Unusually Histrionic Behavior
From her early childhood, everyone who knew Mercedes believed that her destiny was to be an actress. Mercedes was prone to “unusually histrionic behavior,” something she inherited from her parents and grandparents, who were known for their “animated arguments, sweepingly dramatic exits and entrances, extreme brooding,” and more.
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The McCambridge family drama wasn’t all bad, as elaborated in Ron Lackmann’s biography of the actress; they were also admired for their tendency to break out into “frequent outbursts of song” and their “abundance of boisterous laughter.” John and Marie McCambridge loved the attention and raised Mercedes to enter the spotlight someday.