Lesley Ann Warren (born August 16, 1946) is an American actress and singer.
She made her Broadway debut in 110 in the Shade in 1963. In 1965 she received wide recognition for playing the title role in the television musical production of Cinderella. She then had starring roles in the Disney musical films The Happiest Millionaire (1967) and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968).
In the 1970s, Warren worked mostly on television, receiving a Golden Globe nomination for playing Dana Lambert in the CBS drama series Mission: Impossible (1970–71). In 1978, she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for the NBC miniseries Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue. In 1983, Warren was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Norma Cassidy in Victor/Victoria. She received two additional Golden Globe nominations for performances in Songwriter (1984) and Family of Spies (1990).
Her other film appearances include Race for the Yankee Zephyr (1981), A Night in Heaven (1983), Choose Me (1984), Clue (1985), Burglar (1987), Cop (1988), Life Stinks (1991), Pure Country (1992), Color of Night (1994), The Limey (1999), Secretary (2002) and Home Delivery (2026).
Early life Warren was born on August 16, 1946, in Manhattan, the daughter of real estate agent William C. Warren (born Woronoff), and the former Carol Margot Dorothea Verblow, a nightclub singer who migrated to the US from Eastbourne, England. She has a younger brother, Richard Lewis Warren. Her family is Jewish, with roots in Russia on both sides.
She attended the Professional Children's School at the age of six and The High School of Music & Art at the age of 13.
Career 1960s and 1970s
Warren began training as a ballet dancer at the age of 6, entering the School of American Ballet in 1961. The following year she made a tape of herself singing the Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute (the first and only time she sang opera). She entered the Actors Studio at the age of 17 — reputedly the youngest applicant ever to be accepted. Her Broadway debut came in 1963 in the musical 110 in the Shade. She won the Theatre World Award for her performance in the 1965 flop musical Drat! The Cat!
Warren achieved her first major television success in the title role of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella in 1965. Her television appearances through the decade included Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, The Mod Squad, Love, American Style, and The Carol Burnett Show.
Her film debut in the 1967 musical comedy The Happiest Millionaire was the last movie Walt Disney produced before his death. Warren would again share the screen with John Davidson the following year in the musical film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. She placed No. 15 on the Laurel Awards list for Female New Face in 1968.
Notable in television roles throughout the 1970s, Warren was leading lady Dana Lambert during the 1970–71 season of the CBS action drama Mission: Impossible. Her performance earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Additional TV movies and miniseries of this time include The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972) and The Letters (1973).
Warren appeared in two feature films during the decade, Pickup on 101 (1972) and Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976). In between films, she returned to the stage to portray Scarlett O'Hara in the 1973 Los Angeles production of the musical Scarlett, though poor reviews prevented the intended Broadway run.
Warren played a fatefully and fatally gullible psychiatric patient opposite Peter Falk and George Hamilton in the 1975 Columbo episode "A Deadly State of Mind". Warren also played Lois Lane in the 1975 TV special It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman, adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name. (Warren would screen test for the role of Lois Lane in the Superman film, ultimately cast with Margot Kidder.) In the same year, Warren guest starred in season 3, episode 15 of The Muppet Show.
Other television credits include The Legend of Valentino (1975), Betrayal (1978), and Pearl (1978). She received critical acclaim, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 1978, for the NBC miniseries Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue. Warren delved into the antics of The Muppet Show as the guest star of a third season episode in 1979.
The 1980s and 1990s In 1981, Warren returned to the big screen starring alongside Ken Wahl, George Peppard, and Donald Pleasence in Race for the Yankee Zephyr, a New Zealand suspense-action-thriller film directed by David Hemmings. The following year, she played ditzy gun moll Norma Cassidy in Blake Edwards' musical comedy Victor/Victoria for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She went to star in the 1983 romantic drama A Night in Heaven with Christopher Atkins; critics widely panned the film. Warren received another Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for starring opposite Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson in the 1984 musical comedy film Songwriter. That same year, she had a leading role in the love triangle drama Choose Me with Keith Carradine and Genevieve Bujold. She turned down a chance to audition for the Kathleen Turner role in Romancing the Stone. In 1985, she starred as one of the prime murder suspects, Miss Scarlet, in the comedy film version of the popular board game Clue. In 1986, Warren starred in the TV movie of the week A Fight for Jenny directed by Gilbert Moses of Roots. It was based on a true story of a mother who loses custody of her daughter due to an interracial relationship.
