Mary Pat Gleason obit

Mary Pat Gleason, 'A Cinderella Story' and 'Mom' actor, dies at 70

She was not on the list.

Mary Pat Gleason, whose extensive list of film and television credits includes “A Cinderella Story” and more recently the CBS sitcom “Mom,” died of cancer on June 2. She was 70.

Gleason’s manager confirmed the news, telling Variety that “she was a fighter to the end.”

The actress began her career in 1982, with her first on-screen role being in an episode of the NBC soap opera “Texas.” Four years later, Gleason won a daytime Emmy as part of the writing team on “Guiding Light,” the long-running radio and soap opera which ran for a whopping 72 seasons across both mediums, before being canceled by CBS in 2009. Gleason also starred in the series as Jane Horgan. Her career started with a small role in Troop Beverly Hills with Shelley Long.

Many viewers will recognize Gleason for her recurring role on CBS’s “Mom.” She played Mary, an AA member who was frequently interrupted by Bonnie (Allison Janney) when she shared her problems with the group. The character’s anecdotes tended to be bizarre, often creepy, and she ended up dying of a brain aneurysm during one meeting in an episode of the show’s recent seventh season.

She appeared in episodes of “The Blacklist” and “American Housewife” in the last couple years, as well as in the College Humor series “WTF 101.”

On the film side, her impressive list of credits includes “Basic Instinct,” “The Crucible,” and the 2003 George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones romantic comedy “Intolerable Cruelty.” Her rom-com streak extended the next year to “A Cinderella Story,” in which she played waitress Eleanor to Regina King’s restaurant manager Rhonda.

Her final film credit was in the 2018 Netflix movie “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” in which she played the high school guidance counselor to Sierra (Shannon Purser) and the main cast of teens.

Filmography

Film

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1983      Easy Money        Party Mother    

1989      Troop Beverly Hills           Kindly Troop Leader       

1989      I, Madman          Policewoman    

1989      Fat Man and Little Boy   Dora Welsh        

1990      Vital Signs            Rotunda Woman             

1990      Pastime                Woman at Bar  

1991      Defending Your Life         Waitress             

1991      Soapdish              Housewife         

1992      Basic Instinct      Juvenile Officer

1992      Man Trouble      Vira       

1992      Lorenzo's Oil      The Librarian     

1994      Lookin' Italian    Casting Director               

1994      Holy Matrimony                Female Officer  

1994      Speechless          Desk Clerk          

1995      A Walk in the Clouds       Bus Driver          

1996      Infinity County Nurse #2              

1996      The Crucible       Martha Corey   

1996      No Easy Way      Nurse Barb         

2000      Traffic   Witness #2         

2001      Evolution             Customer           

2002      Hometown Legend          Tee Naters         

2003      Bruce Almighty Heavyish Woman            

2003      Cliché    Francesca DePesto          Short

2003      Intolerable Cruelty           Nero's Waitress               

2003      Grand Theft Parsons       Nurse   

2004      13 Going on 30 Mrs. Flamhaff   

2004      A Cinderella Story            Eleanor                

2005      Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School      Natasha               

2005      The Island            Nutrition Clerk  

2005      Underclassman Ms. Hagerty       

2006      Lies & Alibis        Operator #3       

2006      One Sung Hero Sara's Mom        Short

2006      Wristcutters: A Love Story            Eugene's Mother             

2006      Room 6                 Nurse Holiday   

2007      Because I Said So              Iris         

2007      The Memory Thief           Hospital Patient               

2007      Nobel Son           Ruby     

2007      I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry        Teresa  

2007      Moving McAllister            Margerie             

2008      Bottle Shock       Marge  

2008      Drillbit Taylor     Mrs. Farber        

2010      Santa's Apprentice          Beatrice Lovejoy               English version, voice

2011      Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star Marge  

2011      I Love You Like Crazy       Yvette   Short

2012      Arcadia                 Agnes   

2013      The Magic Snowflake     Beatrice Lovejoy               English version, voice

2014      Blended               Pharmacy Cashier           

2014      Earth to Echo     Dusty – Mullet Lady at Bar           

2014      Big Stone Gap    Alice Lambert   

2016      Why Him?           Joyce    

2016      Nina       Orderly                

2016      Ophelia                Grumpy                Short

2017      Fan Girl                 Carla     

2018      Sierra Burgess Is a Loser                Counselor Stevens          

Television

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1982      Texas     Doris Hodges      1 episode

