Vivian Vance (July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was a beloved American actress and singer, forever immortalized as Ethel Mertz, television’s most famous and celebrated sidekick, on the groundbreaking sitcom I Love Lucy.
From 1951 to 1957, Vance played the loyal but long-suffering landlady and best friend to Lucille Ball’s wacky Lucy Ricardo. As Lucy’s partner in countless schemes, their on-screen chemistry became the stuff of television legend. For her iconic performance, she won the very first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1954.
Her legendary partnership with Ball continued on The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour and later on The Lucy Show (1962-1965), where she played a similar character, Vivian Bagley. Though she had a long career on stage and screen, her role as the eternally exasperated but always faithful Ethel cemented her status as an indispensable part of the greatest comedy duo in television history.
