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American actressthe chess player

Mary Margaret Wood (February 9, 1892 – March 18, 1978) was an American actress of stage, film, and television. She is best remembered for her performance as the title character in the CBS television series Mama (1949–1957), for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series; her starring role as Naomi, Ruth's mother in law, in The Story of Ruth (1960); and her final screen appearance as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (1965), for which she received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award.

Mary Margaret Wood was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Eugene Wood, a journalist, and Mary Gardner, a telegraph operator. She studied voice in France with soprano Emma Calvé. Wood was an early member of the Actors' Equity Association, spending nearly 50 years onstage, beginning in the chorus and becoming known as a Broadway singer and star. Wood made her stage debut in 1910, as part of the chorus for Naughty Marietta. In 1917, she starred in Maytime, in which she introduced the song "Will You Remember". She starred in several other musicals before playing the role of Portia in a 1928 production of The Merchant of Venice. From the late 1920s until the late 1930s, Wood had lead roles in musicals staged in London and New York. She was selected by Noël Coward to star in the original London production of his wildly successful operetta Bitter Sweet. According to a 1920 profile, Wood also wrote plays "in collaboration with her father and with Samuel Merwin." She was a member of the Algonquin Round Table. In 1941, she starred in the New York premiere of Blithe Spirit as Ruth Condomine, whose husband is tormented by the ghost of his deceased first wife. Wood did not star in many films. Her few film appearances include roles in Jalna, A Star Is Born, Call It a Day, The Housekeeper's Daughter, The Bride Wore Boots, Magnificent Doll, and Dream Girl. From 1949 to 1957, she played matriarch Marta Hansen on the popular series Mama, based on the 1943 Broadway play and 1948 film I Remember Mama. When General Foods cancelled the program, there was so much protest that CBS brought it back on Sunday afternoon, this time as a filmed series. As the network did not have all the affiliate station clearances that were needed, the show was put into syndication, where it was a huge success. Producers filmed 26 episodes. Following "Mama", Wood was seen in episodes of Zane Grey Theatre and The Nurses. She co starred with comedian Imogene Coca on Broadway in The Girls in 509. In October 1963, she and Ruth Gates appeared in the one act play Opening Night, which played in off Broadway. Wood portrayed Fanny Ellis, a once famous star who prepares for a performance; the play lasted 47 performances. Gates played "Aunt Jenny" on Mama, which starred Wood. Wood returned to movies in the 1960 CinemaScope production The Story of Ruth in a co starring role as the mother in law, Naomi, of the title character, although she pointed out the lack of verisimilitude in her own casting as a biblical matriarch, i. e. a "blonde, blue eyed Jewess". Her final screen appearance was as the Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (1965), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Motion Picture. She was thrilled to be in the movie, but she knew she could no longer sing "Climb Ev'ry Mountain". She was dubbed (for singing) by Margery McKay. In her autobiography, Marni Nixon, who appeared in the film as Sister Sophia, said Peggy especially liked McKay's singing voice because she sounded as Peggy did in her younger days. In 1969, Wood joined the cast of One Life to Live as Dr. Kate Nolan, and had a recurring role until the end of the year.

Her first autobiography How Young You Look was published by Farrar and Rinehart in 1941. The updated version Arts and Flowers appeared in 1963. She wrote a biography of actor John Drew, Jr. and a novel titled The Star Wagon as well as co wrote the play Miss Quis. Wood received numerous awards for her theatrical work and for a while was president of the American National Theater and Academy (ANTA). She was a devout Episcopalian and a member of the Episcopal Actors Guild.

Wood died on March 18, 1978, at age 86, in Stamford, Connecticut, following a stroke.

YearTitleRoleNotes1919Almost a HusbandEva McElwyn Lost film1929Wonder of WomenBrigitteLost film1934Handy AndyErnestine Yates1935The Right to LiveNurse WaylandJalnaMeg Whiteoaks1937Call It a DayEthel FrancisA Star Is BornMiss Phillips (clerk in Central Casting) 1939The Housekeeper's DaughterOlga1946The Bride Wore BootsGrace ApleyMagnificent DollMrs. Payne1948Dream GirlLucy Allerton1960The Story of RuthNaomi1965The Sound of MusicThe Reverend Mother AbbessNominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture

YearTitleRoleNotes1948The Philco Television PlayhouseMrs. Oliver Jordanepisode: Dinner at Eight1949The Philco Television PlayhouseFlorence McDavidepisode: Dark Hammock1951Pulitzer Prize PlayhouseGladysepisode: The Skin of Our Teeth1949–1957MamaMamaMarta Hansen10 episodesNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actress (1953)Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance by an Actress in a Dramatic Series (1957)1957Zane Grey TheatreSarah Jollandepisode: The Bitter Land1959The United States Steel HourLillian Granetepisode: Seed of Guilt1962Dr. KildareKatie Harrisepisode: An Ancient Office1963The Doctors and the NursesMarcella Higginsepisode: The Saturday Evening of Time1965For the PeopleMrs. Murrayepisode: The Killing of One Human Being1969One Life to LiveDr. Kate NolanUnknown episodes