Doris Roberts
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person
Doris May Roberts (Template:Nee Green; November 4, 1925 – April 17, 2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned seven decades of television and film. She received five Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild award during her acting career, which began in 1948.
Roberts studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City and started in films in 1961. She had several prominent film roles, including playing opposite Shirley Stoler in The Honeymoon Killers (1970), Elliott Gould in Little Murders (1971), Steven Keats in Hester Street (1975), Billy Crystal in Rabbit Test (1978), Robert Carradine in Number One with a Bullet (1987), Cady McClain in Simple Justice (1989), among many others.
She achieved continuing success in television, becoming known for her role as Mildred Krebs in NBC's Remington Steele from 1983 to 1987 and achieved worldwide recognition for her co-starring role as the matriarch, Marie Barone, on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond (1996–2005). Towards the end of her acting career, she also had a prominent role opposite Tyler Perry in Madea's Witness Protection (2012), and The Middle.
She appeared as a guest on many talk and variety shows, as well as a panelist on several game shows. She was an advocate of animal rights and animal rights activism, supporting groups such as the United Activists for Animal Rights.
Early life
Doris May Green was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants. She was raised by her mother, Ann (née Meltzer),Template:Citation needed and her maternal grandparents in The Bronx, New York, after her father, Larry Green, deserted the family.<ref name="25ref">Template:Cite web</ref> Roberts' stepfather, whose surname she took as her own, was Chester H. Roberts. Chester and Roberts' mother operated the Z. L. Rosenfield Agency, a stenographic service catering to playwrights and actors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By her teens, Roberts was renowned for her skill as a typist and would assist with the family business. Ruth Finley was one such client who recalls her typing up final copies of The Fashion Calendar for print.
Career
Film and television
Template:More citations needed Roberts' acting career began in 1948 with a role on the TV series Studio One. She appeared in episodes of The Naked City (1958-1963), Way Out (1961), Ben Casey (1963), and The Defenders (1962-1963). In 1961, she made her film debut in Something Wild (1961).
She appeared in such 1960s/1970s films as A Lovely Way to Die, No Way to Treat a Lady, The Honeymoon Killers, Such Good Friends, Little Murders, A New Leaf, The Heartbreak Kid, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Hester Street, and Rabbit Test. In 1978, she appeared in a film about John F. Kennedy's assassination, Ruby and Oswald, in which she played Jack Ruby's sister. She also appeared briefly in The Rose, as the mother of the title character (Bette Midler) She had a very memorable, but uncredited role as the maid in "Barefoot in the Park" in 1967, with Robert Redford.
.jpg)
In an interview with the Archive of American Television, Rue McClanahan confirmed that in 1972 she was approached by Norman Lear during the taping of an All in the Family episode to be a late replacement for Roberts, who was originally intended for the role of Vivian on Maude.<ref>(via YouTube)Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> (Roberts later guest starred in a 1976 All in the Family episode, "Edith's Night Out" as a bar patron who befriended Edith.)
Roberts also appeared on Alice, playing the mother of the title character (played by her former Broadway co-star Linda Lavin); on Barney Miller in two different roles, as the wife of a man who secretly visits a sex surrogate, and (in three episodes) as the harried wife of a middle-aged man who occasionally makes erratic decisions to give his life meaning. She played the unhinged Flo Flotsky on four episodes of Soap, and Dorelda Doremus, a faith healer, on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Roberts played Theresa Falco on Angie, and later appeared as Mildred Krebs on NBC's Remington Steele from 1983-1987.
After Remington Steele ended, she starred in several films including the TV film remake of If It's Tuesday, It Still Must Be Belgium (1987), Number One with a Bullet (1987), Simple Justice (1989), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), and Used People (1992). She also appeared on Full House as Danny Tanner's mother, Claire, as well as two episodes of Murder, She Wrote, and as lonely Aunt Edna on Step by Step among others.
