- Her trademark, hoarse voice was caused by an early bout of whooping cough.
- One week after winning the Oscar, she went in to pick up her unemployment check and the entire office burst into applause.
- Marlene Dietrich said of her, "If she were acting in Europe, she'd be queen of the boards. The barbarism of Hollywood typecasting deprives the world of her true talents".
- The one time in her life she managed to stop smoking, she had dinner with Bette Davis and started again.
- She was the only performer (besides Edward Asner, of course) to have reprised a role (Flo Meredith) on Lou Grant (1977) that originated on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970).
- Heckart has always considered herself primarily as a stage actress. On the night she won her Oscar, she said to a reporter that the award was "nice, but it's not my life.".
- In order to get Heckart to agree to do "Bus Stop," director Joshua Logan read the entire script over the phone to her. It took two and a half hours while her whole family was waiting for dinner. She was in Arizona at the time because her son had recently contracted meningitis.
- Twice played First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in Backstairs at the White House (1979) and F.D.R.: The Last Year (1980) and also played her in a one woman stage show .
- Won a Special Tony Award in 2000 for "Excellence in Theater". Previously, she had received three Tony nominations as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic): in 1958 for William Inge's "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs," in 1961 for "Invitation to a March," and in 1970 for "Butterflies Are Free," the last recreated in her Oscar-winning performance in the film version with the same title, Butterflies Are Free (1972).
- Heckart played her Oscar-winning role in "Butterflies" in both New York and London prior to doing the film.
- Is one of 3 actresses who have won both the Best Supporting Actress Oscar (hers being for Butterflies Are Free (1972)) and the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy (hers being for Love & War (1992)). The other actresses are Cloris Leachman and Melissa Leo.
- Her son Philip Yankee died on June 8, 2004 aged 49.
- She studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.
- Delivered a stillborn son, Michael, in 1950.
- Gave birth to her 3rd child at age 40, a son Luke Yankee on February 7, 1960. Child's father was her husband, John Yankee.
- Returned to work 4 months after giving birth to her son Philip to begin performing in the Broadway play "The Bad Seed".
- Graduated from Ohio State University with a drama degree.
- Gave birth to her 1st child at age 33, a son Mark Yankee on June 16, 1952. Child's father was her husband, John Yankee.
- Gave birth to her 2nd child at age 35, a son Philip Yankee on August 14, 1954. Child's father was her husband, John Yankee.
- Was the 72nd actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Butterflies Are Free (1972) at The 45th Annual Academy Awards (1973) on March 27, 1973.
- Delivered her sons Michael, Mark and Philip naturally and her son Luke via Caesarean section.
- Was 5 months pregnant with her son Philip when she completed her run of the Broadway play "Picnic".
- Stepsisters: Marilyn Pickering (Michigan City, IN) & Anne Fraggiotti (Centerville, OH).
- Returned to work 8 months after giving birth to her son Luke Yankee to begin performing in the Broadway play "Invitation to a March".
- Eileen Heckart was in "Dark at the Top of the Stairs", another Inge play, and shared the stage with Timmy Everett that year, who won a tony for his role in the play.
- She was a lifelong Democrat and personally met President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967.
- Returned to work 4 months after giving birth to her son Mark to begin performing in the Broadway play "In Any Language".
- Born at 6:02 AM (EST).
- Has never appeared in a film nominated for the the Best Picture Oscar.
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