Warren played supporting roles in a number of movies, including Burglar (1987) with Whoopi Goldberg, Cop (1988) with James Woods, Worth Winning (1989) with Mark Harmon, Life Stinks (1991) with Mel Brooks and Pure Country (1992) with George Strait. In Color of Night (1994) Warren played a nymphomaniac; the film was poorly received, and she was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress. However, it was successful on the home video market. On television, she went to star in Beulah Land (1980), Portrait of a Showgirl (1982), Evergreen (1985) and Baja Oklahoma (1988). She received Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film nominations for Family of Spies in 1990. Warren also played Princess Jeanetta in the 1987 Faerie Tale Theatre episode "The Dancing Princesses", an adaptation of the fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses". In 1986, Warren was prominently featured in Bob Seger's popular music video for his hit song "American Storm". In 1989, she appeared in the Aerosmith music video "Janie's Got a Gun", wherein she played Janie's mother. She was also featured in a video for the Eagles' "Life in the Fast Lane". In 1995, she co-starred opposite Ben Kingsley in the television film Joseph. In 1997, Warren returned to Broadway, starring in Dream, a musical revue featuring the lyrics of Johnny Mercer. She had a major role in Steven Soderbergh's The Limey (1999), starring Terence Stamp.
2000s and 2010s In the 2000s, Warren appeared in a number of independent films, most notably the 2002 comedy-drama Secretary, playing the mother of the title character.
She had recurring roles on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace from 2001 to 2006 as Will Truman's father's mistress and in 2005 in the ABC comedy-drama Desperate Housewives as Susan Mayer's mother. Other television credits included Touched by an Angel, The Practice, Crossing Jordan and Less than Perfect. From 2008 to 2012, Warren played the role of Jinx Shannon, the lead character's alcoholic mother in the USA Network drama series In Plain Sight. While working on that show, Warren was offered Mary Steenburgen's role in Step Brothers (2008) but had to turn it down because of scheduling conflicts.
Warren appeared in the films Peep World (2010), Jobs (2013), I Am Michael (2015) and 3 Days with Dad (2019). In 2013, she reunited with Clue castmates Christopher Lloyd and Martin Mull when they guest-starred in an episode of Psych, and again with Martin Mull in 2015 guest-starring on Community. In 2016, she had a recurring role in the Starz comedy Blunt Talk and in 2018 appeared in the Netflix superhero series Daredevil as Esther Falb. In 2019, she co-starred in the short-lived Lifetime comedy-drama series American Princess, and appeared opposite Sarah Drew in the Lifetime Christmas movie Twinkle All the Way.
2020s In 2021, Warren guest-starred in an episode of the legal series All Rise on CBS. In 2022, she appeared as a regular cast member of the crime dramedy streaming series Panhandle, and had a featured role in the independent film It Snows All the Time.
Personal life Warren married producer Jon Peters in 1967 and divorced him in 1975 after a two-year separation. They have one son, Christopher Peters. From 1977 to 1985, she lived with choreographer Jeffrey Hornaday. She also briefly dated producer Robert Evans, saxophonist David Sanborn, singers Bobby Darin and Paul Stanley, and actors Scott Baio, Robert Blake, Val Kilmer, and John Strasberg. Since 2000, Warren has been married to advertising executive Ron Taft, whom she met at a hair salon in 1991.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1967Cordy1968Alice BowerLaurel Award for Female New Face (15th place)1972Pickup on 101Nicky1976Harry and Walter Go to New YorkGloria Fontaine1981Treasure of the Yankee ZephyrSally Gibson1982Victor/VictoriaNorma CassidyNominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion PictureNominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress1983Faye Hanlon1984Choose MeEveSongwriterGildaNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture1985ClueMiss Scarlet1987BurglarDr. Cynthia Sheldrake1988CopKathleen McCarthy1989Worth WinningEleanor Larimore1991Life StinksMolly1992Pure CountryLula Rogers1994Color of NightSondra DorioNominated — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress1995Bird of PreyCarla Carr1996Natural EnemySandy1997Going All the WayNina Casselman1998Love KillsEvelyn HeissAll of ItGlenda HolbeckRichie Rich's Christmas WishRegina Rich1999ElaineTwin Falls IdahoFrancineTeaching Mrs. TingleMrs. Faye WatsonUncredited2000RopewalkCharlie's momTrixieDawn Sloane2001Delivering MiloAnnaAnnaLosing GraceMary ReedWolf GirlDr. Klein2002SecretaryJoan Holloway2004My Tiny UniverseVee2005ConstellationNancy BoxerWhen Do We Eat?Peggy StuckmanDeepwaterPamMrs. Becky Harris2006Miracle Dogs TooNurse Bleaker10th & WolfTina2010StiffsJoy TramontanaJoan DunningPeep WorldMarilyn Meyerwitz2013JobsClara Jobs2015I Am MichaelSusanWendy2016Between UsElsa2017Ray Meets Helen Executive producer2018American Pets Judy20193 Days with Dad Dawn2020Echo Boomers Author2022It Snows All the TimeAnne 2025 Love, Danielle Candie 2026Home Delivery Linda TempletonTBAThe Bay House Joan Brooks
Television