Helen Siff obit

Helen Siff, Actress in ‘Hail, Caesar!’ and ‘You Don’t Mess With the Zohan,’ Dies at 88

The veteran character actress also showed up on television in everything from ‘Lou Grant’ and ‘Married … With Children’ to ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’ 

She was not on the list.

Helen Siff, the familiar character actress who during her five-decade career was seen on dozens of TV shows and in such films as The Karate Kid, Hail, Caesar! and You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, has died. She was 88.

Siff died Thursday in Los Angeles of complications from surgery for a “long, painful illness,” her family announced.

“Those who worked with Helen knew her not just as a talented performer, but as someone who brought professionalism, dedication and genuine kindness to every set,” they said. “She understood that every role, no matter how large or small, was an opportunity to contribute something meaningful to the story being told.”

Her TV résumé included stints on Lou Grant, Cagney & Lacey, Silver Spoons, L.A. Law, Knots Landing, Ellen, Married … With Children, Dharma & Greg, Scrubs, Will & Grace, My Name Is Earl, Modern Family, S.W.AT., Mom, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Good Trouble.

On the stage, Siff originated the role of Helga in a 1993 off-Broadway production of Grandma Sylvia’s Funeral, a comedy about a Jewish funeral gone wrong that involves the audience, and she also appeared in Lilies of the Field, Lost in Yonkers and Over the River and Through the Woods.

For her first commercial, the Woodmere, New York, native appeared with her identical twin sister, Carol Infield Sender, in a “Two Cars in One” spot for Subaru in 1976.

Siff portrayed a cashier in John G. Avildsen’s The Karate Kid (1984), a woman named Mrs. Skitzer who gets her hair done in You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (2008) and a maid who cleans the Malibu home of Channing Tatum’s communist character in the Coen brothers’ Hail, Caesar! (2016).

She also showed up on the big screen in Avildsen’s Rocky (1976), Big Top Pee-wee (1988), Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold (1994) and The Disappearance of Mrs. Wu (2001).

“She had the rare gift of making even the smallest part memorable,” her family noted.

In addition to Carol and another sister, Janet, survivors include her son, Matt; daughters Susie, Karen, Vicki and Jenny, a Hollywood script supervisor; and grandchildren Chelsea, Zach, Robert, Josh, Spencer, Megan and Dean.

Her husband of 41 years, Marshall, an attorney, died in 2007 of complications from Alzheimer’s. Another son, Bruce, died in 1999.

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7.5

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Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)

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1 episode

 

The Disappearance of Mrs. Wu (2021)

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6.7

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Allison Janney and Anna Faris in Mom (2013)

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7.4

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Nikki (voice)

2019

1 episode

 

Rita's (2019)

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2019

 

Shemar Moore in S.W.A.T. (2017)

S.W.A.T.

7.2

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Shirley

2018

1 episode

 

Speed Date (2017)

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8.1

Short

2017

 

Small Shots (2017)

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8.2

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2017

1 episode

 

George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, and Jonah Hill in Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Hail, Caesar!

6.3

Malibu Maid

2016

 

Vivica A. Fox, Eric Roberts, Dominique Swain, Jessica Morris, and Jason-Shane Scott in The Wrong Roommate (2016)

The Wrong Roommate

4.7

TV Movie

Margaret

2016

 

Michelle Trachtenberg in The Christmas Gift (2015)

The Christmas Gift

5.3

TV Movie

Margaret

2015

 

Gigi Does It (2015)

Gigi Does It

6.3

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Debi Mazar

2015

1 episode

 

Body Movement

Short

The Boss

2015

 

Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sarah Hyland, Ed O'Neill, Eric Stonestreet, Beatrice the Dog, Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould, Rico Rodriguez, Reid Ewing, Frances Anderson, and Jeremy Maguire in Modern Family (2009)

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8.5

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2015

1 episode

 

Sally Kirkland, Irene Bedard, Jim J. Bullock, Janice Markham, and Mel England in Ron and Laura Take Back America (2014)

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6.7

Protestor

2014

 

Brian Eric Johnson, Dave Silva, Christina Woods, Hamzah Saman, Michel Wakim, Dina Shuhaiber, Ninef Arsanos, Meni Aga, and Jackie Moore in Mobster (2013)

Mobster

6.9

Ron's Mother

2013

 

Elise Neal, Tami Roman, Keith David, Ella Joyce, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., and Nadja Alaya in Belle's (2012)

Belle's

4.0

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Mrs. Starling

2013

1 episode

 

Wake the Fuck Up (2012)

Wake the Fuck Up

6.1

Short

Grandma

2012

 

Helen: A Great Old Broad (2011)

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Short

Helen McNielson

2011

 

Chris Elliott, Maria Thayer, and Brett Gelman in Eagleheart (2011)

Eagleheart

7.4

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Brett's Mother

2011

1 episode

 

Android Love (2009)

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7.5

Short

Mrs. Neutron

2009

 

Affairs in Order

Carol's Mother

2008

 

Adam Sandler in You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)

You Don't Mess with the Zohan

5.6

Mrs. Skitzer

2008

 

