Marion Ross
Marion Ross | |
---|---|
Ross in 1961 | |
Born | Marian Ellen Ross[1] October 25, 1928 Watertown, Minnesota,U.S. |
Education | Point Loma High School |
Alma mater | San Diego State University |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1953–2021, 2024 |
Known for | |
Spouses |
|
Children | 2, includingJim Meskimen |
Marion Ross(bornMarian Ellen Ross;October 25, 1928) is an American actress. Her best-known role is that ofMarion Cunninghamon theABCtelevision sitcomHappy Days,on which she starred from 1974 to 1984 and for which she received twoPrimetime Emmy Awardnominations. Before her success onHappy Days,Ross appeared in a variety of film roles, appearing inThe Glenn Miller Story(1954),Sabrina(1954),Lust for Life(1956),Teacher's Pet(1958),Some Came Running(1958),Operation Petticoat(1959), andHonky(1971), as well as several minor television roles, one of which was on television'sThe Lone Ranger(1954). She was also twice nominated successively in 1992 and 1993 for the Primetime Emmy Award for her performance on the CBS television comedy-dramaBrooklyn Bridgeand later netted another Emmy nomination (her fifth and last) in 1999 for a two-episode appearance on the popular CBS dramaTouched by an Angel.Ross also starred in the high-profile, long-anticipated sequel toTerms of Endearment(1983),The Evening Star(1996), in a turn for which she was nominated for theGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress,as well as both a nomination and win for a Lone Star Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Since the 1990s, Ross has been known for voice-over work on animated television series, includingKing of the HillandSpongeBob SquarePants,among others, and recurring roles onThe Drew Carey Show,Gilmore Girls,andBrothers & Sistersand guest appearances.
Early life[edit]
Marian Ellen Ross was born on October 25, 1928 inWatertown,Carver County, Minnesota,the middle child of Gordon and Ellen Alicia (née Hamilton) Ross, natives ofSaskatchewan,Canada.She had an elder sister, Alicia, and a younger brother, Gordon.[2][3]She lived inWaconia,then moved toWillmar,and eventually toAlbert Lea,Minnesota.[4]
At the age of 13, she changed the spelling of her name from "Marian" to "Marion", as she thought it had a "more pleasing appearance" and would look better on a theatrical program and a theater's marquee.[5]After completing her sophomore year in high school, she moved toMinneapolis,studying drama at theMacPhail Center for Musicand attendingSouthwest High School.A year later, her family moved toSan Diego, California.[6]She graduated fromPoint Loma High Schoolin San Diego.[7]She received her undergraduate degree fromSan Diego State University.[8]
Career[edit]
This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(May 2024) |
Early film and television roles: 1953–1973[edit]
Ross made her 1953 film debut inForever Female,starringGinger RogersandWilliam Holden.She found steady work in film, appearing inThe Glenn Miller Story(1954),Sabrina(1954),Lust for Life(1956),Lizzie(1957),Teacher's Pet(1958),Some Came Running(1958), andOperation Petticoat(1959). She also appeared inColossus: The Forbin Project(1970),Honky(1971), andGrand Theft Auto(1977).
Ross' career on television also began in 1953, when she played the Irish maid on the seriesLife with Fatherfor two years. In 1954, she appeared as Ginny Thorpe onThe Lone Ranger,and in 1958, she appeared onNBC'sMickey Spillane's Mike Hammeras Mary Williams. In 1959, she appeared as a teacher Miss McGinnis on ABC'sThe Donna Reed Show.She appeared onThe George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,The Millionaire(1956 episode),Steve Canyon,Perry Mason (The Case of the Romantic Rogue),Buckskin,The Barbara Stanwyck Show,Father Knows Best,The Outer Limits(The Special One),Thriller (U.S. TV series)(The Prisoner in the Mirror),The Brothers Brannagan(two episodes as Diane Warren),The Eleventh Hour,Mannix,Route 66,Mr. Novak,Death Valley Days,Hawaii Five-O,The Brady Bunch,The Fugitive,andNight Court.
In the 1961–62 television season, she playedGertrude Berg's daughter on theCBSsitcomMrs. G. Goes to Collegeas well as starred as a mail order bride onRawhide.Ross had an uncredited and non-speaking role as one of the hapless passengers on board Trans Global Flight #2 inAirport(1970). In 1970, she also played a computer scientist in the sci-fi thrillerColossus: The Forbin Project.
