Of Danish descent and born in Syracuse, New York, Phyllis Kirk worked as a waitress and a perfume counter clerk before she began a modeling career. Stage roles ensued before Hollywood beckoned. She was a contract player at MGM and then Warner Brothers, where in her most famous role she was stalked by maniacal sculptor
Vincent Price in
House of Wax (1953). Kirk's talents were better showcased on the small screen, where she had dramatic roles on many prestigious series and consequently made the covers of TV Guide and Life magazines. Probably her best-known TV role was Nora Charles, the daffy, fast-talking wife of
Peter Lawford on
The Thin Man (1957). During her acting career, she also worked as an interviewer and writer for the ACLU. After her final roles in the 1970s, she went to work in public relations before retiring.
The F.B.I.(1965)as Nora Tobin
The Name of the Game(1968)as Edith
Hot Off the Wire(1960)as Marian Waldman
The Twilight Zone(1959)as Victoria West
Zane Grey Theatre(1956)as Ann Bagley
The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show(1956)
Two Weeks with Love(1950)
ABC's Wide World of Entertainment(1973)as Self
The Dick Cavett Show(1968)as Self
Mantrap(1971)as Self, panelist
Cinemassacre's Monster Madness(2007)as Sue Allen
13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards(2007)as Self - In Memoriam
Biography(1987)as Sue Allen (clip from House of Wax (1953))
Century of Cinema(1995)as Ellen Lacey, 'Crime Wave'
