Karolyn Grimes, Zuzu in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ Looks Back on a Life That Wasn’t Always Wonderful

Story by Scott Feinberg

Image from The Hollywood Reporter

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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.

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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

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