Noreen Nash: What happened to James Whitmore’s Wife?

What happened to James Whitmore’s Wife?

Noreen Nash is a former actress and the wife of the late actor, James Allen Whitmore Jr, and the mother of novelist and professor, Lee Albert Siegel. Noreen’s husband James Whitmore was a recipient of accolades including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Academy Award nominations. Noreen Nash is still alive as of April 2023.

Noreen Nash: Bio Summary

How Old Is James Whitmore’s Wife, Noreen?

Noreen Nash is 99 years old as of 2023. She was welcomed into the world on April 4, 1924, in Wenatchee, Washington, U.S. She was named Norabelle Jean Roth by her parents. She is the daughter of Albert and Gail Roth. Albert was in the beverage industry while Gail was a teacher. Gail passed away in 1998 at the age of 99.

Noreen Nash Retired From Acting In 1962

Noreen Nash is an ex-film and television actress. She began her career in 1942 when she was crowned ”Apple Blossom Queen” in her hometown. She started as a showgirl after earning a contract with MGM and ended up with uncredited parts at MGM. She worked as a model alongside Marilyn Monroe before her screen debut in the 1943 musical film Girl Crazy.

Eventually, Noreen Nash’s MGM contract expired in 1944. She changed her last name to Nash at her agent’s suggestion after appearing as J. Carrol Naish’s daughter in The Southerner (1945). She often played leading roles in b-movies of the late 1940s and 1950s. She appeared in Adventures of Casanova, Assigned to Danger, Storm Over Wyoming, and Charlie’s Haunt.

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Noreen Nash has also appeared in TV series including Hopalong Cassidy, The Abbott and Costello Show, and 77 Sunset Strip. She appeared in the TV Series, The Lineup, Yancy Derringer, General Electric Theater, and The Dick Powell Theatre, among others. She has 50 acting credits per her IMDb profile. In the year 1962, she was encouraged by her youngest son to retire from acting, which she did.

Noreen Nash Became A Writer

After she retired from the film industry, Noreen Nash chose to go to school. She enrolled in The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and majored in history. In 1971, she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree. She embarked on a writing career. She became a writer and has published several books. Her books include By Love Fulfilled (1980), Agnès Sorel, Mistress of Beauty (2013), and Titans of the Muses: When Henry Miller Met Jean Renoir (2015).

Noreen Nash Married Twice

The beautiful actress, Noreen Nash got married two times. Her first husband was Dr. Lee Siegel, who worked as a medical director at the film studio 20th Century Fox. The duo decided to walk down the aisle after knowing each other for a little over a month. Noreen and Dr. Lee Siegel were married on December 12, 1942, in a ceremony that happened in Las Vegas.

Their union brought two sons into the world. Lee Siegel Jr., who is a novelist and religion professor is one of Noreen Nash and Dr. Lee Siegel’s two sons. Lee Siegel Jr is professor emeritus of religion at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and he is the author of several books, including Love in a Dead Language, Who Wrote the Book of Love?, and Love and the Incredibly Old Man.

Lee Siegel Jr’s novel, Love in a Dead Language, became a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and also a bestseller in India. Noreen Nash and Dr. Lee Siegel’s other son is Robert James Siegel, a cardiologist. Dr. Lee Siegel passed away on May 7, 1990, leaving his wife Noreen, and his children behind. It was after Dr. Lee died that Noreen got married for the second time.

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Noreen Nash got married to American actor James Whitmore aka James Allen Whitmore Jr, in 2001. Noreen became the stepmother of James’ children: actor and director, James Allen Whitmore III, Steve Whitmore, and Daniel ‘Dan’ Whitmore. Noreen and James were married until James died at the age of 87 on February 6, 2009, at his Malibu, California home. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008 and died from the disease.