Vivian Vance, well known in TV Land as Ethel Mertz, was born Vivian Jones in 1907 in Cherryvale, Kansas. She spent most of her youth in Independence, Kansas. Vance started acting when she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico; there, her performances with the Little Theater inspired the local audience to take up a collection to send her to New York City to study acting. In New York, Vivian assumed her stage name and spent much of the 30s and 40s as a successful Broadway stage actress. In the late 40s she suffered a nervous breakdown and moved to the West Coast, where she continued to perform in theater productions.

"I Love Lucy" director Marc Daniels, who had worked with Vance in a theater production of "Counselor at Law," suggested her for the role of Ethel Mertz. Daniels took Desi Arnaz to see her in a revival of "The Voice of the Turtle," and they both Knew at once that they had found the right actress to play opposite Lucille Ball.

But Ball and Vance were not as easily convinced. Vance, who was starting to get Some movie roles, viewed herself as a glamorous Broadway actress-not as a frumpy, overweight, comedic landlady. For her part, Ball saw Vance as direct competition. Vance's hair was red, she was slim and attractive, and she was a year younger than Ball. Lucille Ball complained that Vance was not the peroxide-blond-in-an-old-frayed-bathrobe that Ball had envisioned.

Once Vance had decided she wanted the role, however, she did everything possible to convince Lucille Ball that she was Ethel Mertz. She even spent the entire run of the "I Love Lucy Show" twenty pounds overweight. This commitment to the role gained Vivian Vance several Best Supporting Actress Emmy nominations; she finally won an Emmy in 1953.

After "I Love Lucy" ended, Vivian Vance auditioned for a comedy series of her own-"Guestward Ho!"-but the lead role eventually went to another actress. Vance went happily into retirement with her new husband, literary agent John Dodds, and moved to Stamford, Connecticut.

In 1962 it took quite a bit of pressure and some complicated contract negotiations to persuade Vance to commute weekly to the West Coast for "The Lucy Show." Vance asked that her character name be changed to Vivian from Ethel, and she also asked permission to lose the extra twenty pounds that she had carried during "I Love Lucy." Vance also bargained for a more glamorous wardrobe as well.

After three seasons (1962-1965), Vance had had enough of her weekly coastal commutes; she returned to her life of retirement in Connecticut. She did, however, appear in yearly reunion episodes of "The Lucy Show" until 1972. She also continued to make appearances on Lucille Ball's specials as well as on other television series, including "Love American Style" and "Rhoda."

Vance died on August 17, 1979.