Updated: December 14, 2025

Vivian Vance ( Born Vivian Roberta Jones, 1909 to 1979 ) was a beloved American actress famous for playing the witty and loyal Ethel Mertz alongside Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy, winning an Emmy for the role, and later starring as Vivian Bagley in The Lucy Show, solidifying her legacy as a comedic foil and television icon, with a career spanning stage, film, and TV from the 1920s to the late 1970s.

Key Highlights:

Iconic Role: Her most famous role was Ethel Mertz, the landlady and best friend to Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, appearing with William Frawley ( Fred Mertz ) as the show's second couple.

Award-Winning: She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for I Love Lucy. Continued Partnership with Lucille Ball: After I Love Lucy, she reunited with Ball in The Lucy Show, playing Vivian Bagley, her neighbor.

Early Life & Career: Born in Cherryvale, Kansas, she started in theater and nightclubs before hitting it big in television, adopting the surname "Vance" for her professional life.

Legacy: She left an indelible mark on television comedy and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.

Later Life: She married writer John Dodds and was known for her love of writers and the literary world. She passed away in 1979 from bone cancer.