Jo Henderson

Jo Henderson (May 10, 1934 – August 6, 1988) was an American actress who worked across stage, film, and television. Born in Buffalo, New York, she grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and pursued her education at Michigan State University before launching her professional career in New York City.

Henderson's work was concentrated primarily on stage, encompassing Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theater productions. Her Off-Broadway career yielded significant recognition when she received an Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress in 1976 for her role in Ladyhouse Blues. Her Broadway career spanned from 1981 to 1984, during which she appeared in three productions: Rose, 84 Charing Cross Road, and Play Memory. Her performance in Play Memory earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 1984, a prize that ultimately went to Christine Baranski.

Alongside her stage work, Henderson maintained an active presence in film and on television. Her screen credits include the television film Summer Solstice (1981), the feature film Lianna (1983), the television film Murder in Coweta County (1983), and the films Matewan and Rachel River, both released in 1987. On television, she portrayed Kate McCleary on NBC's Search for Tomorrow and Wilma Marlowe on ABC's All My Children, a role she held from 1985 to 1988. Henderson died on August 6, 1988, in a traffic collision in Chinle, Arizona, at the age of 54.