Roberts achieved much of her fame for her role as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond, which ran on CBS from 1996 to 2005. She was reportedly one of 100 actresses considered for the role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For her work on the series, she was nominated for seven Emmy Awards (and won four times) for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She had previously won an Emmy for a guest appearance on St. Elsewhere, playing a homeless woman, and was also once nominated for her role on Remington Steele.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> She was nominated for appearances on Perfect Strangers and a PBS special called The Sunset Gang.
In 2003, she made a guest appearance as Gordo's grandmother in Lizzie McGuire. The same year, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2006, she starred in Our House as a wealthy woman who took in homeless people into her own house, and in Grandma's Boy.
In 2007, she made a guest appearance on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.<ref name=":0"/> In 2008, she appeared in the romantic comedy Play the Game alongside Andy Griffith, who plays a lonely widowed grandfather re-entering the dating world after a 60-year hiatus. Roberts appeared in the 2009 film Aliens in the Attic, which was filmed in Auckland, New Zealand. She starred as Emily Merkle (Mrs. Miracle) in the Hallmark television film Mrs. Miracle (2009)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and its sequel, Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She played George Needleman's mother in Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection (2012).
On September 23, 2010, she played Ms. Rinsky, Brick Heck's teacher in the second-season premiere episode of The Middle. This appearance reunited her with Patricia Heaton, her co-star from Everybody Loves Raymond. Roberts returned in two other episodes that season, "The Math Class" and the finale, "Back to Summer". In 2013 she was a special guest star in the Major Crimes episode "There’s No Place Like Home".
Stage
Roberts' stage career began in the 1950s on Broadway. She appeared in numerous Broadway shows including William Saroyan's The Time of Your Life, William Marchant's The Desk Set (with Shirley Booth), Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (with James Coco and Linda Lavin) and Terrence McNally's Bad Habits. She starred in McNally's Unusual Acts of Devotion at the LaJolla Playhouse in June 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Honors
In May 2005, Roberts received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from the University of South Carolina.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor on May 7, 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 2003, at 7021 Hollywood Blvd.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Advocacy and other work
On September 4, 2002, Roberts testified before a U.S. Congressional panel that age discrimination was prevalent in Hollywood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was a registered Democrat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
An animal rights advocate, Roberts worked with the group Puppies Behind Bars, which works with inmates in training guide dogs and assistance dogs for the physically disabled and elderly, as well as dogs trained in explosives detection to be used by law enforcement agencies.<ref name="Puppies">Template:Cite web</ref> She was also active with the Children with AIDS Foundation, where she served as chairwoman.<ref name="Puppies"/>
With Danelle Morton, Roberts wrote Are You Hungry, Dear? Life, Laughs, and Lasagna. The book was published by St. Martin's Press in 2003, and serves as a memoir as well as a collection of some of Roberts' recipes.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Personal life
Roberts married Michael Cannata in 1956; they divorced in 1962. They had one son. She had three grandchildren. Her second husband was writer William Goyen and they were married from 1963 until his death from leukemia in 1983.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Death
Roberts died in her sleep on April 17, 2016, at her home in Los Angeles following a stroke, at the age of 90.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She had also suffered from pulmonary hypertension for many years before her death. Just a month after her death she was memorialized in New York City, where a public tribute was held at the Ambassador Theatre, where she appeared in 1972 in The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild with Maureen Stapleton. Among the stars attending the service were Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton (her co-stars from Everybody Loves Raymond) and actor David Hyde Pierce. Romano said of Roberts: Template:Cquote
