Liz Sheridan
Liz Sheridan | |
---|---|
dancer | |
Years active | 1950s–2010 |
Known for | |
Spouse |
Dale Wales
(m. 1985; died 2003) |
Children | 1 |
Parent |
|
Elizabeth Ann Sheridan (April 10, 1929 – April 15, 2022) was an American actress. While best known for her roles as the nosy neighbor, Mrs. Ochmonek, on the sitcom ALF (1986–1990), and Jerry's mother, Helen, in Seinfeld (1990–1998), her decades-long career was extensive and included work on the stage and on large and small screens.[1]
Early life
Sheridan was born in Rye, New York, on April 10, 1929.[2] Her father, Frank Sheridan, was a classical pianist; her mother, Elizabeth Poole-Jones, was a concert singer. She was raised by her mother in Westchester County, New York, after her parents' separation.[3] As a child, she was given the nickname "Dizzy",[3] a shortened version of "Dizabeth", which is how her sister managed to pronounce her name when they were young.[4]
Career
Sheridan began her professional life as a nightclub dancer and singer in the 1950s,
Following that she secured her most renowned and long-lived role, as
In 2009, with
Personal life
While working as a dancer in New York City nightclubs, Sheridan met the then-unknown
Dean pursued work on the stage in New York City, with film roles in Hollywood soon to follow. Without sure footing or a serious plan, forging a future was not an option, thus bringing about the end of their relationship.[20][21] "He was being hauled away into this career, and I couldn't follow him," she said in an interview.[22][23]
Early in 1953, Sheridan departed New York City for the Virgin Islands.[5] She lived for over a decade in St. Thomas and later Puerto Rico. She earned a living as a dancer and also by singing and playing piano. Together with a neighbor who had a dance troupe, she won a dance contest she choreographed for the first Carnival in St. Thomas. She also earned a $600 purse finishing first in a horse race, atop her stallion, Generalé.
After a brief engagement to Justus Villa (aka Pancho), she realized she didn't want to marry him, broke it off, and returned, for a time, to New York City. There, at a party, she again met Dean. Afterwards, in a cab, he told her, "Nothing's lost between us. It never will be. You're a part of me and I'm a part of you. I take you with me wherever I go." That was the last time she saw him.[24]
Back in the Caribbean, she met jazz musician [William] Dale Wales (1917–2003)[25][26] in Puerto Rico. They shared a life from 1960 until his death in 2003; they wed in 1985.[3] Their daughter Stephanie is a photographer.[27] Sheridan said, "I'm so unmotherly, I cannot tell you. I'm still a flower child somewhere. My daughter was more my friend than my daughter most of her life."[28]
Sheridan and actress Elizabeth Montgomery were friends, and were respectively known together as Dizzy and Lizzie. Montgomery only took on the nickname "Lizzie" following her performance in the Emmy Award-winning TV movie, The Legend of Lizzie Borden[4][21] The pair adored horses and together they frequented the Santa Anita race track.[29][30]
Sheridan died on April 15, 2022, at her home in Manhattan, at the age of 93.[2][3][13][16]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1982 | Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again[8][31] | Mrs. Larson | |
1983 | Star 80[31][32] | Makeup Woman | |
1984 | Nickel Mountain[32][10] | Reception Nurse | |
1985 | Avenging Angel[31][10] | Nurse | |
1985 | School Spirit[32][10] | Mrs. Kingman | |
1986 | Legal Eagles[31][32] | Juror | |
1987 | Who's That Girl[31][32] | Nurse #1 | |
1992 | Only You[10] | Mrs. Stein | |
1992 | Wishman[31][32] | Ms. Finger | |
1993 | Brainsmasher... A Love Story[10] | Ma Molly | |
1995 | Forget Paris[32][10] | Woman in Car | |
1996 | Wedding Bell Blues[8][10] | Mrs. Samuel Levine | |
1996 | A&P | Hi-Ho Lady | Short film |
1997 | Always Say Goodbye[8][10] | Muriel Evans | |
