Jean Stapleton (born Jeanne Murray; January 19, 1923 – May 31, 2013) was an American character actress of stage, television and film. Stapleton is best known for her portrayal of Edith Bunker, the perpetually optimistic and devoted wife of Archie Bunker, on the 1970s sitcom All in the Family. The role earned her three Emmys and two Golden Globes for Best Actress in a comedy series.
Early life
Stapleton was born on January 19, 1923 Her uncle was a vaudevillian performer, and her brother was a stage actor who inspired her to pursue acting.
Career
<!--Do not add mentions of TV appearances without the episode name or season and episode number and the name of the character played...such mentions will be deleted-->
Stapleton began her career in 1942 aged 18 in summer stock theatre and made her New York debut in the Off-Broadway play American Gothic. She was featured on Broadway in several hit musicals, such as Funny Girl, Juno, Damn Yankees and Bells Are Ringing, recreating her parts from the latter two musicals in the film versions of Damn Yankees (1958) (her film debut) and Bells Are Ringing (1960).
Stapleton's early television roles included parts in Starlight Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, Lux Video Theater, Woman with a Past, The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, The Patty Duke Show, Dr. Kildare,
All in the Family
thumb|Stapleton (left) beside [[Carroll O'Connor on the set of All in the Family]]
Stapleton played the role of Edith in All in the Family, which premiered in 1971. and two Golden Globes.
Feeling her character had run its course, Stapleton continued the role of Edith for only five more episodes in the follow-up series Archie Bunker's Place to help the transition. In the first episode of season two, the character of Edith had an offscreen stroke and was written out of the show. In 1982, Stapleton portrayed Eleanor Roosevelt in the TV movie Eleanor, First Lady of the World, focusing on the subject's later life. The role earned her Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress.
She continued to guest-star in a number of television series during the 1980s including two episodes of Faerie Tale Theatre — in 1983 and 1985 editions entitled "Jack and the Beanstalk" as the Giant's Wife and "Cinderella" as the Fairy Godmother — Scarecrow and Mrs. King and The Love Boat. Stapleton also co-starred in the film The Buddy System (1984), alongside Susan Sarandon and Richard Dreyfuss, and played Ariadne Oliver in the 1986 television adaptation of Dead Man's Folly, opposite Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot. She declined the role of Jessica Fletcher in the TV series Murder, She Wrote, which went to Angela Lansbury.
From 1990 to 1991, Stapleton co-starred with Whoopi Goldberg in 15 episodes of Bagdad Cafe,<!--comment out, displayed in box image but needs better source The show was created by Shelley Duvall and lasted only one season. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108868/ Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (TV Series 1994)]-->
In 1996, Stapleton appeared in the educational series Beakman's World as Beakman's mother, Beakmom, and also appeared on Everybody Loves Raymond playing Ray's imperious aunt. The same year, she appeared in the Murphy Brown episode "All in the Family" playing Miles's grandmother, Nana Silverberg, and also played opposite John Travolta in Nora Ephron's hit film Michael as the eccentric rooming house owner, Pansy Milbank. She voiced John Rolfe's maid, Mrs. Jenkins, in Disney's 1998 direct-to-video animated film Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, and appeared in the film You've Got Mail as a close co-worker in whom Meg Ryan's character confides. From 1998, Stapleton took her "Eleanor" characterization to live theaters, now adapted as a one-woman show.
In May 2000, Stapleton appeared in "Mother's Day", an episode of the TV series Touched by an Angel, portraying an angel named Emma who came to help Celine who was taking care of her late best friend's mother.<!--Do not add mentions of TV appearances without the episode name or season and episode number and the name of the character played...such mentions will be deleted-->
Stapleton's final film role was as Irene Silverman in the 2001 fact-based TV movie, Like Mother, Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes, starring Mary Tyler Moore as convicted criminal Sante Kimes. while her final acting role was in Horton Foote's The Carpetbagger's Children at Lincoln Center in New York, March 7, 2002.
Stapleton was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2002. She was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame that same year.
Personal life
Stapleton was married to William Putch from 1957 until his death in 1983. The couple had two children: actor/writer/director John Putch and television producer Pamela Putch. For 30 years, William Putch directed a summer stock theater, Totem Pole Playhouse, at Caledonia State Park in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania. Stapleton performed regularly at the theatre with the resident company. When William Putch died of a heart attack during the run of a touring production in Syracuse, Stapleton insisted on performing that night.