1983      Guiding Light      Jane Hogan         Episode: "Thanksgiving Day"

Writer, 2 episodes

1987      What a Country!               Nurse    Episode: "Nikolai Speaks"

1987      Full House           Jennifer Sianski Episode: "The Return of Grandma"

1987      Highway to Heaven         Lucille Perry        Episode: "Why Punish the Children?"

1988      Mama's Family Arlene Madison                Episode: "A Friend Indeed"

1988      Frank's Place      Mother                 Episode: "Night Business"

1988      The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick         Waitress              Television film

1989      Those She Left Behind    Nurse Walker     Television film

1989      Murphy Brown Olga       Episode: "Moscow on the Potomac"

1989      Peter Gunn         Nurse    Television film

1989      Quantum Leap Mrs. Thompson                 Episode: "Camikazi Kid"

1989      Highway to Heaven         Bus Driver           Episode: "The Squeaky Wheel"

1989      Dear John            Secretary             Episode: "The Secret of Success"

1989      Life Goes On       Mrs. Pasogian    Episode: "Pets, Guys and Videotape"

1989      Night Court         Sister Ruth          Episode: "The Cop and the Lady"

1990      His & Hers           Mrs. Fishbain     Episode: "M Is for the Many Things She Lifted"

1990      Singer & Sons     Marilyn                 Episode: "The Boxer Rebellion"

1990      Framed                 Art Museum Woman      Television film

1990      Steel Magnolias                Janice Van Meter             Pilot

1990      ABC Afterschool Specials               Mrs. Rupert        Episode: "Testing Dirty"

1990      Who's the Boss?               Diane    Episode: "Parental Guidance Suggested"

1990      Empty Nest         Nurse Bradford Episode: "Honey, I Shrunk Laverne"

1990      Night Court         Matron                 Episode: "A Night Court at the Opera"

1990      L.A. Law                Edna Garth          Episode: "Vowel Play"

1990      Saved by the Bell              Madame Oeuf   Episode: "The Babysitters"

1991      Davis Rules         Waitress              Episode: "Twisted Sister"

1991      In the Heat of the Night                 Hostess                Episode: "Just a Country Boy"

1991      Perfect Strangers             Betty     Episode: "A Catered Affair"

1991      Top of the Heap                Mrs. Epstein       Episode: "The Agony and the Agony"

1991      Nurses Off Duty Nurse Episode: "Son of a Pilot"

1991      Murder, She Wrote         Reference Librarian         Episode: "Night Fears"

1991      Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion          Amanda Cooper                Television film

1991      The Story Lady   Receptionist       Television film

1992      The Golden Palace           Lost and Found Woman                 Episode: "Miles, We Hardly Knew Ye"

1992      A Child Lost Forever: The Jerry Sherwood Story   Mrs. Rory             Television film

1993      Getting By           Mrs. Hanover     2 episodes

1993      Precious Victims               Waitress #1        Television film

1993      The Secrets of Lake Success         Lady Diner           3 episodes

1993      Coach    Winnie Episode: "Piece o' Cake"

1993      Blossom               Woman                Episode: "Big Doings: Part 2"

1994      Children of the Dark        Lydia Fallbrook Television film

1994      Good Advice       Carol      Episode: "Two Times Twenty"

1994      Friends Nurse Sizemore                Episode: "The One with George Stephanopoulos"

1994      The 5 Mrs. Buchanans    Helen McConnell              Episode: "Nothing on Delilah"

1995      Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Postal Inspector                Episode: "Metallo"

1995      Sister, Sister       Snaggle-Toothed Woman             Episode: "Kid in Play"

1995      Step by Step       Ms. Butkus          Episode: "Maid to Order"

1995      The West Side Waltz                       Television film

1996      The Right to Remain Silent           Doris      Television film

1996      ER           Adoption Caseworker Anne Parks             Episode: "The Healers"

1996      Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man          voice     Episode: "Apocalypse Not"