2002 | Now You Know[10] | Grandma | |
2004 | Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes[32][10] | — | |
2007 | The Blacksmith and the Carpenter[33] | God's Wife | Voice Short film |
2009 | Edna Gordon | ||
2010 | Trim[8] | Helen |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1977 | Kojak[3] | Rose | Episode: "Kojak's Days: Part 1" |
1981 | The White Shadow[12] | Restaurant Customer | Episode: "B.M.O.C." |
1981 | Archie Bunker's Place[8] | Lady | Episode: "Billie" |
1982 | World War III[32][10] | Naomi Glass | Miniseries |
1982 | Gimme a Break![8] | Nurse Whales | Episode: "The Emergency" |
1982 | In the Custody of Strangers[32][10] | Caseworker | Television film |
1982 | Tucker's Witch[34] | Secretary | Episode: "Big Mouth" |
1983 | St. Elsewhere[9] | Dr. Susan Mauri | Episode: "The Count" |
1983 | Oh Madeline | Mrs. Phelps | Episode: "Mummy Dearest"[35] |
1983 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King[12] | Lydia Lowell | Episode: "If Thoughts Could Kill" |
1983 | One Day at a Time[8] | Mrs. Muller | Episode: "The Dentist" |
1983, 1985 | The A-Team[8][10] | Hildegard Henderson / Tina Lavelle | 2 episodes |
1984 | Second Sight: A Love Story[32][10] | Mrs. Carlisle | Television film |
1984 | Three's a Crowd[12] | Miss Rockwell | Episode: "Daddy's Little Girl" |
1984 | The Cartier Affair[32][10] | Miss Carpenter | Television film |
1984 | Riptide | Everitt's Secretary | Episode: "Father's Day"[36] |
1985 | Sins of the Father[32][10] | Middle-Aged Woman | Television film |
1985 | It's Your Move | Eunice | Episode: "A Woman Is Just a Woman"[37] |
1985 | Newhart[8] | Mrs. Spencer | Episode: "Look Homeward, Stephanie" |
1985 | Moonlighting[10] | Selma | Episode: "Pilot" |
1985 | Generation[32] | Clara | Television film |
1985 | Santa Barbara[11] | Nurse Greta Bayley | 3 episodes |
1985 | Brothers | Zelda March | Episode: "Happy Birthday, Baby Brother"[38] |
1985 | Who's the Boss?[8] | Gertrude | Episode: "Custody: Part 2" |
1985, 1986 | Remington Steele[11] | Greta Swenson / Woman in Hallway | 2 episodes |
1986 | Hill Street Blues[3][8] | Dorothy Miskin | Episode: "I Want My Hill Street Blues" |
1986 | Cagney & Lacey[10][11] | Dr. Vernon | Episode: "Sorry, Right Number" |
1986 | Kate's Secret[32] | Evelyn | Television film |
1986 | The Magical World of Disney
|
Hostess | Episode: "Sunday Drive"[32][10] |
1986 | A Year in the Life[32] | Lois | Episode: "The First Christmas" |
1986–1990 | ALF[8][11] | Raquel Ochmonek | 34 episodes |
1987 | Warm Hearts, Cold Feet[32][10] | Amanda McPherson | Television film |
1988 | The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick[32][10] | Mrs. Van Adams | Television film |
1988 | Family Ties[8][11] | Ginny McCoy | Episode: "Heartstrings: Part 3" |
1989 | It's a Living[8] | Sophie | Episode: "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" |
1990 | Piece of Cake[32] | Mrs. Katz | Television film |
1990 | Good Grief[39] | Widow Blackwell | Episode: "Warren Learns to Fly" |
1990 | Dr. Ruth's House[32] | Jessica Dimmesdale | Television film |
1990, 1994 | Empty Nest[10] | Mrs. Coover / Elspeth | 2 episodes |
1990–1998 | Seinfeld[3] | Helen Seinfeld
|
21 episodes |
1991 | Changes[8][32] | Mrs. Hahn | Television film |
1991 | Murder, She Wrote[8][10] | Rose Tessler | Episode: "Bite the Big Apple" |
1992 | Melrose Place[40] | Woman Shopper | Episode: "My Way" |
1994 | Blossom[10] | Mrs. Walker | Episode: "Blossom Gump" |
1994–1997 | Life with Louie[32] | Mrs. Stillman | 7 episodes |
1995 | Double Rush[8] | Marge | Episode: "Slamming Into a Car Isn't Good" |
1995 | Sliders[8][10] | Miss Miller | Episode: "Prince of Wails" |
1995 | Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan[8][32] | Wendy Padison | Television film |
1995 | Cleghorne![8][10] | Madame Bourreau | 2 episodes |
1997 | A Match Made in Heaven[8][32] | Ruthie Klein | Television film |
2005 | Complete Savages[8][10] | Mrs. O'Hara | Episode: "Crimes and Mini-Wieners" |
