Joyce Randolph (née Sirola; October 21, 1924 – January 13, 2024) was an American actress of stage and television, best known for playing Trixie Norton on The Jackie Gleason Show and the television sitcom The Honeymooners, being the last surviving member of the cast.
Early life and career
Randolph was born in Detroit on October 21, 1924, and was of Finnish descent. As a teenager, she acted with the Wayne University Workshop. After she finished high school, she began working in retail sales for a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Detroit. When a touring company of Stage Door played in Detroit, she auditioned, got a part, and performed for the rest of the tour. She moved to New York City in 1943 to pursue an acting career. She took roles on Broadway and landed various television roles. In a September 2015 interview, Randolph said that she did not portray Trixie Norton in Honeymooners revivals due to personal and geographic reasons; in addition, Randolph stated that Gleason considered her to be "the quintessential Trixie."
thumb|Randolph in 1955
Randolph said that asking Gleason to give her more lines was out of the question. "You don't even talk to Jackie, let alone ask for anything," Randolph said. "He didn't talk much, and he didn't like to rehearse much." Randolph talked about a hectic workload for filming the show, with getting all 39 episodes shot within a calendar year. Though she stated there was not much conversation among cast members, everyone showed up on Saturdays to film the show in front of a live studio audience.
Other stage and TV roles
On Broadway, Randolph appeared in Ladies Night in a Turkish Bath (1950). Randolph was typecast after leaving The Jackie Gleason Show and seldom found other acting roles. "For years after that role," Randolph said, "directors would say: 'No, we can't use her. She's too well known as Trixie. She performed in summer stock musicals, made commercials, and had a few guest appearances on television shows, including her reprisal of Trixie Norton (along with Audrey Meadows reprising her role as Alice Kramden) in the 1991 episode "Fur Flies" in Hi Honey, I'm Home!.
Personal life
thumb|Randolph in 2006
Joyce married Richard Lincoln Charles in 1955 and together they had a son, Randolph Richard Charles, who pursued a career in marketing. Randolph and Charles stayed married until his death in 1997. Randolph was the grand-aunt of former Major League Baseball pitcher Tim Redding.
Death
Randolph was the last surviving cast member of The Honeymooners.
Filmography
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1952–1957
|The Jackie Gleason Show
|Thelma "Trixie" Norton
|
|-
|1955–1956
|The Honeymooners
|Thelma "Trixie" Norton
|
|-
|1991
|Hi Honey, I'm Home!
|Thelma "Trixie" Norton
|
|}
References
External links
- Joyce Randolph, The Last-Surviving 'Honeymooner'
- Joyce Randolph obituary