Happy Dayssuccess and roles thereafter: 1974–1995[edit]
Ross' best known role is on the sitcomHappy Days,which aired for 11 seasons onABC,from 1974 to 1984. She portrayed matriarchMarion Cunningham,mother of Richie, Joanie, and (briefly) Chuck. She receivedPrimetime Emmy Awardnominations for her work on the show in 1979 and 1984. Ross later reprised Marion Cunningham on the spin-off seriesJoanie Loves Chachiand onFamily Guy.Between 1978 and 1986, she appeared as different characters onThe Love Boat.In the final (#9) 1986–87 television season, Ross became a series regular, playing Emily Haywood, who was the love interest of Captain Stubing, played by Gavin MacLeod. She later starred in the short-lived, critically acclaimed comedy-dramaBrooklyn Bridge,which ran on CBS from 1991 to 1993. The series won aGolden Globe Awardand was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award following its first season. Ross also appeared on the game showPassword Plusin 1979.
Recent roles: 1996–2021[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Marion_Ross_at_the_1992_Emmy_Awards_cropped.jpg/220px-Marion_Ross_at_the_1992_Emmy_Awards_cropped.jpg)
In 1996, Ross starred as housekeeper Rosie Dunlop (played originally by Betty R. King in the preceding 1983 film), oppositeShirley MacLaineinThe Evening Star,a sequel toTerms of Endearment.Despite panning the film,New York TimescriticJanet Maslinenthused that, "Marion Ross does a warm, sturdy job as the devoted housekeeper who has been kept too long under Aurora's wing."[9]She was nominated for a 1997Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actressfor her performance, as well as going on to win the 1997 Lone Star Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actress for that very same turn.
Ross had a recurring role onTouched by an Angelas a homeless woman and was in the final two episodes of the series. Additionally, she played a secretly ill mother in "The Cat", an episode ofEarly Editionthat first aired in April 1997. She had recurring roles asDrew Carey's mother onThe Drew Carey Show(during one episode of which she was referred to as herHappy Dayscharacter Mrs. Cunningham, a deliberate error for a contest the show was running); as mean grandmotherBernice FormanonThat '70s Show;and asLorelai "Trix" Gilmoreand Marilyn Gilmore onGilmore Girls.She also frequently appeared onHollywood Squares.During the 1990s, Ross became active in voice-over work. She voicedGrandma SquarePantsonNickelodeon'sSpongeBob SquarePants,and Mrs. Lopart onHandy Manny.She also guest-starred onThe Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries,The Wild Thornberrys,Generator Rex,andKing of the Hill.
In 2007, Ross appeared inMusic Within.In 2007 and 2010, she played Ida Holden on ABC'sBrothers & Sisters.In June 2008, the Albert Lea Civic Theater inAlbert Lea,Minnesota, changed its name to the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center.[10]That year, Ross played Aunt Lucille in the filmSuperhero Movie,[11]and in 2009 she appeared in a guest spot onThe New Adventures of Old Christine.
In 2010, Ross guest-starred onNurse JackieandGrey's Anatomy,and appeared in theCartoon Networktelevision filmScooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monsteras Mrs. Trowburg. In 2013, she guest-starred on bothMajor CrimesandThe Middle,and in 2014 onTwo and a Half Men.In September 2015, she began making brief appearances onMeTVto share her memories of herHappy Daysco-stars. In 2020, Ross played Mrs. Genzinger in the Hallmark Christmas television movieSigned Sealed Delivered For Christmas.In 2021, Ross announced that she had officiallyretiredfrom acting but continued to make several small appearances in various online projects. In 2024, she returned toSpongeBob SquarePants,reprising her role as Grandma SquarePants in the season 13 episode "Don’t Make Me Laugh".
Personal life[edit]
![]() | This section of abiography of a living persondoes notincludeanyreferences or sources.(December 2021) |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/MarionRossAlbertLeaMN.jpg/220px-MarionRossAlbertLeaMN.jpg)
Ross lives inCardiff by the Sea,a neighborhood of the city ofEncinitas, California,in northern San Diego County. In July 2011, she served as grand marshal of the Cardiff Centennial Celebrations. Ross lived inLos Angeles,with her husband, actorPaul Michael,before his death.
Ross's two children also work in entertainment. SonJim Meskimen's credits includeHow the Grinch Stole Christmasand appearances onWhose Line Is It Anyway?Marion and Jim have both acted inThe Boondocks(although not always in the same episodes). Daughter Ellen Plummer was a writer/producer onFriends.
