Jean Stapleton
Jean Stapleton was born Jeanne Murray in Manhattan, New York City, to Marie A. (Stapleton), an opera singer, and Joseph Edward Murray, a billboard advertising salesman. Her paternal grandparents were Irish. She was a cousin of actress Betty Jane Watson. Other relatives in show business were her uncle, Joseph E. Deming, a vaudevillian; and her brother Jack Stapleton, a stage actor. She graduated from Wadleigh High School, NYC, in 1939, and attended Hunter College. She worked as a secretary before becoming an actress. Stapleton made her stage debut at the Greenwood Playhouse, Peaks Island, Maine, in the summer of 1941, and her New York stage debut in "The Corn Is Green" (1948). She appeared on Broadway in the musicals "Damn Yankees" (1955) and "Bells Are Ringing" (1956), and later repeated her roles in the movie versions (Damn Yankees (1958) and Bells Are Ringing (1960)). Her other Broadway roles included the original companies of "Rhinoceros" (1961) and "Funny Girl" (1964). Stapleton also played Abby Brewster in the 1986-87 revival of "Arsenic and Old Lace".
Filmography
The Last Laugh
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Last Laugh
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Television Revolution Begins: "All in the Family" Is On the Air
as Self
The Television Revolution Begins: "All in the Family" Is On the Air
as Self
Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes
as Irene Silverman
Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes
as Irene Silverman
Pursuit of Happiness
as Lorrraine
Pursuit of Happiness
as Lorrraine
Pursuit of Happiness
as Lorrraine
Pursuit of Happiness
as Lorrraine
Baby
as Byrd
Baby
as Byrd
You've Got Mail
as Birdie Conrad
You've Got Mail
as Birdie Conrad
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
as Mrs. Jenkins (voice)
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
as Mrs. Jenkins (voice)
Chance of a Lifetime
as Mrs. Dunbar
Chance of a Lifetime
as Mrs. Dunbar
The Trial
as Landlady (uncredited)
The Trial
as Landlady (uncredited)
The Habitation of Dragons
as Lenora Tolliver
The Habitation of Dragons
as Lenora Tolliver
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
as Mother Goose
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
as Mother Goose
Dead Man's Folly
as Ariadne Oliver
Dead Man's Folly
as Ariadne Oliver
Cinderella
as Fairy Godmother
Cinderella
as Fairy Godmother
Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff
as Self
Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff
as Self
The Buddy System
as Mrs. Price
The Buddy System
as Mrs. Price
A Matter of Sex
as Irene Wallin
A Matter of Sex
as Irene Wallin
Something's Afoot
as Miss Tweed
Something's Afoot
as Miss Tweed
Isabel's Choice
as Isabel Cooper
Isabel's Choice
as Isabel Cooper
Good Evening Captain
as Self
Good Evening Captain
as Self
Angel Dusted
as Betty Eaton
Angel Dusted
as Betty Eaton
Aunt Mary
as Mary Dobkin
Aunt Mary
as Mary Dobkin
You Can't Take it With You
as Penny Sycamore
You Can't Take it With You
as Penny Sycamore
Tail Gunner Joe
as Mrs. DeCamp
Tail Gunner Joe
as Mrs. DeCamp
Klute
as Goldfarb's Secretary
Klute
as Goldfarb's Secretary
Cold Turkey
as Mrs. Wappler
Cold Turkey
as Mrs. Wappler
Up the Down Staircase
as Sadie Finch
Up the Down Staircase
as Sadie Finch
Something Wild
as Shirley Johnson
Something Wild
as Shirley Johnson
Damn Yankees
as Sister Miller
Damn Yankees
as Sister Miller