In another interview Romano jokingly referred to the kissing thing that Roberts would do off-camera: "You know how great she was then!" He also added: "We had a little get together for her. She was one of a kind. She can outwork it, outdrink it, good kisser, I was joking! I appreciated her."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Just a month after her death, he said: Template:Cquote She was interred at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles, California.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Something Wild | Mary Ann's Co-Worker | <ref name="Something Wild">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1964 | Dear Heart | Desk Clerk | Uncredited | |
| 1967 | Barefoot in the Park | Hotel Maid | <ref name="Barefoot in the Park">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Divorce American Style | Hypnotic Subject | <ref name="Divorce American Style">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 1968 | No Way to Treat a Lady | Sylvia Poppie | <ref name="No Way to Treat a Lady">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| A Lovely Way to Die | Feeney | Uncredited | <ref name="A Lovely Way to Die">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1970 | The Honeymoon Killers | Bunny | <ref name="The Honeymoon Killers">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1971 | Little Murders | Mrs. Chamberlain | <ref name="Little Murders">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| A New Leaf | Mrs. Traggert | <ref name="A New Leaf">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| Such Good Friends | Mrs. Gold | <ref name="Such Good Friends">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 1972 | The Heartbreak Kid | Mrs. Cantrow | <ref name="The Heartbreak Kid">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1974 | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Jessie, Mayor's Wife | <ref name="The Taking of Pelham One Two Three">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1975 | Hester Street | Mrs. Kavarsky | <ref name="Hester Street">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Blood Bath | Mrs. Lambert | |||
| 1978 | Rabbit Test | Mrs. Carpenter | <ref name="Rabbit Test">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Once in Paris... | Brady's ex-Wife | |||
| 1979 | Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff | Marie | <ref name="Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| The Rose | Mrs. Foster | Loosely based on the life of singer Janis Joplin | <ref name="The Rose">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1987 | Number One with a Bullet | Mrs. Barzak | <ref name="Number One with a Bullet">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1989 | National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation | Frances Smith | <ref name="National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Simple Justice | Anna DiLorenzo | |||
| 1990 | The Ladies on Sweet Street | Bea | ||
| 1992 | Used People | Aunt Lonnie | <ref name="Used People">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1993 | The Night We Never Met | Lion's Den Nosy Neighbor | ||
| 1994 | Taffy | <ref name="Taffy">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 1995 | The Grass Harp | Mrs. Richards | <ref name="The Grass Harp">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1997 | Walking to Waldheim | Mina Goldblatt | Short drama film | |
| Sea World and Busch Gardens Adventures: Alien Vacation! | Marie | |||
| 1998 | My Giant | Rose Kaminski | <ref name="My Giant">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| A Fish in the Bathtub | Frieda | <ref name="A Fish in the Bathtub">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue | Auntie Shrew | Voice | <ref name="btva">Template:Cite web A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> | |
| 2001 | All Over the Guy | Esther | <ref name="All Over the Guy">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2003 | Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | Peggy Roberts | <ref name="Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2006 | Grandma's Boy | Grandma Lilly | <ref name="Grandma's Boy">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| I-See-You.Com | Doris Bellinger | |||
