Dorothy Luise Simpson American actress and poet Date of Birth: 19.09.1915 Country: USA

1. Biography of Dorothy Louise Simpson
2. Early Life
3. Acting Career and Marriage
4. Acting with Family
5. Poetry and Autobiography
6. Legacy

Biography of Dorothy Louise Simpson

Dorothy Louise Simpson was an American actress and poetess. She was the backbone of her entire acting family, serving as the head among her late husband, actor Lloyd Bridges, and their actor sons, Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges.

Early Life

Dorothy Louise Bridges was born on September 19, 1915, in Worcester, Massachusetts. When she was two years old, she moved to Los Angeles with her family.

Acting Career and Marriage

Dorothy made her acting debut at the age of six in the comedy film "Shoo, My!" She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she met her future husband Lloyd, who was already a senior at the time. They got married in New York in 1938 and had a strong marriage that lasted 60 years until Lloyd's death at the age of 85 in 1998. The couple had four children together – Bo Vernett, Garrett Myles, Jeffrey Leon, and Lucinda Louise. Sadly, their son Garrett passed away on August 3, 1948, from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

After moving to New York City with her husband, Simpson continued her acting career in theater and film, honing her craft under the guidance of their teacher, Mikhail Chekhov. The couple returned to Hollywood in the early 1940s after Lloyd Bridges signed a contract with the American film and television company "Columbia Pictures."

Acting with Family

Throughout her life, Dorothy occasionally returned to acting under the name Dorothy Dean, often performing alongside members of her family. She worked with her husband in the TV series "Sea Hunt," appeared in the family TV movie "Christmas Promise" directed by her son Beau Bridges in 1986, and starred with Jeff Bridges in Alan J. Pakula's melodrama "See You in the Morning" in 1989.

While raising her children, Simpson became their first drama teacher. Every day, she dedicated an hour to passing on her knowledge acquired from Chekhov and encouraged her children to immerse themselves in various stage characters.

Poetry and Autobiography

Dorothy also wrote poetry, some of which was later published. She became known for dedicating poems to her husband on Valentine's Day for 59 years. In 2005, at the age of 89, Simpson wrote her autobiography, "You Caught Me Kissing: A Love Story," mostly dedicated to Lloyd.

Legacy

Dorothy Simpson passed away at the age of 93 on February 16, 2009, in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, in the home where she and her husband raised their children.