Happy Dayslawsuit[edit]
On April 19, 2011, Ross and four of herHappy Daysco-stars,Erin Moran,Don Most,Anson Williams,and the estate ofTom Bosleyfiled a $10 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS, which owns the show, claiming they had not been paid for merchandising revenue owed under their contracts. The cast members claimed they had not received revenue from show-related items, including comic books, T-shirts, scrapbooks, trading cards, games, lunch boxes, dolls, toy cars, magnets, greeting cards, and DVDs where their images appear on the box covers. Under their contracts, they were supposed to be paid five percent from the net proceeds of merchandising if their sole images were used, and half that amount if they were in a group. CBS said it owed the actors $8,500 and $9,000 each, most of it from slot machine revenue, but the group said they were owed millions. The lawsuit was initiated after Ross was informed, by a friend playing slots at a casino, of aHappy Days-themed machine on which players win the jackpot when five Marion Rosses are rolled.[12]
In October 2011, a judge rejected the group's fraud claim, which rejects their claim to millions of dollars in potential damages.[13]On June 5, 2012, a judge denied a motion filed by CBS to have the case thrown out, which meant it would go to trial on July 17 if the matter was not settled by then.[14]In July 2012, the actors settled their lawsuit with CBS. Each received a payment of $65,000 and a promise by CBS to continue honoring the terms of their contracts.[15][16]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1953 | Forever Female | Patty | |
1954 | The Glenn Miller Story | Polly Haynes | Uncredited |
Secret of the Incas | Miss Morris | ||
Pushover | Mrs. Crockett | ||
Sabrina | Spiller's Girlfriend | ||
1956 | The Proud and Profane | Joan | |
Lust for Life | Sister Clothilde | Uncredited | |
The Best Things in Life Are Free | Nita Naldi-type | ||
Around the World in 80 Days | Unknown | ||
1957 | Lizzie | Ruth Seaton | |
God Is My Partner | Frances Denning | ||
1958 | Teacher's Pet | Katy Fuller | |
Operation Zero Launch | Rita Bradshaw | ||
Some Came Running | Sister Mary Joseph | Uncredited | |
1959 | The Big Circus | Unknown | |
It Started with a Kiss | Diane | ||
Operation Petticoat | Lt. Colfax RN | ||
1961 | Blueprint for Robbery | Young Woman | |
1970 | Airport | Joan Myers - Passenger | Uncredited |
Colossus: The Forbin Project | Angela Fields | ||
1971 | Honky | Mrs. Divine | |
1977 | Grand Theft Auto | Vivian Hedgeworth | |
1981 | Midnight Offerings | Emily Moore | Television film |
1996 | The Evening Star | Rosie Dunlop | |
1998 | The Lake | Maggie | |
1999 | The Last Best Sunday | Mrs. Larksmont | |
2003 | Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | Marion Ross | |
2006 | Where There's a Will | Leslie Clyde Onstott | |
2007 | Music Within | Grandma | |
Smiley Face | Shirley | ||
2008 | Superhero Movie | Aunt Lucille | |
2010 | Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster | Hilda Trowburg | |
2012 | Dear Dracula | Grandma | Voice[17] |
2014 | A Reason | Aunt Irene Hilgrim | |
A Perfect Christmas List | Evie | ||
2018 | Angels on Tap | Waitress | |
2021 | Senior Entourage | Marion | Final film role before retirement |
Television[edit]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1958 | Perry Mason | Helen Harvey | Episode: "The Case of the Romantic Rogue" |
1959 | The Untouchables | Vera Schultz | Episode: "The Dutch Schultz Story" |
1960 | ’’Father Knows Best’’ | Miss Abrams | Episode: “Jim’s Big Surprise” |
1962 | Rawhide | Priscilla Brewer | |
1963 | Route 66 | Nora Belden | Episode: "The Stone Guest" |
1964 | The Outer Limits | Agnes Benjamin | Episode: "The Special One" |
1968 | Ironside | Shirley Petrizzi | Episode: “Barbara Who” |
1969 | The Brady Bunch | Dr. Porter | Episode: "Is There A Doctor In The House" |
1971 | Mission: Impossible | Mrs. Foster | Episode: "A Ghost Story" |
1974–1984 | Happy Days | Marion Cunningham ( "Mrs. C" ) | |
1989 | Night Court | Mrs. Daley | Episode: "The Trouble Is Not in Your Set" |