| Keeping Up with the Steins | Rose Fielder | <ref name="Keeping Up with the Steins">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 2009 | Play the Game | Rose Sherman | <ref name="Play the Game">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Aliens in the Attic | Nana Rose Pearson | <ref name="Aliens in the Attic">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 2010 | Another Harvest Moon | Alice | <ref name="Another Harvest Moon">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2012 | Margarine Wars | Grandma Betty Johansson | <ref name="Margarine Wars">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Madea's Witness Protection | Barbara | <ref name="Madea's Witness Protection">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 2014 | The Little Rascals Save the Day | Grandma | ||
| 2015 | No Deposit | Kat Nugent | ||
| The Secret of Joy | Grandma | Short | ||
| 2016 | The Red Maple Leaf | Mrs. Samantha Adams | Posthumous release | |
| The Escort | Margaret | Short; posthumous release | ||
| Job's Daughter | Ruth Morrison | Posthumous release (final feature film role) | ||
| 2018 | Zizi and Honeyboy | Zizi | Short; posthumous release (final role) |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Starlight Theatre | Operator | Episode: "Act of God Notwithstanding" |
| 1952 | Studio One in Hollywood | The Madwoman | Episode: "Jane Eyre" |
| Suspense | Woman | Episode: "A Time on Innocence" | |
| 1954 | Look Up and Live | Minnah | Episode: "Rider Number Six" |
| 1961 | 'Way Out | Edna | Episode: "Side Show" |
| 1962 | Naked City | Miss Tresant | Episode: "One of the Most Important Men in the Whole World" |
| 1963 | Ben Casey | Claire Forest | Episode: "Father Was an Intern" |
| 1969 | CBS Playhouse | Shimmy | Episode: "Shadow Game" |
| 1975 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Helen Ferrell | Episode: "Phyllis Whips Inflation" |
| Medical Center | Gladys Callahan | Episode: "Two Against Death" | |
| Baretta | Mrs. Asher | Episode: "Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth" | |
| 1976 | All in the Family | Marge | Episode: "Edith's Night Out" |
| Viva Valdez | Gladys | Episode: "The Nurse's Pipes" | |
| Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman | Dorelda Doremus | 3 episodes | |
| The Streets of San Francisco | Mrs. Strauss | "The Thrill Killers" (Parts I and II) | |
| Family | Etta | Episode: "Home Movie" | |
| Rhoda | Sylvia Levy | Episode: "Meet the Levys" | |
| 1977 | It Happened One Christmas | Ma Bailey | TV movie |
| 1978–1980 | Barney Miller | Louise Kaufmann, Harriet Brauer | 4 episodes |
| 1978 | Soap | Flo Flotsky | 4 episodes |
| 1979–1980 | Angie | Theresa Falco | 36 episodes (actress); 1 episode (director) |
| 1979 | Fantasy Island | Marjorie Gibbs | Episode: "Goose for the Gander/The Stuntman" |
| 1980 | The Diary of Anne Frank | Mrs. Van Daan | TV movie |
| Fantasy Island | Madam Clooney | Episode: "Delphine/The Unkillable" | |
| The Love Boat | Rose | Episode: "Sergeant Bull" | |
| 1981–1982 | Maggie | Loretta | 8 episodes |
| Alice | Mona Spivak | 2 episodes | |
| 1982 | St. Elsewhere | Cora | Episode: "Cora and Arnie" |
| 1983 | Romance Theatre | Maggie | 5 episodes |
| Cagney & Lacey | Helen Freitas | Episode: "Jane Doe #37" | |
| 1983–1987 | Remington Steele | Mildred Krebs | Recurring: season 2, main role: seasons 3-5 (71 episodes) |
| 1985 | California Girls | Mrs. Bowzer | Television film |
| 1985 | Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre | Mother Pig | Episode: "The Three Little Pigs" season 4: episode 1 |
| 1986 | Mr. Belvedere | Judge Westphall | Episode: "Deportation: Part 2" |
| 1989 | Perfect Strangers | Mrs. Bailey | Episode: "Maid to Order" |
| 1990 | Full House | Claire Tanner | Episode: "Granny Tanny" |
| Murder, She Wrote | Helen Owens | Episode: "Shear Madness" | |
| Blind Faith | Tessie McBride | Miniseries | |
| A Mom for Christmas | Philomena | TV movie<ref name="A Mom for Christmas">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1991 | Empty Nest | Aunt Retha | Episode: "The Last Temptation of Laverne" |
| American Playhouse | Mimi Finkelstein | Episode: "The Sunset Gang" | |
| 1993 | The Boys | Doris Greenblat | 6 episodes |
| The John Larroquette Show | Mrs. Shenker | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 1993–1995 | Dream On | Angie Pedalbee | 6 episodes |
| 1994 | Murder, She Wrote | Mrs. Leah Colfax | Episode: "The Murder Channel" |
| Step by Step | Aunt Edna | Episode: "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | |
| A Time to Heal | Maddy | TV movie<ref name="A Time to Heal">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1995 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Elaine Portugal | Episode: "The Big Bingo Bamboozle" |
| 1996–2005 | Everybody Loves Raymond | Marie Barone | Main role (210 episodes) |
| 1997 | A Thousand Men and a Baby | Sister Philomena | TV movie<ref name="A Thousand Men and a Baby">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Eunice, Doris | Voice, episode: "Watch the Watch/She Likes Me?"<ref name="btva" /> | |
| 1999 | The King of Queens | Marie Barone | Episode: "Rayny Day" |
