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Anne Meara Biography (1929-)

Born September 20, 1929, in New York, NY; daughter of Edward Joseph and Mary(maiden name, Dempsey) Meara; married Jerry Stiller (an actor and comic), September 14, 1954; children: Amy (an actress), Benjamin (an actor and director). Addresses: Agent: Innovative Artists, 1505 10th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Nationality

American

Gender

Female

Occupation

Actress, comedian

Birth Details

September 20, 1929

New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Harriet, The Greatest Gift, NBC, 1954
• You're Putting Me On (game show), 1969
• Mae, The Corner Bar, ABC, 1973
• Title role, Kate McShane, CBS, 1975-1976
• Sally Gallagher, a recurring role, Rhoda, CBS, 1976-1977
• Take Five with Stiller and Meara, syndicated, 1977
• Cohost, HBO Sneak Preview, HBO, 1979-1982
• Veronica Rooney, Archie Bunker's Place (also known as All in the Family, Justice for All, and Those Were the Days), CBS, 1979-1983
• Anne Bender, The Stiller and Meara Show, NBC, 1986
• Dorothy Halligan, a recurring role, ALF, NBC, 1987-1989
• Voice, Good and Evil, ABC, 1991
• Peggy Moody, All My Children, ABC, 1993-1997
• Pilots
• Title role, Kate McShane, CBS, 1975
• Annie Bell, This Better Be It, CBS, 1976
• Veronica Rooney, Gloria Comes Home, CBS, 1982
• Anne Bender, The Stiller and Meara Show, CBS, 1986
• Betty, Two Families, CBS, 2002
• Specials
• "Oliver Twist," The DuPont Show of the Month, 1959
• Anna, Ninotchka, ABC, 1960
• The Jonathan Winters Show, NBC, 1965
• The Perry Como Christmas Show, NBC, 1966
• Dames at Sea, NBC, 1971
• Don Rickles--Alive and Kicking, CBS, 1972
• Alan King Looks Back in Anger--A Review of 1972, ABC, 1973
• Celebration: The American Spirit, ABC, 1976
• The Mad Mad Mad Mad World of the Super Bowl, NBC, 1977
• Voice of Nellie Cosgrove, 'Twas the Night before Christmas, ABC, 1977
• Mrs. Salters, "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book," CBS SchoolbreakSpecials, CBS, 1987
• Colin's mother, Colin Quinn Back in Brooklyn (also known as Colin Back to Brooklyn), MTV, 1989
• Rose Finkler, "Avenue Z Afternoon," General Motors Playwrights Theatre, Arts and Entertainment, 1992
• Patricia Lennon, "Love Off Limits" (also known as "Off Limits"), CBS Schoolbreak Specials, CBS, 1993
• Through an Open Window, syndicated, 1994
• Voice, Going, Going, Almost Gone! Animals in Danger, HBO, 1994
• Mrs. Geegan, "The Mother" (also known as "Paddy Chayefsky's The Mother"),Great Performances, PBS, 1994
• The Comedy Central Presents the New York Friars Club Roast of Jerry Stiller, Comedy Central, 1999
• The Comedy Central Presents the New York Friars Club Roast of Rob Reiner, Comedy Central, 2000
• Voice, They Came for Good: A History of the Jews in the United States, PBS, 2001
• There's Something about Ben Stiller, Arts and Entertainment, 2001
• Movies
• Peg Gilford, The Other Woman, CBS, 1983
• Louise Domino, Jitters, Lifetime, 1997
• A tekeroelantos naploja (also known as The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man), 1999
• Evelyn Cataldi, What Makes a Family, Lifetime, 2001
• Episodic
• "Man on the Mountaintop," Philco Television Playhouse, NBC, 1954
• The Ed Sullivan Show (also known as Toast of the Town), CBS, multiple appearances, between 1963 and 1971
• Hullabaloo!, 1965
