Born in England, Francis Fisher is an actress best known for her role as Ruth Dewitt Bukater (the mother of Rose) in the movie Titanic. Fisher's father worked in overseas construction, and before settling in Orange, Texas, her family had lived in England, Turkey, Brazil, France, Italy, Colombia, and Iowa-all before Francis reached the age of 15.

 

Fisher started her acting career at the Orange Community Playhouse in Orange, Texas. Fresh out of Lutcher Stark High School and working as a secretary at Firestone, Fisher says at quitting time, she "would up and rush down to OCP" for rehearsals.

 

Fisher appeared in Summer and Smoke, A Man for All Seasons, and Mame, before deciding acting was the career for her. A local retiree, John Holland, first suggested she turn professional and gave Fisher a letter of introduction to the Barter Theater in Virginia. Fisher eventually spent 14 years in New York City working in theater and on the television soap operas, including The Edge of Night and The Guiding Light.

 

After moving to Los Angeles, Fisher appeared in a plethora of television productions and feature films, including Titanic, L.A. Story, The Principal, Pink Cadillac, Patty Hearst, Tough Guys Don't Dance, Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?, Heart, and the role of Lucille Ball in the television movie Luci and Desi. In 2017, she and her daughter Francesca Eastwood both starred in the acclaimed Fargo episode "The Law of Non-Contradiction" as the young and old versions of the same character. Francesca's father is Clint Eastwood.