Cloris Leachman

Photo of Cloris Leachman

Biography

With a career that spanned a staggering six decades on stage and screen, actress Cloris Leachman was one of primetime's funniest comediennes and a favorite player in the classic film satires of Mel Brooks. A former beauty pageant winner who began her career on the Broadway stage, Leachman's first high profile achievement was her Academy Award-winning performance in Peter Bogdanovich's stark drama "The Last Picture Show" (1971). From there, the …
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Job Title

Actor, Music

Born

April 30, 1926

Career Milestones

Acted on Broadway in supporting roles in William Inge's "Come Back, Little Sheba" and Shakespeare's "As You Like It"

Appeared as Parthy in a touring company of "Show Boat"

Hosted an advice-to-homemakers radio program while in her mid-teens

Moved to NYC and was chosen by Elia Kazan to be a member of the original Actors Studio

Played a nativist painter in an acclaimed touring stage production of "Grandma Moses"; appeared in play on and off for over a decade

Won the title of Miss Chicago; later was one of the finalists in the 1946 Miss America Beauty Pageant

1949

Cast in a regular role on the CBS series "Hold It Please"

1949

Made TV debut as a semi-regular role on "Actor's Studio" (ABC, CBS)

1950

Played secretary Effie Perrine on the NBC detective show "Charlie Wild, Private Detective"

1952

Appeared regularly on NBC's "The Bob & Ray Show"

1955

Feature film acting debut, "Kiss Me Deadly"

1957

Cast as Ruth Martin, Timmy's adoptive mom on the fourth season of the CBS series "Lassie"

1969

Landed brief role as a prostitute opposite Paul Newman and Robert Redford in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"

1970

Once again cast opposite Newman in "WUSA"

1970

Played the recurring role of Sandi Hollinger on the ABC series "That Girl"

1970

Played the recurring role of landlady Phyllis Lindstrom on the CBS series "Mary Tyler Moore"

1971

Received acclaim as a high school gym teacher's wife who embarks on an affair with a teenager in Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show"

1972

Co-starred with Carroll O'Connor in the CBS TV adaptation of the Gershwin musical "Of Thee I Sing"

1973

Gave an Emmy-winning performance as a middle-aged woman who discovers she's pregnant in the ABC movie "A Brand New Life"

1974

Delivered a strong dramatic turn in the CBS telefilm "The Migrants"

1974

Offered a brilliant comic turn as Frau Blucher in Mel Brooks' spoof "Young Frankenstein"

1974

Re-teamed with Bogdanovich for the period drama "Daisy Miller"

1975

Played the title role in "Phyllis" (CBS), a spin-off of "Mary Tyler Moore"

1975

Starred in Jonathan Demme's low-budget gangster drama "Crazy Mama"

1977

Re-teamed with Mel Brooks for his spoof of Hitchcock films "High Anxiety"

1979

Appeared in "The Muppet Movie" as the secretary to a producing mogul (Orson Welles)

1979

Portrayed the unsinkable Molly Brown in the ABC movie "S.O.S. Titanic"

1981

Again collaborated with Brooks for the comedy "History of the World Part I"

1982

Co-hosted the short-lived CBS magazine program "The Book of Lists"

1982

Played four roles (three sisters and their mother) in the TV adaptation of "Twigs" (aired on E!)

1985

Starred opposite Dick Van Dyke in the PBS production "Breakfast with Les and Bess"

1986

Replaced Charlotte Rae's character as the den mother on the NBC sitcom "The Facts of Life" for its final two seasons

1989

Played Ms. Frick on the short-lived NBC sitcom "The Nutt House"; series created by Mel Brooks

1990

Reprised the role of Ruth Popper in Peter Bogdanovich's sequel "Texasville"

1991

Played Emily Collins on the short-lived NBC sitcom "Walter and Emily"

1993

Stepped into Irene Ryan's shoes to play Granny in the feature film version of "The Beverly Hillbillies"

1996

Made two guest appearances as Aunt Mooster on the CBS series "Promised Land"

1999

Lent her voice to the animated feature "The Iron Giant"

1999

Played Meryl Streep's mother in Wes Craven's "Music of the Heart"

2001

Landed recurring guest role as Grandma Ida on the Fox sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle"; earned Emmy (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005) nominations for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

2001

Returned to TV as Dot, the title character's eccentric mother on the CBS sitcom "The Ellen Show"

2004

Earned an Emmy nomination for guest starring role on "Joan of Arcadia" (CBS)

2004

Portrayed the boozy, former jazz singer and grandmother Evelyn in the feature "Spanglish"; earned a SAG nomination for Supporting Actress

2006

Earned Emmy and SAG nominations as Tarnower's adoring sister in the HBO movie, "Mrs. Harris"

2008

Joined the seventh season of ABC's reality competition "Dancing With The Stars"

2010

Cast as Maw Maw on the Fox comedy series "Raising Hope"

Awards

1971

Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in The Last Picture Show

1971

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in The Last Picture Show

1971

National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress in The Last Picture Show

1972

BAFTA Award for Supporting Actress in The Last Picture Show

1972

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance By an Actress In a Supporting Role in The Mary Tyler Moore Show

1973

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Charley and the Angel

1973

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance By an Actress In a Supporting Role in The Mary Tyler Moore Show

1974

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Young Frankenstein

1974

Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress In Comedy in The Mary Tyler Moore Show

1975

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy Or Musical in Phyllis

1975

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance By a in Cher

1975

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance By a Supporting Actress in The Mary Tyler Moore Show

1976

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance By a in Telly... Who Loves Ya, Baby?

1976

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in Phyllis

1978

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance By a Supporting Actress In a Comedy or Drama Special in It Happened One Christmas

1984

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance In a Variety or Music Program in The Screen Actors Guild 50th Anniversary Celebration

1984

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Limited Series or a Special in Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter

1998

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in Promised Land

2001

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Comedy Series in Malcolm in the Middle

2002

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Comedy Series in Malcolm in the Middle

2003

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Comedy Series in Malcolm in the Middle

2004

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Comedy Series in Malcolm in the Middle

2005

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Comedy Series in Malcolm in the Middle

2005

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in Joan of Arcadia

2005

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Spanglish

2006

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Comedy Series in Malcolm in the Middle

2006

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Miniseries or Movie in Mrs. Harris

2007

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in Mrs. Harris

2011

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Comedy Series in Raising Hope