Phyllis St. Felix Thaxter was born on November 20, 1919, in Portland, Maine, to Maine Supreme Court Justice Sidney Thaxter and his wife, a one-time Shakespearean actress. This warm and winning, very non-theatrical brunette was educated at St. Genevieve School in Montreal and Deering High School in Portland.
Phyllis began her acting career in summer stock and joined the Montreal Repertory Theatre company, making her Broadway debut at 17 in "What a Life!" in 1939. She went on to play a maid and understudy the leading ingénue in "There Shall Be No Night" (1940) and understudied Dorothy McGuire in the hit dramatic play "Claudia" later that year.
Phyllis's Hollywood film career began with the MGM war film "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" (1944),where she played the noble wife of Van Johnson. She was often cast as the dewy-eyed, altruistic wife, girlfriend, or daughter waiting on the home-front, similar to Margaret Sullavan, June Allyson, Dorothy McGuire, and Teresa Wright.
Phyllis appeared in several notable films, including "Bewitched" (1945),"Week-End at the Waldorf" (1945),"The Sea of Grass" (1947),and "Tenth Avenue Angel" (1948). She was known for her natural and non-glamorous performances, which often led her to blend into the background while flashier actresses stole the spotlight.
Phyllis finished her MGM contract with "Act of Violence" (1948),playing the faithful wife to a slew of top actors, including Robert Ryan. She moved to Warner Brothers in the 1950s and continued to play similar roles, but her career was suddenly curtailed by illness.
Phyllis contracted infantile paralysis while visiting her family in Portland, which triggered the termination of her contract. Film roles were few and far between after this, but she continued to appear on TV, including roles in "The Twilight Zone" (1959),"The F.B.I." (1965),"Cannon" (1971),"Medical Center" (1969),and "Barnaby Jones" (1973).
Phyllis was married to James T. Aubrey for nearly two decades, with whom she had three children, including actress Skye Aubrey. After their divorce, she married Gilbert Lea, owner of Tower Publishing Company, and they retired to Cumberland, Maine, where she was involved in civic and community activities.
Phyllis Thaxter passed away on August 14, 2012, at the age of 92, leaving behind a legacy of understated yet memorable performances on stage and screen.
