a character actress by saying 'I work steadily, but I have no identity.'

Why she might not be annoying:

    She was widely known as one of 'the busiest people in radio.'
    She played the double bass with the Pasadena Symphony and Pops.
    She was a member of the Singing Strings group which played initially on KHJ based out of Los Angeles, and then later on CBS.
    She was a frequent co-player with Richard Boone on the radio.
    She developed a popular following among audiences for playing Dick Powell's girlfriend, Helen Asher the heiress, on 'Richard Diamond, Private Detective.'
    She was a favorite of Jack Webb, who used her in broadcasts (radio and TV) at every given opportunity.
    She had a sense of humor about being typecast, joking: 'When casting people have a call for a woman who looks like the wrath of God, I'm notified!'
    She was an active spokesperson for - and participant with - the Recording for the Blind Inc. organization.
    She was the only 'voice' of Mrs. Bates to be invited back to work on the subsequent 'Psycho' slashers (which sucked, but it counts for something...)
    She may well have appeared in every narrative television series throughout the late '50s into the early '70s.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 18 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 14 Votes: 42.86% Annoying