| 2000 | The Wild Thornberrys | Cow #1 | Voice, episode: "Critical Masai"<ref name="btva" /> |
| One True Love | Lillian | TV movie<ref name="One True Love">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2001 | The Sons of Mistletoe | Margie | TV movie<ref name="The Sons of Mistletoe">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2002 | Touched by an Angel | Rose | Episode: "The Bells of St. Peters" |
| 2003 | Lizzie McGuire | Grandma Ruth | Episode: "Grand Ole' Grandma" |
| A Time to Remember | Maggie Calhoun | TV movie | |
| 2004 | Raising Waylon | Great Aunt Marie | TV movie<ref name="Raising Waylon">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Sesame Street | Herself | Episode: "The Street We Live On" | |
| 2006 | Our House | Ruth | TV movie<ref name="Our House">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Me, Eloise | (voice) | Episode: "Eloise Goes to School Part 1" | |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Virginia Harrington | Episode: "Privilege" |
| 2009 | Mrs. Miracle | Emily Merkle/Mrs. Miracle | TV movie<ref name="Mrs. Miracle">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2010 | Mrs. Miracle 2: Miracle In Manhattan | Emily Merkle/Mrs. Miracle | TV movie<ref name="Call Me Mrs. Miracle">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2010–2011 | The Middle | Mrs. Rinsky | 3 episodes |
| 2011 | Special Agent Oso | Lena's Grandma | Voice, episode: "A View to the Truth" |
| Grey's Anatomy | Gladys Polcher | Episode: "It's a Long Way Back" | |
| Hot in Cleveland | Lydia | Episode: "Dancing Queens" | |
| Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension | Mrs. Thompson | Voice, television film<ref name="btva" /> | |
| 2012 | Desperate Housewives | Doris Hammond | Episode: "Lost My Power" |
| 2013 | Major Crimes | Vera Walker | Episode: "There's No Place Like Home" |
| 2013–2014 | Melissa & Joey | Sofia | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Touched by Romance | Norma | TV movie |
| The Birthday Boys | Mrs. Steenburg | Episode: "Freshy's" | |
| 2015 | Merry Kissmas | Mrs. Billing | TV movie |
| 2016 | Adam Astra Casting | Dame Daisy Phillips, Lois Willard, Lana delPeno, Carla Lockwood, Cleo Benington |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Dates | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | The Time of Your Life | The Streetwalker's Sidekick | CityCenter | January 19 - January 30 | <ref name="Time">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| The Desk Set | Miss Rumple | Broadhurst Theatre | October 24, 1955 - July 7, 1956<ref name="Desk"/> | <ref name="Desk">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1963 | Marathon '33 | Rae Wilson | ANTA Playhouse | December 22, 1963 - February 1, 1964 | <ref name="Marathon">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1966 | Malcolm | Standby for: Template:Plain list | Shubert Theatre | January 11 - January 15 | <ref name="Malcolm">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| The Office | Miss Punk | Henry Miller's Theatre | Never officially opened - April 30, 1966 | <ref name="Office">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Under the Weather | Standby for: Shelley Winters as Flora Sharkey / Marcella Vankuchen / Hilda | Cort Theatre | October 27 - November 5 | <ref name="Weather">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1967 | The Natural Look | Edna | Longacre Theatre | March 11 - March 11 | <ref name="Look">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1969 | Last of the Red Hot Lovers | Jeanette Fisher | Eugene O'Neill Theater Center | December 28, 1969 - September 4, 1971 | <ref name="Lovers">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Sfn |
| 1972 | The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild | Template:Plain list | Ambassador Theatre | November 14 - December 2 | <ref name="Affairs">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1974 | Bad Habits | Template:Proper name | Booth Theatre | May 5 - October 5 | <ref name="Habits">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1978 | Cheaters | Grace | Biltmore Theatre | January 15 - February 11 | <ref name="Cheaters">Template:Cite web</ref> |
Awards and nominations
Book
References
Sources
External links
- 1925 births
- 2016 deaths
- Actresses from St. Louis
- American film actresses
- American people of Russian-Jewish descent
- American stage actresses
- American television actresses
- Jewish American actresses
- Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
- Actresses from the Bronx
- California Democrats
- New York (state) Democrats
- 20th-century American Jews
- 21st-century American Jews
- 21st-century American women
- 20th-century American women