Sheree North

Biography

Sheree North, born Dawn Shirley Crang Bethel on January 17, 1932, was an American actress, dancer, and singer. She gained prominence in the 1950s after signing with Twentieth Century-Fox in 1954, where she was positioned as an alternative to Marilyn Monroe. North starred in films such as How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955) and The Lieutenant Wore Skirts (1956), but her career declined after the studio shifted its focus away from her, relegating her to B-movie roles. After leaving Fox in 1958, she made numerous television guest appearances in the 1960s and 70s, including notable roles in Gunsmoke and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, as well as two episodes of Seinfeld in the 1990s. North also had a presence on Broadway throughout her career. She passed away on November 4, 2005, due to complications from surgery.