Stapleton's brother, Jack Stapleton, was a stage actor. Her cousin was actress Betty Jane Watson. Stapleton was active in the Christian Science church. She was unrelated to actress Maureen Stapleton, contrary to a common misconception.
Stapleton supported Walter Mondale's campaign in the 1984 presidential election, was a vocal supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, and took an active role in the 1977 National Women's Conference.
Stapleton rarely appeared on talk shows; nevertheless, she reunited on-camera with Carroll O'Connor on Donny and Marie Osmond's show on April 24, 2000, a little over a year before O'Connor's death. When the Osmonds asked her to perform in Edith Bunker's voice, she declined to do so and jokingly said that she only did so "for pay". <!-- comment out detailed claim needing secondary source: Stapleton later told the Archive of American Television that she does not like to replicate in casual settings the voices and mannerisms of characters whom she has created, as she feels that it trivializes and detracts from the characters as originally created.-->
Death and reaction
Stapleton died at her apartment in Manhattan, on May 31, 2013, at age 90. Co-star Rob Reiner said, "Working with her was one of the greatest experiences of my life."
The marquee lights on Broadway were dimmed for two minutes on June 5, 2013, at 8 p.m. EDT, to honor the memory of Stapleton. She was cremated by the Neptune Society in Paramus, New Jersey. Her cenotaph lies at Lincoln Cemetery in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
Filmography
Films
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1958
| Damn Yankees
| Sister Miller
| Film debut; recreating Broadway role
|-
| 1960
| Bells Are Ringing
| Sue
|
|-
| 1961
| Something Wild
| Shirley Johnson
|
|-
| 1967
| Up the Down Staircase
| Sadie Finch
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1971
| Cold Turkey
| Mrs. Wappler
|
|-
| Klute
| Goldfarb's Secretary
|
|-
| 1984
| The Buddy System
| Mrs. Price
|
|-
| 1993
| The Trial
| Landlady
| Uncredited
|-
| 1996
| Michael
| Pansy Milbank
|
|-
| 1998
| Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
| Mrs. Jenkins (voice)
| Direct-to-video
|-
| 1998
| You've Got Mail
| Birdie Conrad
|
|-
| 2001
| Pursuit of Happiness
| Lorraine
| Final film role
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1951
| Starlight Theatre
| Woman
| Episode: "The Come-Back"
|-
| 1952
| Robert Montgomery Presents
|
| Episode: "Storm"
|-
| 1953
| Lux Video Theatre
| Teacher
| Episode: "A Time for Heroes"
|-
| 1954–1956
| Omnibus
|
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1954
| Woman with a Past
| Gwen
| TV series
|-
| 1955
| Repertory Theatre
| Bus Girl
| Episode: "A Business Proposition"
|-
| 1960
| The Robert Herridge Theater
|
| Episode: "The End of the Beginning"
|-
| 1961–1963
| Naked City
| Various
| 3 episodes
|-
| 1961
| Dr. Kildare
| Nurse Whitney
| Episode: "The Patient"
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1962
| Dennis the Menace
| Mrs. Flora Davis
| Episode: "Mr. Wilson's Housekeeper"
|-
| The Nurses
| Mrs. Montgomery
| Episode: "The Barbara Bowers Story"
|-
| Jackie Gleason: American Scene Magazine
| Nagging Wife
| Episode: #1.5
|-
| The Defenders
| Mrs. Larsen
| Episode: "The Hidden Jungle"
|-
| Car 54, Where Are You?
