LAMAMIMET

Jo Wilder, born Jo Brower, was an American actress and singer who pursued a career in regional theater during the 1960s. She was best known for her role as Polly in the national tour of The Threepenny Opera in 1960, and also performed in stage productions of Peter Pan and Gypsy. Wilder shared a son, James Katz, and a daughter, Jennifer Grey, with her ex-husband Joel Grey, the Tony and Academy Award-winning performer. Though she had early ambitions as a stage actress, Wilder chose to prioritize motherhood over a full-time entertainment career. She later became known for her activism and ran Wilder Place, a boutique on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. According to her daughter Jennifer Grey, Wilder faced a lung cancer diagnosis and chose to end her life on her own terms, a decision the family honored and supported. She died on July 4, 2026, at the age of 94.