Anne Meara - # 106

Anne Meara, one half of 'Stiller & Meara' and mother of Ben Stiller, dies

She was number 106 on the list.

Comedy great Anne Meara, the quick-witted half of the comedy team "Stiller & Meara," died at 85 on Saturday, her family said.

Meara and her husband, Jerry Stiller, were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long, the family said in a statement. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, comic actor Ben Stiller, daughter Amy Stiller and grandchildren.

"Anne's memory lives on in the hearts of daughter Amy, son Ben, her grandchildren, her extended family and friends, and the millions she entertained as an actress, writer and comedienne," the family statement said.

Meara was born in 1929 in Brooklyn, New York, to parents of Irish-Catholic descent. She studied under acting teacher Uta Hagen and aspired to become a "serious" actor in the tradition of Maureen Stapleton and Kim Stanley.

Then she met Stiller, a Jewish boy from Brooklyn, and turned to comedy even though she "disdained" comedians, she said in a 2005 interview.

"I was glad he got us to be a comedy team, because then we weren't just waiting for the agent to call," she said. "We traveled with our own stuff."

The couple made their name as Stiller & Meara in the 1960s with frequent performances on variety shows, including the "The Ed Sullivan Show." Desperate to come up with a bit at the last minute, they plumbed the depths of their background to create "uber-Jewish guy" Hershey Horowitz and "uber-Irish girl" Mary Elizabeth Doyle -- caricatures of themselves, they said in 2005.

The couple met at a New York casting call in 1953. Meara left crying, saying the agent chased her around the office, a scene described in Stiller's autobiography, "Married to Laughter: A Love Story Featuring Anne Meara."

"She looked sort of puritanical and smelled nice," Stiller said of the "angel-faced" aspiring actress. When he invited her out for coffee, he was caught off-guard when she asked him to steal silverware in exchange for paying her share.

"I told myself, 'What am I getting myself into, hanging out with New York actresses? They're all crazy,' " he wrote.

They married in 1954, and she converted to Judaism, according to The Hollywood Reporter. After years of struggling to stardom, they eventually teamed up for a comedy act playing exaggerated versions of themselves in New York's Greenwich Village coffeehouses: self-deprecating, kvetching New Yorkers.

They polished their act at Chicago's Compass Theater, a 1950s cabaret revue show whose members went on to form the Second City Theater in 1959. Before long, they were performing as Stiller & Meara on popular TV shows of the 1960s including "The Merv Griffin Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."


Their success led to a contract for Blue Nun wine radio commercials, a long-running campaign credited with boosting sales of the semi-sweet German wine.

By the 1970s, they were ready to pursue independent careers or risk ending their marriage.

"I didn't know where the act ended and our marriage began," Meara told People magazine in 1977.

"I love Anne, but if I had depended on her in my professional life ... I would have lost her as a wife," Stiller told the magazine.

Stiller pursued a career in comedy that led to memorable roles as George Costanza's father on "Seinfield" and "The King of Queens."

Meara became a regular on the game show circuit and landed the role of Sally Gallagher on the TV series "Rhoda." She went on to play hundreds of TV roles in the 1980s and 1990s in practically every hit show of the moment, from "The Love Boat" to "ALF" to "Sex and the City" and "King of Queens."

News of her death prompted tributes from fans and celebrities spanning generations.

"My heart and prayers go out to Jerry and Ben for the loss of their beloved Anne Meara," actress Patty Duke said.


Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes

1970 The Out-of-Towners Woman in Police Station

1970 Lovers and Other Strangers Wilma

1972 Irish Whiskey Rebellion Goldie Fain-Follies Star

1977 Nasty Habits Sister Geraldine

1978 The Boys from Brazil Mrs. Curry

1980 Fame Mrs. Sherwood

1984 In Our Hands Documentary

1986 The Longshot Madge

1986 The Perils of P.K.

1987 My Little Girl Mrs. Shopper

1989 That's Adequate Charlene Lane

1990 Awakenings Miriam

1992 Through an Open Window 24-minute short

1992 Highway to Hell Medea

1993 So You Want to Be an Actor Herself Short subject

1994 Reality Bites Louise

1994 The Search for One-Eye Jimmy Holly Hoyt

1995 Heavyweights Alice Bushkin

1995 Kiss of Death Bev's Mother

1996 The Daytrippers Rita Malone

1998 The Thin Pink Line Mrs. Langstrom

1998 Southie Mrs. Quinn

1999 The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man

1999 Judy Berlin Bea

1999 Brooklyn Thrill Killers 29-minute short

1999 A Fish in the Bathtub Molly

2000 Amy Stiller's Breast Herself Short subject

2000 The Independent Rita

2001 Zoolander Protestor Uncredited

2001 Keeping It Real: The Adventures of Greg Walloch Documentary

2001 Get Well Soon Linda

2002 Like Mike Sister Theresa

2002 The Yard Sale 19-minute short

2003 Crooked Lines Hard Boiled

2004 Chump Change Casting Director

2006 Night at the Museum Debbie

2007 The Mirror

2007 The Shallow End of the Ocean Voice of Alice 28-minute short

2008 Sex and the City: The Movie

2009 When the Evening Comes Marion Corrado

2009 The Queen of Greenwich Village 13-minute short

2009 Another Harvest Moon Ella

2014 Simpler Times 33-minute short with Jerry Stiller

2014 Planes: Fire & Rescue Winnie Voice (last role where she was partnered with Jerry Stiller, playing Harvey)



Television

Year Title Role Notes

1954–1955 The Greatest Gift Harriet

1954 The Philco Television Playhouse Betty Blake Episode: "Man on the Mountaintop"

1959 The DuPont Show of the Month Episode: "Oliver Twist"

1960 Ninotchka Anna ABC TV movie

1964–1965 Linus! The Lion Hearted Animated TV series, 3 episodes

1971 Dames at Sea Joan TV adaptation of stage musical (Nov. 15, 1971)

1971, 1972 The Courtship of Eddie's Father Bunny Sterling / Annie Dempsey 2 episodes

