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Phyllis Kirk (September 18, 1929 - October 19, 2006) was an American actress. Born Phyllis Kirkegaard in Syracuse, New York (some sources state Plainfield, New Jersey), she contracted polio as a child which resulted in health problems for the rest of her life. As a teen, she moved to New York City to study acting and changed her last name to "Kirk". She began her career on Broadway before embarking on a television and film career. Kirk is best known for her many roles throughout the 1950s. She appeared with Vincent Price in the 3-D horror film House of Wax in 1953. Her most notable... MORE

Phyllis Kirk (September 18, 1929 - October 19, 2006) was an American actress. Born Phyllis Kirkegaard in Syracuse, New York (some sources state Plainfield, New Jersey), she contracted polio as a child which resulted in health problems for the rest of her life. As a teen, she moved to New York City to study acting and changed her last name to "Kirk". She began her career on Broadway before embarking on a television and film career. Kirk is best known for her many roles throughout the 1950s. She appeared with Vincent Price in the 3-D horror film House of Wax in 1953. Her most notable television role was opposite Peter Lawford in The Thin Man (1957—1959), where they played Nick and Nora Charles. She also appeared with Jerry Lewis in his 1957 film The Sad Sack, with Robert Ryan, Anita Ekberg, and Rod Steiger in the 1956 film Back from Eternity. Kirk was a regular on The Red Buttons Show and appeared as a guest on some television programs, including an episode of The Twilight Zone ("A World of His Own"). As her acting career slowed down, Kirk began serving as an activist for various social causes. She vocally opposed death row inmate Caryl Chessman's death sentence and visited Chessman LESS