Jean Stapleton
Acting
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".
TV Shows(48)
TV Land Top 10
2004
TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV
2003
Style & Substance
Gloria Utley
1998
Everybody Loves Raymond
Aunt Alda
1996
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self
1996
Caroline in the City
Aunt Mary Kosky
1995
Touched by an Angel
Emma
1994
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
1994
Intimate Portrait
Self
1993
Grace Under Fire
1993
Beakman's World
Beakman's Mom
1992
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
Narrator (voice)
1992
Bagdad Cafe
Jasmine Zweibel
1990
Murphy Brown
1988
Trying Times
1987
The Ray Bradbury Theater
1985
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983
Faerie Tale Theatre
The Giantess
1982
The Love Boat
1977
The Muppet Show
Self - Special Guest Star
1976
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited)
1975
Cher
Self
1975
Dinah!
Self
1974
The Electric Company
1971
Great Performances
Helen
1971
All in the Family
Edith Bunker
1971
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest
1968
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self
1968
The Carol Burnett Show
Self - Guest / Various Characters
1967
The Patty Duke Show
1963
The Eleventh Hour
1962
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
1962
The Nurses
Mrs. Montgomery
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
1961
Dr. Kildare
Nurse Whitney
1961
The Defenders
Mrs. Larsen
1961
Route 66
1960
My Three Sons
1960
Dennis the Menace
1959
Naked City
Marilyn Konish
1958
Tony Awards
Self - Host
1956
Woman With A Past
1954
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Mary Dobkin
1951
Lux Video Theatre
Teacher
1950
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
The Philco Television Playhouse
Bus Girl
1948
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
1944
Movies(40)
The Last Laugh
Self
2016
The Television Revolution Begins: "All in the Family" Is On the Air
Self
2009
Those Were the Days: The Birth of "All in the Family"
Self
2009
Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes
Irene Silverman
2001
Pursuit of Happiness
Lorraine
2001
Baby
Byrd
2000
You've Got Mail
Birdie Conrad
1998
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
Mrs. Jenkins (voice)
1998
Chance of a Lifetime
Mrs. Dunbar
1998
Michael
Pansy Milbank
1996
Lily Dale
Mrs. Coons
1996
Bury Me in Niagara
Mildred
1993
The Trial
Landlady (uncredited)
1993
The Habitation of Dragons
Lenora Tolliver
1992
Fire in the Dark
Henry Dutton
1991
Funny Ladies: A Portrait of Women Cartoonists
Narrator
1991
All in the Family: 20th Anniversary Special
1991
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
Mother Goose
1990
Dead Man's Folly
Ariadne Oliver
1986
Cinderella
Fairy Godmother
1985
Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff
Self
1985
The Buddy System
Mrs. Price
1984
A Matter of Sex
Irene Wallin
1984
Jack and the Beanstalk
The Giantess
1983
Something's Afoot
Miss Tweed
1982
Eleanor, First Lady of the World
Eleanor Roosevelt
1982
Isabel's Choice
Isabel Cooper
1981
Good Evening Captain
Self
1981
Angel Dusted
Betty Eaton
1981
Aunt Mary
Mary Dobkin
1979
You Can't Take it With You
Penny Sycamore
1979
The Muppets Go Hollywood
Self
1979
Tail Gunner Joe
Mrs. DeCamp
1977
Acts of Love and Other Comedies
Gina's Mother
1973
Klute
Goldfarb's Secretary
1971
Cold Turkey
Mrs. Wappler
1971
Up the Down Staircase
Sadie Finch
1967
Something Wild
Shirley Johnson
1961
Bells Are Ringing
Sue
1960
Damn Yankees
Sister Miller
1958