1971, 1973 Love, American Style 2 episodes

1973 The Paul Lynde Show Grace Dickerson 3 episodes

1973 The Corner Bar Mae / Jennifer Bradley Cast member, 7 episodes

1974 Medical Center Rose Miller Episode: "The Enemies"

1975 Kate McShane Kate McShane Cancelled after 10 episodes

1976–1977 Rhoda Sally Gallagher 7 episodes

1977–1978 Take Five with Stiller & Meara

1979, 1981, 1983 Love Boat 3 episodes

1979–1982 Archie Bunker's Place Veronica Rooney 52 episodes

1979–1982 HBO Sneak Previews Costarred with Jerry Stiller

1983 The Other Woman Peg Gilford TV movie (CBS); Meara co-wrote the teleplay with Lila Garrett

1986 The Stiller and Meara Show Canceled after a few weeks, cast member and co-writer

1987–1989 ALF Dorothy Halligan Appeared in 7 episodes; wrote one episode in 1989

1987–1989 CBS Schoolbreak Special Mrs. Salters Episode: "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book"

1988, 1993 Murder, She Wrote Winnie Tupper Banner / Mae Shaughnessy 2 episodes

1990 Monsters Episode: "One Wolf's Family"

1991 The General Motors Playwrights Theater Rose Finker Episode: "Avenue Z Afternoon"

1991 American Playhouse "The Sunset Gang" (4/5/91); Bernice Shapiro in segment "The Detective"

1992–1999 All My Children Peggy Moody 5 episodes

1992–1999 CBS Schoolbreak Special Patricia Lennon Episode: "Love off Limits"

1994 In the Heat of the Night Roda Episode: "Poor Relations"

1994 Great Performances: The Mother Mrs. Geegan PBS TV movie, Oct. 24, 1994

1994 Murphy Brown Reena Bernecky 2 episodes

1996 Homicide: Life on the Street Donna DiGrazi 2 episodes

1997 Jitters mother TV Movie

1999 After Play Writer and cast member

1999, 2002 Oz Aunt Brenda O'Reily 2 episodes

1999, 2003–2007 The King of Queens Mary Finnegan (1999) / Veronica Olchin (2003-07) 10 episodes

2001 What Makes a Family Evelyn Cataldi TV movie (Lifetime)

2001 Ed Barbara Gennacarro Episode: "The Test"

2001 Will & Grace Mrs. Friedman Episode: "Star-Spangled Banter"

2002–2004 Sex and the City Mary Brady 4 episodes

2003 Good Morning, Miami Claire's Friend Episode: "The Slow and the Furious"

2003 Charlie Lawrence Pauline Lawrence, Charlie's Mother Episode: "If It's Not One Thing It's Your Mother"

2004–2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Irene Kerns / Ida Becker 2 episodes

2006 Four Kings Ruth Episode: "Pilot"

2009 Mercy Estelle Thalberg Episode: "The Last Thing I Said Was"

2009–2010 Wonder Pets! Granny Jenny / Linny's Grandmother 2 episodes

2010 Gravity Mrs. Talbot Episode: "Old People Creep Me Out"

2011 Rip City Myrt TVLand sitcom pilot that did not sell



Theatre

Love, Loss and What I Wore (Off-Broadway, April 27, 2011 – May 28, 2011, rotating cast

Down the Garden Paths (Off-Broadway, November 19, 2000 – January 14, 2001, playwright)

After-Play (Off-Broadway, 1995, playwright & and also played Terry Guteman from May 16, 1995 – April 28, 1996, As playwright, she won the 1995 Outer Critics Circle Award John Gassner Award)

Anna Christie (Broadway, 1993, as Marthy Owen; Tony Award nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Play)

Eastern Standard (Off-Broadway, 1988, as May Logan)

Romeo and Juliet (Off-Broadway, 1988, 9 performances, as Nurse, Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival)

A... My Name Is Alice (Off-Broadway, 1984, co-writer; Women's Project & Productions)

Spookhouse (Off-Broadway, 1984, Harvey Fierstein comedy closed after 6 performances)

The House of Blue Leaves (Off-Broadway, February 10, 1971 – December 3, 1971, as Bunny Flingus)

Ulysseys in Nighttown by James Joyce (Off-Broadway, 1958)

As You Like It (Off-Broadway, 1958, as Audrey; Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival)[48]

Miss Loneyhearts (Broadway, 1957, as Sick-of-it-All)

The Good Woman of Setzuan (Phoenix Theatre, 1956 as Niece)

A Month in the Country (Phoenix Theatre, 1956, as Katina, a maid)



Radio

I'd Rather Eat Pants, National Public Radio, 2002

Blue Nun wine ads with Jerry Stiller, winner Clio Award, 1975