Living Dolls | Marion Carlin | Guest star role. Episode: "Beauty and the Beat" | |
1990 | MacGyver | Sister Robin | Episode: "Harry's Will" |
1991–1993 | Brooklyn Bridge | Sophie Berger | 35 episodes |
1995–2004 | The Drew Carey Show | Beulah Carey | |
1997 | The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries | Flavia | Voice, episode: "Yelp/Jeepers Creepers"[17] |
Superman: The Animated Series | General Richter | Voice, episode: "Speed Demons"[17] | |
1998–1999 | That '70s Show | Bernice Forman | 2 episodes |
2001–2005 | Gilmore Girls | Lorelai "Trix" Gilmore, Marilyn Gilmore | |
2001–2024 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Grandma SquarePants | Voice, 5 episodes[17] |
2004 | King of the Hill | Ms. Wakefield | Voice, episode: "Ms. Wakefield" |
2005 | Family Guy | Marion Cunningham | Voice, episode: "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz" |
2006–2011 | Handy Manny | Mrs. Lopart | Voice, 10 episodes[17] |
2010 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | Grandma Moonbeam | Voice, episode: "When the Cicada Calls" |
Grey's Anatomy | Betty Donahue (née Flynn) | Episode: "Shiny Happy People" | |
2011 | Generator Rex | Determined Grandmother, Carmen, Grandma | Voice, 2 episodes[17] |
2016 | The Odd Couple | Edna | Episode: “Taffy Days” |
2017–2020 | Please Tell Me I'm Adopted | Mrs. Grant | 3 episodes |
2018 | Guardians of the Galaxy | Doctor Minerva | Voice, episode: "Gotta Get Outta This Place" |
Video games[edit]
Year | Title | Voice | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month | Grandma SquarePants | [17] |
2008 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | Nana | [17] |
Book[edit]
- Ross, Marion (with David Laurell) (March 27, 2018).My Days: Happy and Otherwise.Kensington Books.ISBN978-1-496-71515-9.
References[edit]
- ^Ross, Marion (2018).My Days Happy and Otherwise.Kensington Books.p. 18.ISBN9781496715173.
- ^Smith, Torchy (2018).Shooting the Breeze with Baby Boomer Stars! Surprising Celebrity Conversations for the Retro Generation.Simon & Schuster.ISBN9781480867864.
- ^Francisco, Mollee (January 5, 2012)."'Happy Days' in Carver County ".Chanhassen Villager.Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 15,2013.
- ^King, Susan (October 7, 2009)."Marion Ross on 'Happy Days' and today".The Los Angeles Times.RetrievedOctober 19,2010.
- ^Ross, Marion (with David Laurell) (March 27, 2018).My Days: Happy and Otherwise.Kensington Books. pp. 11–12.ISBN978-1-4967-1515-9.
- ^"Marion Ross - Wilbert Brummett - Cast".Archived fromthe originalon February 11, 2007.
- ^"About Our School".Point Loma High School.
- ^"History of SDSU".San Diego State University. Archived fromthe originalon May 4, 2012.
- ^"She's Back, Still Coping, Still Crying",nytimes. Accessed May 14, 2024.
- ^"The Albert Lea Civic Theater name change is official".Albert Lea Tribune.June 9, 2008.
- ^Marion Ross profile,FutureMovies.co.uk. Accessed May 14, 2024.
- ^Zamost, Scott (April 20, 2011)."'Happy Days' actors claim fraud, money owed for merchandising ".CNNMoney.
- ^Gardner, Eriq (June 5, 2012)."'Happy Days' Actors Win Key Ruling in CBS Lawsuit ".The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^Scott, Zamost (June 5, 2012)."'Happy Days' cast members' lawsuit heading for trial ".CNN.
- ^Daley, Sean (August 6, 2012)."Chachi done with broke Joanie".New York Post.
- ^Zamost, Scott (July 7, 2012)."'Happy Days' actors settle lawsuit with CBS ".CNN.
- ^abcdefgh"Marion Ross (visual voices guide) - Behind The Voice Actors".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedDecember 4,2023.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
External links[edit]
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- 1928 births
- Living people
- Actresses from Minnesota
- Actresses from San Diego
- American film actresses
- American musical theatre actresses
- American voice actresses
- American television actresses
- American people of Canadian descent
- California Democrats
- People from Watertown, Minnesota
- San Diego State University alumni
- Point Loma High School alumni
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- People from Albert Lea, Minnesota