Best remembered for her work in the movies 'Sweet Charity and Can-Can'. Gwen's mother Gertrude Verdon was a dancer and vaudeville veteran. Gwen had 'rickets' as a child and was often nicknamed 'Gimpy' because of the leg braces she had to wear. She would enter Clara Reids Dance School as young child (age three) with the hopes of strengthening her legs, not knowing someday to be a dance headliner. By the age of 6, Gwen was studying many dance forms such as Ballroom, Balinese, Tap, Jazz, Juggling and Flamenco. Later studied dance with Ernest Belcher.

   Before Verdon became a star she worked for the Hollywood Reporter and made her Professional Broadway debut in 'Alive and Kicking' in 1950. She would sometimes be credited as Verdun, and started her career as a child actor as well as a dancer who made her debut in the film 'Little Annie Rooney' at the age of sixteen. After Gwen's divorce to Henagham, she would become Jack Cole's assistant choreographer. Gwen Verdon, would become a star in the 1953 musical 'Can-Can' at the age of twenty-eight. In later days she would Co-host with ballroom dance champion Ron Montez on television's Ballroom dance Championships.

She won Tony Awards for her roles in Can-Can, Damn Yankees, New Girl in Town, and Redhead.