Peggy Rea

Peggy Jane Rea was a Los Angelesborn American actress known for her many roles in television often playing matronly characters Before she became an actress Rea left UCLA to attend business school She landed a job as a production secretary at MetroGoldwynMayer in the 1940s Later she was an assistant to writermusician Kay Thompson until Thompson dropped her in April 1948 Some of the points of discord apparently included Reas insistence on staying at the Algonquin Hotel rather than Essex House where Thompson was staying and disappearing on at least one occasion on the eve of their New York opening to see Born Yesterday on Broadway without telling Thompson The time had come for Peggy to make her mark as the character actress she was born to be She quickly landed on her feet with a supporting role in the National Road Company production of Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire as Eunice Hubbell 19481949 starring Anthony Quinn Thompson severed ties with Rea however the younger woman kept in touch with other members of Thompsons family including Thompsons mother brother and younger sister with whom she enjoyed cordial relations