Claiborne Cary
- February 17, 1932
- March 20, 2010
- 78 years
- complications from Parkinson's disease
About Claiborne Cary
Claiborne Cary, 78, American actress and cabaret performer, complications from Parkinson's disease.
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Full Biography
|Claiborne Cary (born Claiborne Leachman; February 17, 1932 – March 20, 2010) was an American actress and cabaret performer.
Early life and education
Cary was born Claiborne Leachman in Lone Tree, Iowa, the daughter of Cloris (née Wallace) and Berkeley Claiborne "Buck" Leachman, who worked at the family-owned Leachman Lumber Company. She was raised in Des Moines, Iowa. The younger sister of actress Cloris Leachman, Cary began dancing and performing at a young age. Cary's maternal grandmother was of Bohemian (Czech) descent. She attended both the University of Iowa and Northwestern University before moving to Manhattan to pursue an acting career in the 1950s.
Career
Cary made her Broadway theater debut in Silk Stockings in 1956, later touring with the production's national tour with actor, Don Ameche. In 1957, with the support of choreographer Bob Fosse and despite the objections of director George Abbott, she appeared opposite Gwen Verdon and Thelma Ritter in New Girl in Town at the 46th Street Theater on Broadway. Her many other Broadway credits included The Supporting Cast, and the musical Beg, Borrow or Steal (opposite Betty Garrett and Eddie Bracken). Her Off-Broadway resume included roles in Kukla, Burr and Ollie, Smiling, the Boy Fell Dead, Faith, Hope and Charity and All Kinds of Giants. She was featured in "Hellazpoppin' 67" which tried out at the Montreal Expo in Canada but never made it to Broadway.
She also appeared in television, including Law & Order, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Young Dr. Kildare. She appeared in numerous television commercials. She began, however, to focus more on cabaret productions and regional theater following the birth of her son, Berkeley Northrop. Within cabaret, she starred in and produced Grand Slam with Murray Grand. She also toured with the stage adaptation of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. In 1987, she performed at Jan Wallman's in New York City in what a reviewer for The New York Times described as "the kind of brilliant cabaret act that does not happen overnight."
Cary's cabaret performances led to her twice winning MAC Awards, presented by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs as "the New York cabaret scene's top honor".
Her lengthy regional theater credits included Ballroom, in which she appeared in Long Beach, California, with Charles Durning and Tyne Daly. She recorded and released two albums on CD, Miss Claiborne Cary Live and Now and Then. Her last public performance was in a cabaret in the early 2000s.
Death
She died from complications of Parkinson's disease in Costa Mesa, California, on March 20, 2010, at the age of 78.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claiborne_Cary
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Claiborne Cary's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was Claiborne Cary's birth name?
- A.Claiborne Leachmancorrect
- B.Claiborne Northrop
- C.Claiborne Durning
- D.Claiborne Wallace
Claiborne Cary was born with the name Claiborne Leachman.
Source: early life section
2.In which city was Claiborne Cary born?
- A.Lone Tree, Iowacorrect
- B.Costa Mesa, California
- C.Des Moines, Iowa
- D.Manhattan, New York
Claiborne Cary was born in Lone Tree, Iowa.
Source: early life section
3.Who was Claiborne Cary's famous actress sister?
- A.Tyne Daly
- B.Betty Garrett
- C.Cloris Leachmancorrect
- D.Thelma Ritter
Claiborne Cary was the younger sister of actress Cloris Leachman.
Source: early life section
4.Which universities did Claiborne Cary attend before moving to Manhattan?
- A.Harvard University and Juilliard School
- B.University of Iowa and Northwestern Universitycorrect
- C.University of California and Yale University
- D.New York University and University of Chicago
Claiborne Cary attended both the University of Iowa and Northwestern University.
Source: early life section
5.In what year did Claiborne Cary make her Broadway theater debut?
- A.1967
- B.1950
- C.1957
- D.1956correct
Claiborne Cary made her Broadway theater debut in Silk Stockings in 1956.
Source: career section
6.Which actor toured with Claiborne Cary in the national tour of Silk Stockings?
- A.Eddie Bracken
- B.Charles Durning
- C.Murray Grand
- D.Don Amechecorrect
Claiborne Cary toured with the production's national tour with actor Don Ameche.
Source: career section
7.Who supported Claiborne Cary's appearance in the Broadway production New Girl in Town?
- A.Murray Grand
- B.Thelma Ritter
- C.George Abbott
- D.Bob Fossecorrect
Claiborne Cary appeared in New Girl in Town with the support of choreographer Bob Fosse.
Source: career section
8.Which production did Claiborne Cary feature in that tried out at the Montreal Expo but never made it to Broadway?
- A.Beg, Borrow or Steal
- B.Hellazpoppin' 67correct
- C.All Kinds of Giants
- D.Grand Slam
Claiborne Cary was featured in Hellazpoppin' 67 which tried out in Montreal but never reached Broadway.
Source: career section
9.What is the name of Claiborne Cary's son?
- A.Murray Grand
- B.Berkeley Northropcorrect
- C.Don Ameche
- D.George Abbott
Claiborne Cary began to focus on cabaret and regional theater following the birth of her son, Berkeley Northrop.
Source: career section
10.What was the name of the cabaret show Claiborne Cary starred in and produced with Murray Grand?
- A.Grand Slamcorrect
- B.Now and Then
- C.The Supporting Cast
- D.Miss Claiborne Cary Live
Within the cabaret circuit, Claiborne Cary starred in and produced Grand Slam with Murray Grand.
Source: career section
11.Which organization presented Claiborne Cary with awards for her cabaret performances?
- A.46th Street Theater Association
- B.Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubscorrect
- C.Broadway Guild
- D.The New York Times
Claiborne Cary twice won MAC Awards, presented by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs.
Source: career section
12.In which city did Claiborne Cary perform the regional theater production Ballroom?
- A.Des Moines, Iowa
- B.New York City, New York
- C.Long Beach, Californiacorrect
- D.Montreal, Canada
Claiborne Cary appeared in the regional theater production Ballroom in Long Beach, California.
Source: career section
13.Which of these is a title of an album released by Claiborne Cary on CD?
- A.The Supporting Cast
- B.Now and Thencorrect
- C.New Girl in Town
- D.Faith, Hope and Charity
Claiborne Cary recorded and released two albums on CD titled Miss Claiborne Cary Live and Now and Then.
Source: career section
14.At what age did Claiborne Cary pass away?
- A.72
- B.78correct
- C.82
- D.67
Claiborne Cary died in 2010 at the age of 78.
Source: death section
15.What was the cause of Claiborne Cary's death?
- A.Heart failure
- B.Cancer
- C.Parkinson's diseasecorrect
- D.Pneumonia
Claiborne Cary died from complications of Parkinson's disease.
Source: death section
16.In which city did Claiborne Cary die?
- A.Lone Tree, Iowa
- B.Manhattan, New York
- C.Des Moines, Iowa
- D.Costa Mesa, Californiacorrect
Claiborne Cary died in Costa Mesa, California.
Source: death section
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