• "The Comedy Survival Kit," Kraft Music Hall, 1968
• The Summer Smothers Brothers Show, 1968
• That's Life, ABC, 1969
• "Love and Marriage: Parts 1 & 2" and other episodes, Kraft Music Hall, 1970
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, multiple episodes, between 1970 and 1975
• "Love and the Conjugal Visit," Love, American Style, ABC, 1971
• The Carol Burnett Show, 1972
• Annie, "We Love Annie," The Courtship of Eddie's Father, ABC, 1972
• Bunny, "Thy Neighbor Loves Thee," The Courtship of Eddie's Father,ABC, 1972
• Grace Dickerson, "The Landlord," The Paul Lynde Show, ABC, 1972
• Grace Dickerson, "To Wed or Not to Wed," The Paul Lynde Show, ABC,1972
• Grace Dickerson, "Howie's Inheritance," The Paul Lynde Show, ABC,1973
• Grace Dickerson, "Barbara Goes Home to Mother," The Paul Lynde Show, ABC, 1973
• "Love and the Clinical Problem," Love, American Style, ABC, 1973
• "The Enemies," Medical Center, CBS, 1974
• Panelist, Match Game 73, 1974
• Tony Orlando and Dawn, 1975
• Margaret Hanrahan, "Super Mom/I'll See You Again/April's Return," TheLove Boat, ABC, 1979
• Mrs. Sherwood, Fame, 1980
• Rose Vitelli, "Love, Honor, and Obey," The Love Boat, ABC, 1981
• "We, the Jury," The Love Boat, ABC, 1983
• Saturday Night Live, NBC, 1987
• Winnie Tupper Banner, "Who Threw the Barbitols in Mrs. Fletcher's Chowder?," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1988
• "One Wolf's Family," Monsters, 1990
• Bernice Shapiro, "Yiddish," The Sunset Gang, PBS, 1991
• Bernice Shapiro, "The Detective," The Sunset Gang, PBS, 1991
• Women Aloud (also known as Funny Ladies), syndicated, 1992
• Mae Shaughnessy, "Murder in White," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1993
• Roda, "Poor Relations," In the Heat of the Night, 1994
• Reena Bernecky, "Bye Bye Bernecky," Murphy Brown, CBS, 1994
• Reena Bernecky, "Brown in Toyland," Murphy Brown, CBS, 1994
• Dooley Harold, "Roll Out the Barrel," Good Advice, 1994
• Donna DiGrazi, "Hostage: Part 2," Homicide: Life on the Street, NBC, 1996
• Mary Finnegan, "S'aint Valentines," The King of Queens, CBS, 1999
• Aunt Brenda O'Reily, "Legs," Oz, HBO, 1999
• Barbara Gennacarro, "The Test," Ed, NBC, 2001
• "Ben Stiller," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2001
• Mrs. Friedman, "Star-Spangled Banter," Will & Grace, NBC, 2001
• Aunt Brenda O'Reily, "Wheel of Fortune," Oz, HBO, 2002
• Mary Brady, "Unoriginal Sin," Sex and the City, HBO, 2002
• Veronica, "S'poor House," The King of Queens, CBS, 2003
• The View, 2003
• Also appeared as Charlie's mother, "If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother," Charlie Lawrence; as guest panelist on To Tell the Truth;and on The Merv Griffin Show and The Sonny & Cher Show.
• Other
• Appeared in The Male Menopause.
• Film Appearances
• Wilma, Lovers and Other Strangers, Cinerama, 1970
• Irate woman in police station, The Out-of-Towners, Paramount, 1970
• Irish Whiskey Rebellion, GSF/Cinerama, 1973
• Sister Hildegarde (some sources cite Geraldine), Nasty Habits (also known as The Abbess), Brut, 1976
• Mrs. Curry, The Boys from Brazil, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1978
• Mrs. Sherwood, Fame, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1980
• Herself, In Our Hands, 1984
• Mrs. Shopper, My Little Girl, 1986
• The Perils of P. K., 1986