2005 | Numbers[8] | Landlady | Episode: "Bones of Contention" |
2007 | American Dad![8] | Mrs. Rothberg (voice) | Episode: "An Apocalypse to Remember" |
Book
- Sheridan, Liz. (2000) Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life with James Dean: A Love Story. New York: HarperEntertainment. ISBN 0-0603-9383-1
References
- ^ "Liz Sheridan Dies: 'Seinfeld' Mom & 'ALF' Actress Was 93". Deadline Hollywood. April 15, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Holub, Christian (April 15, 2022). "Liz Sheridan, Jerry's doting mom on Seinfeld, dies at 93". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Genzlinger, Neil (April 15, 2022). "Liz Sheridan, Who Played Jerry Seinfeld's Mom, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-58979-749-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-06-039383-0.
- ^ "Liz Sheridan". Internet Broadway Database.
- ^ "Happy End". Internet Broadway Database.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac "Liz Sheridan". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Barnes, Mike (April 15, 2022). "Liz Sheridan, Jerry's Mom on 'Seinfeld,' Dies at 93". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab "Liz Sheridan List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4767-5611-0.
- ^ a b c d Pedersen, Erik (April 15, 2022). "Liz Sheridan Dies: 'Seinfeld' Mom & 'ALF' Actress Was 93". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c Dasrath, Diana; Li, David K. (April 15, 2022). "Liz Sheridan, actor best known as Jerry Seinfeld's TV mom, dies at 93". NBC News.
- ^ Driscoll, Molly (June 8, 2013). "The 20 Best TV Sitcoms Of All Time". Business Insider.
- ^ Seinfeld Season 9: Notes About Nothing – "The Blood" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2007.
- ^ a b Andrew, Scottie (April 15, 2022). "Liz Sheridan, 'Seinfeld' actress, dead at 93". CNN.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (August 26, 2009). "Andy Griffith and Seinfeld's mom: I would really rather not know". Roger Ebert.
- ^ Saslow, Rachel (August 18, 2009). "Media Scan: A Movie About Aging, a DVD for Exercise, a Book About Dieting". Washington Post.
- ^ "Liz Sheridan Interview". YouTube. November 11, 2009. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-06-017656-3.
- ^ a b Leslie, Paul (March 2, 2012). "Liz Sheridan Interview on The Paul Leslie Hour". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
- ^ Lipton, Michael A. (June 24, 1996). "An Affair to Remember". People magazine. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-61373-472-8.
- ISBN 978-0-06-039383-0.
- ^ "Dale Wales". My Heritage.
- ISBN 978-0-684-83190-9.
- ^ "About". Stephanie Wales Creative Imagery. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ Vancheri, Barbara (May 10, 1998). "Liz sheridan: she'll be watching at home when the curtain falls". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. G-10.
- ISBN 978-1-58979-824-3.
- ISBN 978-1-58979-749-9.
- ^ a b c d e f "Liz Sheridan". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "Liz Sheridan – Filmography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ "Liz Sheridan". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-89950-364-6.
- ^ "Oh Madeline – Season 1, Episode 2: Mummy Dearest". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-5401-3.
- ^ "It's Your Move". BBC One. June 23, 1986. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ "Brothers – Season 2, Episode 12: Happy Birthday, Baby Brother". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ TV Guide. Vol. 38. Triangle Publications. 1990. p. 91.
- ^ Crowther, Linnea (April 15, 2022). "Liz Sheridan (1929–2022), Jerry's mom on "Seinfeld"". Legacy.com. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
External links
- Liz Sheridan at IMDb
- Liz Sheridan at the Internet Broadway Database
- Liz Sheridan at the Internet Off-Broadway Database