1996      Lush Life               Morgana              Episode: "The Lush Hex"

1996      The Secret Life of Alex Mack        Mrs. French        Episode: "Images"

1996      Dave's World     Lucille   Episode: "The Importance of Missing Earnest"

1997      NYPD Blue           Mary Mosler      Episode: "Emission Impossible"

1997      Total Security     Renata Fogel      Episode: "Looking for Mr. Goombah"

1997      Suddenly Susan                 Edna      Episode: "Susan's Minor Complication"

1998      Ask Harriet          Nurse    Episode: "Turn Your Head & Kafka"

1998      Grown-Ups         Nurse    Television film

1998      Family Matters Berta     Episode: "Polkapalooza"

1998      You Lucky Dog   Cook      Television film

1999      Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show   Hazel     Episode: "Honey, I'll Be Right Witch You"

1999      A Season for Miracles     Young Grandmother       Television film

2000      Will & Grace       Sally       2 episodes

2001      The Huntress     Nurse    Episode: "Family Therapy"

2001      Sex and the City                Lucille   Episode: "My Motherboard, My Self"

2001      That's Life            Dispatcher          Episode: "Boo!"

2001      Malcolm in the Middle   Woman                Episode: "Emancipation"

2002      General Hospital               Mother Superior               1 episode

2002      Providence                         Episode: "Eye of the Storm"

2003      Lucky     Ticket Agent       Episode: "Leaving Las Vegas"

2004      Desperate Housewives Ms. Elenora Butters         Episode: "Who's That Woman?"

2004      Memron              Shelley Johansson            Television film

2004      NCIS       Nurse Wells        Episode: "The Bone Yard"

2005      Inconceivable    Carmen                Episode: "The Last Straw"

2007      Nip/Tuck              Carol McCrackin                Episode: "Duke Collins"

2008      Desperate Housewives Ms. Elenora Butters         Episode: "Back in Business"

2008      The Middleman                Ida          12 episodes

2009      United States of Tara      Masseuse            Episode: "Betrayal"

2009      The Mentalist    Charlotte McAddo           Episode: "The Scarlet Letter"

2010      Chuck    Morgue Clerk     Episode: "Chuck Versus the American Hero"

2010      Good Luck Charlie            Rita        Episode: "Take Mel Out to the Ball Game"

2010      NCIS: Los Angeles             Landlady              Episode: "Bounty"

2011      Billion Dollar Freshmen Esther   Television film

2011      Hawaii Five-0     Land Lady            Episode: "Ka Iwi Kapu"

2012      The Middle         Mrs. Colavita      Episode: "Year of the Hecks"

2012      Desperate Housewives Ms. Elenora Butters         Episode: "Any Moment"

2012      Bones    Crystal Jones      Episode: "The Bump in the Road"

2012      BlackBoxTV         Francine               Episode: "Silverwood: The Perfect Night"

2012      2 Broke Girls       Blanche                Episode: "And the Cupcake War"

2012      Scandal                 Betsy Ray             Episode: "Spies Like Us"

2012      Up All Night        Esther   Episode: "First Snow"

2012–2013          1600 Penn           Patty / Presidential Assistant       4 episodes

2013      Motive Marion Reader Episode: "Framed"

2013      The Bridge           Denise Pilot

2013      Baby Daddy        Aunt Betty           Episode: "The Christening"

2013      Grey's Anatomy                Marge Walker    Episode: "Thriller"

2013      Killing Kennedy Marguerite Oswald          Television film

2013–2014          Instant Mom      Mrs. Gosnold     4 episodes

2014–2019          Mom     Mary     Recurring role, 7 episodes

2014      Dog with a Blog                 Carol      Episode: "The Mutt and the Mogul"

2014      Partners               Maxine Episode: "Who's Your Mama?"

2014      Mistresses          Debbie Episode: "Surprise"

2014      Finders Keepers                Carol      Television film

2016      Shameless           Drug Lord            Episode: "#AbortionRules"

2016      How to Get Away with Murder   Robin Laforge    Episode: "What Happened to You, Annalise?"

2016      Albert    Earth Mama (voice)         Television film

2016      Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Nun #2 Episode: "Fall"

2017      Unwritten Obsession      Carla      Television film

2017      Will & Grace       Bridget 2 episodes

2018      American Housewife      Mrs. Austin         Episode: "It's Not You, It's Me"

2019      The Blacklist       Agatha Tyche/Lady Luck                Episode: "Lady Luck"

2019      WTF 101              Professor Foxtrot (voice)              Main cast