| Mrs. Duggan (uncredited)
| Episode: "Je T'Adore Muldoon"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1963
| The Eleventh Hour
| Rosa Criley
| Episode: "The Bride Wore Pink"
|-
| Route 66
| Mrs. Snyder
| Episode: "93 Percent in Smiling"
|-
| 1964
| My Three Sons
| Molly Dunbar
| Episode: "The People's House"
|-
| 1965
| The Patty Duke Show
| Mrs. Pollack
| Episode: "The Raffle"
|-
| 1971–1979
| All in the Family
| Edith Bunker
| 205 episodes<br>Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series<small> (1971–1972, 1978)</small><br>Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy<small> (1973–1974)</small><br>Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series<small> (1973–1975, 1977, 1979)</small><br>Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy<small> (1972, 1975, 1978–1980)</small>
|-
| 1973
| Acts of Love and Other Comedies
| Gina's Mother
| TV movie
|-
| 1976
| American Documents, Vol. 5: How We Got the Vote
| Host/Narrator
| TV documentary
|-
| 1977
| Tail Gunner Joe
| Mrs. DeCamp
| TV movie
|-
| 1978
| The Muppet Show
| Herself
| 1 episode
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1979
| You Can't Take it With You
| Penny Sycamore
| TV movie
|-
| Aunt Mary
| Mary Dobkin
| TV movie
|-
| Archie Bunker's Place
| Edith Bunker
| 5 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1981
| Angel Dusted
| Betty Eaton
| TV movie
|-
| Captain Kangaroo
| Freddie's Mom
| Episode: "The Captain Kangaroo's 25th Anniversary Special"
|-
| Isabel's Choice
| Isabel Cooper
| TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1982
| Eleanor, First Lady of the World
| Eleanor Roosevelt
| TV movie<br>Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie<br>Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
|-
| Something's Afoot
| Miss Tweed
| TV movie
|-
| 1983–1985
| Faerie Tale Theatre
| Various
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1984
| A Matter of Sex
| Irene
| TV movie
|-
| Scarecrow and Mrs. King
| Lady Emily Farnsworth
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1985
| Great Performances
| Helen
| Episode: "Grown-Ups"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1986
| Dead Man's Folly
| Ariadne Oliver
| TV movie
|-
| The Love Boat
| Helen Branigan
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1987
| Tender Places
| Sam
| TV movie
|-
| 1989
| Trying Times
| Edna
| Episode: "The Boss"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1990
| The American Playwrights Theater: The One Acts
| Helen
| Episode: "Let Me Hear You Whisper"
|-
| Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
| Mother Goose
| TV movie
|-
| 1990–1991
| Bagdad Cafe
| Jasmine Zweibel
| 15 episodes
|-
| 1991
| Fire in the Dark
| Henny
| TV movie<br>Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1992
| Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
| Narrator (voice)
| Episode: "Elizabeth and Larry/Bill and Pete"
|-
| The Habitation of Dragons
| Lenora Tolliver
| TV movie
|-
| The Ray Bradbury Theater
| Grandma
| Episode: "Fee Fie Foe Fum"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1993
| General Motors Playwrights Theater
| Emilie
| Episode: "The Parallax Garden"
|-
| Ghost Mom
| Mildred
| TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1994
| Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
| Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
| 13 episodes
|-
| Grace Under Fire
| Aunt Vivian
| Episode: "The Road to Paris, Texas"<br>Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
|-
| 1995
| Caroline in the City
| Aunt Mary Kosky
| Episode: "Caroline and the Opera"
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1996
| Murphy Brown
| Nana Silverberg
| Episode: "All in the Family"
|-
| Lily Dale
| Mrs. Coons
| TV movie
|-
| Everybody Loves Raymond
| Aunt Alda
| Episode: "I Wish I Were Gus"
|-
| Beakman's World
| Beakman's Mom
| Episode: "Elephants, Beakmania and X-Rays"
|-
| 1914–1918
| Edith Wilson (voice)
| TV miniseries documentary: "War Without End"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1998
| Style & Substance
| Gloria
| Episode: "A Recipe for Disaster"
|-
| Chance of a Lifetime
| Mrs. Dunbar
| TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2000
| Touched by an Angel
| Emma
| Episode: "Mother's Day"
|-
| Baby
| Byrd
| TV movie
|-
| 2001
| Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes
| Irene Silverman
| TV movie<br>Final film role
|}
Stage
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1953 || In the Summer House || Inez || Playhouse Theatre, Broadway
|-
| 1953 || American Gothic || Mrs. Adams || Circle in the Square, Off-Broadway
|-
| 1955 || Damn Yankees || Sister || 46th Street Theatre, Broadway
|-
| 1956 || Bells are Ringing || Sue || Shubert Theatre, Broadway
|-
| 1959 || Juno || Mrs. Madigan || Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway
|-
| 1961 || Rhinoceros || Mrs. Ochs || Longacre Theatre, Broadway
|-
| 1964 || Funny Girl || Mrs. Strakosh || Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway
|-
| 1986 || Arsenic and Old Lace || Abby Brewster || 46th Street Theatre, Broadway
|-
| 1991 || The Learned Ladies || Philamente || Classic Stage Company, Off-Broadway
|-
| 2002 || The Carpetbagger's Children || Grace Ann || Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Off-Broadway
|}
References
External links
- Obituary on BroadwayWorld