Popular actor-singer Inga Swenson, famous for portraying the role of Gretchen the cook on the ABC series Benson, passed away at the age of 90 on Sunday in Los Angeles. According to media reports, the death was due to natural causes.
Inga played the role of Gretchen in the '80s sitcom Benson, which aired for seven years. The character Gretchen was a German cook and the workplace frenemy of the protagonist of the show. Inga's portrayal of the role earned her three nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
The actor was also a trained lyric soprano and had a successful career on Broadway. She was nominated for Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for two of her performances - One for Lizzy Curry in 110 in the Shade and another for Irene Adler in Baker Street. Some of the other productions that she was a part of include Camelot, Peer Gynt and The First Gentleman. She also performed on the big screen in films like Advise and Consent, Lipstick, The Betsy and The Miracle Worker.
On the personal front, Inga was known to have studied drama at Northwestern University. She later married sound engineer Lowell Harris in 1953 and had two sons with him.