Dream Machine

6.2

Short

Aunt Helen

2008

 

Jason Lee, Jaime Pressly, Ethan Suplee, Eddie Steeples, and Nadine Velazquez in My Name Is Earl (2005)

My Name Is Earl

7.8

TV Series

Waitress

2006

1 episode

 

The Lost (2006)

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5.9

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2006

 

Mädchen Amick, Brian Austin Green, Jacqueline Obradors, Freddie Prinze Jr., Jenny Gago, and Chloe Bridges in Freddie (2005)

Freddie

6.1

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Iris

2006

1 episode

 

Tracy Morgan in The Tracy Morgan Show (2003)

The Tracy Morgan Show

6.4

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Jury Foreman

2004

1 episode

 

Patricia Richardson and Rosa Blasi in Strong Medicine (2000)

Strong Medicine

6.8

TV Series

2003

1 episode

 

Sean Hayes, Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, and Megan Mullally in Will & Grace (1998)

Will & Grace

7.4

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Josie

2003

1 episode

 

Taken (2002)

Taken

7.8

TV Mini Series

Mavis Erenberg (as Helen Infield Siff)

2002

1 episode

 

Kim Delaney, Kyle Secor, Rick Hoffman, Diana Maria Riva, and Tom Everett Scott in Philly (2001)

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Sally (uncredited)

2002

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John C. McGinley, Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Neil Flynn, Ken Jenkins, and Judy Reyes in Scrubs (2001)

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8.4

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2002

1 episode

 

Michael J. Fox, Barry Bostwick, Alan Ruck, Michael Boatman, Connie Britton, Alexander Chaplin, and Richard Kind in Spin City (1996)

Spin City

7.3

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Woman on TV

2001

1 episode

 

Debi Mazar, Paul Sorvino, Ellen Burstyn, Kristin Bauer, Sonny Marinelli, and Heather Dubrow in That's Life (2000)

That's Life

7.6

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2000

1 episode

 

Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson in Dharma & Greg (1997)

Dharma & Greg

6.4

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Frances (as Helen Infield Siff)

1999

1 episode

 

Scott Foley, Keri Russell, and Scott Speedman in Felicity (1998)

Felicity

6.9

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1998

1 episode

 

There Goes the Groom

Short

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1998

 

Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser in Mad About You (1992)

Mad About You

6.8

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Female Teacher

1998

1 episode

 

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997)

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1998

1 episode

 

Tamera Mowry-Housley, Tim Reid, Jackée Harry, and Tia Mowry in Sister, Sister (1994)

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1997

1 episode

 

Christina Applegate, David Faustino, Katey Sagal, and Ed O'Neill in Married... with Children (1987)

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8.1

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1994–1996

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Heather Locklear in Shattered Mind (1996)

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1996

 

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5.9

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1996

 

Timothy Stack in Night Stand (1995)

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8.7

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Beverly

1995

1 episode

 

Josh Kirby: Time Warrior! Chap. 1: Planet of the Dino-Knights (1995)

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5.6

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1995

 

Ellen DeGeneres, Joely Fisher, and Clea Lewis in Ellen (1994)

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6.1

TV Series

Sharon

1994

1 episode

 

Billy Crystal, Jon Lovitz, Jack Palance, and Daniel Stern in City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994)

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5.6

Slushing Lady

1994

 

From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One (1992)

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6.2

TV Movie

Lena Bowden (as Helen Infield Siff)

1992

 

Dragnet (1989)

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5.7

TV Series

Mrs. Wilson

1991

1 episode

 

Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, Constance McCashin, John Pleshette, and Ted Shackelford in Knots Landing (1979)

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1989

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1989

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Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker in Simon & Simon (1981)

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Laura Duxberry

1988

1 episode

 

Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)

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5.5

Mamie (as Helen Infield Siff)

1988

 

Big Top Pee-wee (1988)

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1988

 

Molly Ringwald and Randall Batinkoff in For Keeps? (1988)

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1988

 

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1987

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1987

 

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1987

 

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7.1

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1986

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5.6

TV Movie

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1986

 

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7.6

Video

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1986

 

Erin Gray, Ricky Schroder, Joel Higgins, and Franklyn Seales in Silver Spoons (1982)

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6.2

TV Series

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1986

1 episode

 

I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later (1985)

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1985

 

Annette Funicello and Martin Mull in Lots of Luck (1985)

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5.8

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1985

 

Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid (1984)

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7.3

Cashier (as Helen J. Siff)

1984

 

Cagney & Lacey (1981)

Cagney & Lacey

6.9

TV Series

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1982

1 episode

 

Crisis Counselor (1982)

Crisis Counselor

5.7

TV Series

(as Helen Infield Siff)

1982

1 episode

 

White Dog (1982)

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7.0

Pound Operator (as Helen J. Siff)

1982

 

Murder in Texas (1981)

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7.1

TV Movie

Marian Timmons

1981

 

Lou Grant (1977)

Lou Grant

7.3

TV Series

Waitress (as Helen J. Siff)

1981

1 episode