Inga Swenson (born December 29, 1932 in Omaha, Nebraska) is an Emmy award and Golden Globe-nominated American actress.

Swenson was a member of Alpha Phi sorority at Northwestern University where she studied in their famed Drama Department. Swenson is best known to American audiences for her portrayal of "Gretchen Kraus", the autocratic and acerbic German cook (later Head Housekeeper and Budget Director) on the TV sitcom Benson. She got the part by appearing in a multi-episode stint as "Ingrid Svenson", birth mother of Corinne Tate (Diana Canova), on the tv sitcom Soap. Both series were created by Susan Harris and produced by Witt-Thomas-Harris Productions.

Earlier in her career, Swenson had a notable turn on the iconic TV western series Bonanza in two episodes: "Inger, My Love" (1962) and "Journey Remembered" (1963). The appearances were significant in that she played Ben Cartwright's second wife who is Hoss's mother. She took a brief leave of absence from her starring role in "110 in the Shade" on Broadway to appear in "Journey Remembered."

Also early in her career Swenson was acclaimed for her supporting roles in the films Advise and Consent (1962) and The Miracle Worker (1962).

She is a trained lyric soprano and starred on Broadway in New Faces (circa 1956), The First Gentleman (1959) and received Tony Award nominations for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in 110 in the Shade (1964) and Baker Street (1965).

Swenson is married to soundman Lowell Harris, with whom she had two sons, one of whom is deceased, having been killed in a motorcycle accident. Their surviving son Mark Harris is a film editor.

Though her Swedish-sounding name and trademark accent on Benson suggest otherwise, she was born and raised in the U.S., and normally speaks with a General American accent.

Son, James, died in a motorcycle crash at age 26 in 1987.

Son, Mark Harris (IV), is a film editor.

Is a lyric soprano.

After training at Northwestern's famed Drama Department, Swenson made a splash on Broadway in "The First Gentleman" (1959), earning strong reviews and being lured to Hollywood, where she had strong featured roles in Advise & Consent (1962) and Miracle Worker, The (1962). She later returned to Broadway, where she earned Tony nominations as Best Actress in a Musical for her work in "110 In The Shade" (1964) and "Baker Street" (1965).

Is perhaps best-known to a later generation in the atypical role of tart-tongued, German-accented executive housekeeper Gretchen Kraus on the popular 1980s TV series "Benson" (1979) (ABC: 1979-86). The thick accent required of the character led many fans at the time to mistakenly believe Swenson was actually German, when in real life she speaks perfect English.