• Madge, The Longshot, Orion, 1986
• Charlene Lane, That's Adequate, 1989
• Miriam, Awakenings, Columbia, 1990
• Mia, 1990
• Medea, Highway to Hell, Hemdale Releasing, 1992
• Herself, So You Want to Be an Actor?, 1993
• Louise, Reality Bites, Universal, 1994
• Alice Bushkin, Heavyweights, Buena Vista, 1995
• Bev's mother, Kiss of Death, 1995
• Rita Malone, The Daytrippers (also known as En route vers Manhattan), Columbia/TriStar, 1996
• Holly Hoyt, The Search for One-Eyed Jimmy, Cabin Fever Entertainment, 1996
• Mrs. Quinn, Southie, Lions Gates Films, 1998
• Molly, A Fish in the Bathtub, Curb Entertainment, 1998
• Mrs. Langstrom, The Thin Pink Line, PARCO/Tokyo Theatres Co., 1998
• Mrs. Perrett, Brooklyn Thrill Killers, 1999
• Bea, Judy Berlin, Shooting Gallery, 2000
• Rita, The Independent, New City Releasing, 2000
• Chump Change, Miramax, 2000
• Herself, Amy Stiller's Breast, 2000
• Protestor, Zoolander, Paramount, 2001
• First restaurant patron, Keeping It Real: The Adventures of Greg Walloch (also known as F**k the Disabled: The Surprising Adventures of GregWalloch), Avatar Films, 2001
• Get Well Soon, Lions Gate Films, 2001
• Hard-boiled woman, Crooked Lines, Crooked Lines Productions, 2001
• Sister Theresa, Like Mike, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2002
• Hank, The Yard Sale, American Film Institute/Yard Sale Productions, 2002
• Stage Appearances
• A Month in the Country, off-Broadway, 1954
• Maedchen in Uniform, off-Broadway, 1955
• Two Gentlemen of Verona, New York Shakespeare Festival, New York City, 1957
• Nurse, Romeo and Juliet, New York Shakespeare Festival, 1957
• Ulysses in Nightgown, New York City, 1958
• Marion, Cock-a-Doodle Dandy, Carnegie Hall Playhouse, New York City, 1958
• Bunny Flingus, The House of Blue Leaves, Truck and Warehouse Theatre, New York City, 1970
• Spookhouse, Playhouse 91, New York City, 1984
• Bosoms and Neglect, 1986
• Nurse, Romeo and Juliet, New York Shakespeare Festival, AnspacherTheatre, Public Theatre, New York City, 1988
• May Logan, Eastern Standard, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City, 1988, then John Golden Theatre, New York City, 1989
• Marthy Owen, Anna Christie, Roundabout Theatre Company, CriterionCenter Stage Right Theatre, New York City, 1993
• Terry Guteman, After-Play, Theatre Four, New York City, 1995
• Also appeared off-Broadway in Dandy Dick and The Silver Tassie.
• Stage Work
• Director, Matinee, Mazur Theatre, New York City, 1990
• RECORDINGS
• Albums
• (With Jerry Stiller) Laugh When You Like, Atlantic, 1972
• The End of the Pier, 1992
• WRITINGS
• Television Episodes
• "Break Up to Make Up," ALF, NBC, 1989
• Television Writing
• Other
• (With Lila Garrett) The Other Woman (movie), CBS, 1983
• The Stiller and Meara Show (series), NBC, 1986
• Stage Plays
• After-Play, Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I, New York City, 1994, then Theatre Four, New York City, 1995
• Down the Garden Paths, George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, NJ,1999, then Minetta Lane Theatre, New York City, 2000-2001

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

• Stiller, Jerry, Married to Laughter: A Love Story Featuring Anne Meara, Simon & Schuster, 2000

Periodicals

• Entertainment Weekly, September 19, 1997, p. 90
• People Weekly, March 24, 1997, p. 22; May 5, 1997, p. 17