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Karolyn Grimes, Zuzu in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ Looks Back on a Life That Wasn’t Always Wonderful
The Hollywood ReporterStory by Scott Feinberg
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At 84, Karolyn Grimes, the actress who played Zuzu in the holiday classic 'It's a Wonderful Life,' reflects on a life marked by tragedy and her enduring connection to the beloved film.
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- When Grimes was just 15, she was orphaned after the deaths of her mother from early-onset Alzheimer's and her father in a car accident, leading to a cruel upbringing by her aunt that she escaped by marrying at 18.
- Grimes' youngest son died by suicide at 18, a tragedy that deepened her bond with Jimmy Stewart, who lost a son in the Vietnam War, and inspired her to devote her life to sharing the uplifting message of 'It's a Wonderful Life' with others.
call sheet
Karolyn Grimes, Frank Capra, Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Cary Grant, John Wayne, Danny Kaye, Liberty Films, Paramount Pictures, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Target, It's a Wonderful Life, Pardon My Past, Blue Skies, The Bishop's Wife, Rio Grande, Hans Christian Andersen