How did Inga Swenson die? 'Benson' star, 90, spent last days at board and care facility in LA
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actress Inga Swenson passed away at the age of 90. According to TMZ, the movie star died on Saturday, July 22, 2023, from natural causes. Mark, Inga's son, made the announcement via the publication on Friday.
She died in a "board and care facility" with her husband Lowell Harris, whom she married in 1953, at her side, according to her son. The family was not surprised by Inga's death as her health had been declining for the previous six months. Inga rose to fame by portraying Gretchen Kraus on the popular ABC comedy 'Benson', which ran from 1979 until 1986.
Inga stopped acting in 1998
In 1998, Inga stopped acting. She was married to Emmy Award-winning engineer Harris from 1953 until her death on July 22, 2023, at the age of 90. She welcomed two children together, Mark and a second son who has already passed away.
Inga requested to be cremated and to have her ashes interred in San Rafael, California, near her late son. Inga was born on December 29, 1932, in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1949, when she was 17 years old, she made her acting debut in the Stockbridge, Massachusetts production of Peg O'My Heart.
In 1967, she made her stage debut in London as Lizzie Currie in 110 in the Shade at Palace Theatre. Seven years later, in New Faces of '56, she made her Broadway debut as a vocalist. After that, she appeared in several Broadway productions until her television debut in 1957, as reported by DailyMail.
About Inga career
Inga played her first acting role in the 1962 movie Advise and Consent. The following year, she starred as Kate Keller in 'The Miracle Worker'. Inga portrayed Sister Monica in the 1976 film 'Lipstick', Mrs Craddock in the 1978 film 'The Betsy', and a singer in the 1980 film 'The Mountain Men'.
In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, she featured in a number of shows, including 'Bonanza', 'Highcliffe Manor', 'The Golden Girls', 'Soap', 'North and South', and others. Inga left the entertainment industry in 1989, having played Madelyn Stone in her final appearance on the television show Newhart. Inga received two Tony Award nominations (one each for Baker Street and 110 in the Shade) and three Emmy nominations for Benson.