Angela Paton obit

Angela Paton Dies: ‘Groundhog Day’ Actress Was 86

She was not on the list.

Angela Paton, whose dozens of credits include playing an innkeeper in the Bill Murray comedy Groundhog Day, died Thursday in Oakland, CA. She was 86. Her nephew told the Associated Press report that she had been in hospice care since a recent heart attack.

Paton had a long career in local Bay Area theater and appeared briefly on Broadway in 1969’s The Three Sisters and 1980’s Passione, starring

Jerry Stiller. She was in her late 50s when she began to land TV guest spots on such popular series as Thirtysomething, The Wonder Years, Hunter and Quantum Leap. She also did a six-episode arc of Falcon Crest and appeared in the early-’90s features Flatliners and Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael before getting the role for which she’s best remembered.

Groundhog Day opened at No. 1 in February 1993 and went on to gross $70.1M and become a repeated-view favorite. SNL alum Murray starred as a grumpy weatherman who began living the same day over and over again (remember the song that played on his alarm clock every morning?). Paton played Mrs. Lancaster, the kind-spirited innkeeper who asked Murray’s Phil multiple times, “Will you be checking out today, Mr. Connors?”

Paton continued to work steadily well into this decade, racking up more than 90 credits including TV’s Star Trek: Voyager, NYPD Blue, ER, Home Improvement, Cybill, Dharma & Greg, JAG, My Name Is Earl and Medium. She also appeared on the big screen in such films as The Wedding Singer, Joe Dirt, Lolita, American Wedding and Red Eye.

Paton also appeared on Broadway, opposite Jim Parsons in the short-lived 2012 revival of Harvey.



Filmography

Year Title Role Notes

1971 Dirty Harry Homicide Detective Uncredited

1988 Winnie Mrs. Spencer TV film

1989 Roe vs. Wade TV film

1989 Manhunt: Search for the Night Stalker Mrs. Webster TV film

1990 Flatliners Doctor

1990 Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael Gloria Sikes

1991 Love, Lies and Murder Parole Board Member #3 TV film

1991 Crazy from the Heart Edna TV film

1991 Lies of the Twins Mrs. Shearer TV film

1992 The Last of His Tribe Mrs. Gustafson TV film

1992 Criminal Behavior Adelaide TV film

1992 Keep the Change Dinah TV film

1993 Groundhog Day Mrs. Lancaster

1993 And the Band Played On Woman in Denver TV film

1994 Clean Slate Shirley Pogue

1994 Blue Sky Dottie Owens

1994 Where Are My Children? Ellie McNeil TV film

1994 Trapped in Paradise Hattie Anderson

1995 Home for the Holidays Woman on Airplane

1996 Eye for an Eye Moderator

1996 Hollywood Boulevard Mary

1997 Lolita Mrs. Holmes

1998 The Wedding Singer Faye

1998 The Con Lyla TV film

1999 The Joyriders Rita Mae Tuttle

2001 The Kennedys Grandma TV film

2001 Early Bird Special Mrs. Carmichael

2001 Joe Dirt Woman with Roadrunner

2003 The United States of Leland Airplane Woman

2003 Die, Mommie, Die! Angela's Fan

2003 American Wedding Grandma

2005 Red Eye Nice Lady

2006 Aisle 73 Frances Burnbaum Short

2007 The Valley of Light Granny TV film

2007 Lavinia's Heist Lavinia Silver Short

2007 The Final Season Anne Akers

2013 I Am I Doris

2014 Last Wishes Emilie Baptiste Short, (final film role)

 
Television

Year Title Role Notes

1988 Thirtysomething Nurse 1 episode

1988–1989 Falcon Crest Harriet Anderson 6 episodes

1989 Hunter Eva Sands 1 episode

1989 The Wonder Years Woman at City Hall 1 episode

1990 Doctor Doctor Pauline Meacham 1 episode

1990 Equal Justice Mrs. King 1 episode

1990 Lifestories Eileen Chapin 1 episode

1991 Father Dowling Mysteries 1 episode

1991 Quantum Leap Lottie Sammis 1 episode

1991 My Life and Times Sarah Miller 1 episode

1991 Wings Sandy 1 episode

1991 L.A. Law Sandra Vosburgh 1 episode

1992 Murphy Brown Nurse #1 1 episode

1992 Doogie Howser, M.D. Betty Jameson 1 episode

1991–1992 Nurses Mrs. Kerper, Mrs. Pinson 2 episodes

1993 Sirens Dognapper 1 episode

1993 Love & War Nurse Doris 1 episode

1994 Dave's World Mrs. Begley 1 episode

1995 Star Trek: Voyager Aunt Adah Episode: "Caretaker"

1995 Something Wilder Mrs. Griffen 1 episode

1995 NYPD Blue Josephine Stevens 1 episode

1995 Picket Fences Mrs. Addelson 1 episode

1995 The Client Mrs. Jarvis 1 episode

1994–1995 Home Improvement Irma 2 episodes

1995 ER Mrs. Ransom 1 episode

1996 Seduced by Madness Joan 2 episodes

1996 Cybill Evelyn 1 episode

1996 The Home Court Marie Grant 1 episode

1996 Caroline in the City Mrs. Larson 1 episode

1997 Ink Mrs. Iniger 1 episode

1997 The Tom Show Mrs. Thompson 1 episode

1997 Cracker The Suspect 1 episode

1998 Chicago Hope Irene 1 episode

1998 Players Madge 1 episode

1998 Dharma & Greg Judith 1 episode

1998 Jesse Mrs. Baum 1 episode

1999 L.A. Doctors Mrs. Gerken 1 episode

1999 Sliders Mrs. Meadows 1 episode

2000 Boston Public Mrs. Walsh 2 episodes

2001 That's Life Mrs. Leski 1 episode

2001 The X-Files Mrs. Lukesh 1 episode ("4-D")

2002 First Monday Bernice Jaworski 1 episode

2002 Becker Mrs. Bernstein 1 episode

2003 JAG Elena Motley 1 episode

2005 Numbers Eyewitness 1 episode

2005 Curb Your Enthusiasm Ruth 1 episode

2006 Four Kings Betty 1 episode

2008 My Name Is Earl Old Woman 1 episode

2010 Sons of Tucson Ethel 1 episode

2010 Medium Mrs. Halstead 1 episode

2011 Grey's Anatomy Martha Elkin 1 episode

2014 I Didn't Do It Mrs. Klasby 1 episode