Helen Stenborg, a Minneapolis native who played myriad roles on Broadway and shared the acting life for more than half a century with her husband, Barnard Hughes, died of cancer at her home in Manhattan on Tuesday. She was 86.
Helen Joan Stenborg was born in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 1925. Her father, Ambrose, was a dentist. She wanted to be an actress from an early age, and her mother, Ida, helped her move to New York as a teen.
Stenborg appeared mainly in supporting roles and could never be called a star, but she naturally brought to all her roles the kind of reserve that reflected her Midwestern upbringing.
In addition to Broadway performances, she appeared in numerous films and television shows. She was honored with several award nominations and in 2000 both she and Hughes received Drama Desk lifetime achievement awards.
NEW YORK TIMES
