Actress. Born Jessie Louise Hieman, the daughter of Swedish immigrants, she moved to Hollywood in the midst of the “Great Depression” to seek an opportunity for stardom. After landing a job with MGM Studios, she began her training as well as experiencing some screen tests, which led to her film debut in the picture “Paris Interlude”. From that point on, she shared the screen with such leading men as Spencer Tracy and James Stewart “Murder Men” (1935) and William Powell “Reckless” (1935), to name a few and concluded her career with an installment from the “Charlie Chan” series “Charlie Chan in Reno” (1939). She totaled roughly 20 pictures to her credit and remained in the industry, when she founded a drama class in 1941. (bio by: C.S.)