Nancy Walker, a diminutive dynamo, was born Anna Myrtle Swoyer on May 10, 1922, in Philadelphia, to vaudevillian Dewey Barto and his wife. Barto, part of the comedy team Barto & Mann, was a Broadway performer during his run of "Hellzapoppin" at the time of Nancy's birth.
Despite her natural aggressive manner and small stature, Nancy had aspirations to become a legitimate singer. However, her talents ultimately lay in comedy, which was recognized by Broadway legend George Abbott, who set her up as his blind date in the 1941 Broadway musical "Best Foot Forward". The show, starring June Allyson, was a huge success, and when MGM adapted it into a musical film in 1943, Nancy and June reprised their roles.
Nancy continued to support MGM in several films, including "Girl Crazy" (1943) and "Broadway Rhythm" (1944),before returning to Broadway, where she stole the show as the hoydenish cabbie Hildy Esterhazy in "On the Town" (1944).
After a brief first marriage, Nancy met vocal coach David Craig during the 1948 run of "Look, Ma, I'm Dancing", and they married a few years later, having a daughter, Miranda. When Nancy left the show, she was replaced by her sister, Betty Lou Barto.
Nancy experienced a decline in her career in the late 1950s and 1960s, but found renewed success in the 1970s with a series of Bounty paper-towel commercials as Rosie the waitress and a regular role as Mildred, the sardonic maid, on "McMillan & Wife" (1971).
Her breakout role as the outlandish Jewish mom Ida Morgenstern on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1970) led to a spin-off series, "Rhoda" (1974),in which she played Ida alongside her daughter, Valerie Harper's character. Despite being nominated for eight Emmys and four Golden Globe Awards, Nancy never won, but her renewed popularity led to a couple of TV star vehicles that didn't suit her talents.
Nancy eventually moved into stage and film directing and made her final regular TV-series appearance on "True Colors" (1990). She was diagnosed with lung cancer during the show's run and passed away about six weeks before her 70th birthday in 1992, leaving behind her husband, daughter, and sister.
