
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".
Movie | Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes | Irene Silverman | 2001-05-20 |
Movie | Pursuit of Happiness | Lorrraine | 2001-01-17 |
Movie | Baby | Byrd | 2000-10-08 |
Movie | Chance of a Lifetime | Mrs. Dunbar | 1998-03-29 |
Movie | You've Got Mail | Birdie Conrad | 1998-12-17 |
Movie | Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Mrs. Jenkins (voice) | 1998-08-04 |
Series | E! True Hollywood Story | Unknown | 1996-03-29 |
Series | The Rosie O'Donnell Show | Unknown | 1996-06-10 |
Movie | Lily Dale | Mrs. Coons | 1996-06-09 |
Series | Intimate Portrait | Unknown | 1994-01-03 |
Series | Touched by an Angel | Unknown | 1994-09-21 |
Movie | The Trial | Landlady (uncredited) | 1993-06-18 |
Movie | Bury Me in Niagara | Mildred | 1993-10-31 |
Series | Grace Under Fire | Unknown | 1993-09-29 |
Series | Beakman's World | Beakman's Mom | 1992-09-12 |
Movie | Mother Goose Rock 'N Rhyme | Mother Goose | 1990-05-19 |
Series | Bagdad Cafe | Unknown | 1990-03-30 |
Series | Murphy Brown | Unknown | 1988-11-14 |
Movie | Dead Man's Folly | Ariadne Oliver | 1986-01-08 |
Movie | Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | 1985-08-14 |
Series | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Unknown | 1985-05-21 |
Movie | A Matter of Sex | Irene | 1984-01-01 |
Movie | The Buddy System | Mrs. Price | 1984-05-04 |
Series | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Unknown | 1983-10-03 |
Movie | Jack and the Beanstalk | The Giantess | 1983-09-08 |
Movie | Eleanor, First Lady of the World | Eleanor Roosevelt | 1982-05-12 |
Series | Faerie Tale Theatre | The Fairy Godmother | 1982-09-11 |
Movie | Angel Dusted | Betty Eaton | 1981-02-11 |
Movie | You Can't Take it With You | Penny Sycamore | 1979-05-16 |
Movie | Aunt Mary | Mary Dobkin | 1979-12-05 |
Series | Archie Bunker's Place | Unknown | 1979-09-23 |
Movie | Tail Gunner Joe | Mrs. DeCamp | 1977-02-06 |
Series | The Love Boat | Unknown | 1977-09-24 |
Series | The Muppet Show | Unknown | 1976-09-05 |
Series | Saturday Night Live | Unknown | 1975-10-11 |
Movie | Acts of Love and Other Comedies | Gina's Mother | 1973-03-15 |
Series | All in the Family | Edith Bunker | 1971-01-12 |
Movie | Cold Turkey | Mrs. Wappler | 1971-02-19 |
Series | The Electric Company | Unknown | 1971-10-25 |
Movie | Klute | Strassberg's Secretary | 1971-06-21 |
Series | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Unknown | 1968-01-22 |
Movie | Up the Down Staircase | Sadie Finch | 1967-01-19 |
Series | The Carol Burnett Show | Unknown | 1967-09-11 |
Series | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Unknown | 1962-10-01 |
Series | The Eleventh Hour | Unknown | 1962-10-03 |
Movie | Something Wild | Shirley Johnson | 1961-12-23 |
Series | Dr. Kildare | Unknown | 1961-09-27 |
Movie | Bells Are Ringing | Sue | 1960-06-23 |
Series | My Three Sons | Unknown | 1960-09-29 |
Series | Route 66 | Unknown | 1960-10-07 |
Series | Dennis the Menace | Unknown | 1959-10-04 |
Movie | Damn Yankees! | Sister Miller | 1958-07-23 |
Series | Naked City | Unknown | 1958-09-30 |
Series | Woman With A Past | Unknown | 1954-02-01 |
Series | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Unknown | 1951-12-24 |
Series | Robert Montgomery Presents | Unknown | 1950-01-30 |
Series | Lux Video Theatre | Unknown | 1950-10-02 |
Series | The Philco Television Playhouse | Unknown | 1948-10-03 |
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