Josephine Hull, born Mary Josephine Sherwood (1877-1957), was an American stage and film actress. Her career was primarily in theater, where she became a constant and acclaimed presence on the Broadway stage. She is universally remembered for playing the role of the amiable, elderly aunt Abby Brewster in the stage comedy *Arsenic and Old Lace*, a character she reprised with great success in the 1944 film adaptation of the same name, directed by Frank Capra. Another of her iconic roles was Veta Louise Simmons, the sister of the main character, in the comedy *Harvey*. Her performance in the 1950 film adaptation, alongside James Stewart, earned her the two most important awards of her career: the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. She is associated with eccentric and kind-hearted characters, whom she memorably portrayed on both stage and screen.