While June Carter Cash may be best known for singing and songwriting, she was also an author, dancer, actress, comedian, philanthropist, and humanitarian. Director Elia Kazan saw her perform at the Grand Ole Opry in 1955 and encouraged her to study acting. She studied with Lee Strasberg and Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. Her acting roles included Mrs. "Momma" Dewey in Robert Duvall's 1998 movie "The Apostle", Sister Ruth, wife to Johnny Cash's character Kid Cole, on "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (1993–97), and Clarise on "Gunsmoke" in 1957. June was also Momma James in "The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James". She also acted in occasional comedy skits for various Johnny Cash TV programs.