Estelle Parsons
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
"Actually, if I had my life to live over, I think I'd like to be a philosopher. I was so dumb, I didn't realize I could get a job teaching and then do my thinking. I just thought you can't get paid to be thinking all the time. But acting has always excited me. I never had to look at the clock. And it keeps me from being bored."All my life I've done what I wanted to do. I think people don't like me for it. I've never had a desire to be successful. I never wanted fame, I never wanted awards, I never wanted to be in the movies. But I've paid a price. I'm not as famous as some of my contemporaries. I told you I'm weird." --Estelle Parsons to Daily News, June 23, 1996.
Biography
The first female political reporter on network TV during her five-year stint with "The Today Show" (NBC) in the early 1950s, Estelle Parsons made her Broadway debut as a reporter in the Ethel Merman musical "Happy Hunting" (1956) and later won a Theatre World Award in the title role of "Mrs. Dally Takes a Lover" (1962). Although she had acted in the feature "Ladybug, Ladybug" (1963), it was her second film (and first Hollywood movie) role as the shrewish Blanche Barrow in Arthur Penn's landmark "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) that established her credentials as a wonderful screen character actress. Hysterical with bullets whizzing by and grief-stricken after the shoot-out that blinded her in one eye and left her husband Buck (Gene Hackman) dead, she unwittingly provided law enforcement with the info that would lead to the demise of Bonnie (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde (Warren Beatty). Her tour de force performance earned that year's Best Supporting Actress Oscar, and her next outing as Joanne Woodward's schoolteacher colleague in Paul Newman's directing debut, "Rachel, Rachel" (1968), garnered another Academy Award nomination in the category.
Parsons acted opposite Jackie Gleason in the uninspired film version of Woody Allen's play "Don't Drink the Water" (1969), then portrayed Hackman's sister and Melvyn Douglas' daughter in Gilbert Cates' sensitive adaptation (written by the playwright) of Robert Anderson's "I Never Sang for My Father" (1970). After supporting Barbra Streisand in "For Pete's Sake" (1974), Parsons made only small screen appearances during the late 70s and 80s (i.e., in episodes of CBS' "All in the Family," as Bess Truman in the 1979 NBC miniseries "Backstairs at the White House" and portraying teacher Clare Block in the 1988 CBS-movie "Open Admissions") before returning to features as Mrs. Truehart in "Dick Tracy" (1990), which reteamed her with Warren Beatty, who both starred and directed. Since then, she has turned up as Louise in Herbert Ross' extremely likable "Boys on the Side" (1995), as Queen Margaret in Al Pacino's inventive documentary about acting Shakespeare "Looking for Richard" (1996) and as Old Lady McCracken in the disappointing remake of "That Darn Cat" (1997).
Parsons never abandoned the stage, carving a niche with quality performances like her Tony-nominated turns as the title characters of Tennessee Williams' "The Seven Descents of Myrtle" (1968) and Paul Zindel's "And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little" (1971) as well as the dictatorial schoolteacher of "Miss Margarida's Way" (1977). She branched into directing with NYC productions of "Voices" (1978) and "Antony and Cleopatra" (1979), and adapted, co-directed and performed the seven monologues that comprised Dario Fo and Franco Rame's "Orgasmo Adulto Escapes from the Zoo" (1983). In the mid-80s, producer Joseph Papp selected her to direct a company of young actors in Shakespearean roles in an effort to bring the Bard to NYC schoolchildren. One of her more recent theatrical triumphs was as Winnie in Samuel Beckett's "Happy Days," which she performed in a variety of venues. But her recurring role as Bev Harris, the busybody mother of Roseanne and Jackie, on the ABC sitcom "Roseanne" (1989-97) has undoubtedly provided the greatest exposure of her distinguished career.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1950
Worked as a commentator, production assistant, feature producer and writer for NBC's "The Today Show"
1956
Broadway stage debut, "Happy Hunting" starring Ethel Merman
1962
Won a Theatre World Award for her performance in "Mrs. Dally Has a Lover"
1963
Film acting debut, "Ladybug, Ladybug"
1967
Portrayed the sister-in-law of Clyde Barrow in "Bonnie and Clyde"; first collaboration with Gene Hackman
1967
Starred opposite Anthony Quayle in Bertolt Brecht's "Galileo" in New York
1968
Appeared in Tennessee Williams' "The Seven Descents of Myrtle" on Broadway; received first Tony nomination
1968
Received second Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress for "Rachel, Rachel"
1969
Acted opposite Jackie Gleason in "Don't Drink the Water"; scripted by Woody Allen and directed by Howard Morris
1970
Co-starred with Hackman in "I Never Sang for My Father"
1971
Earned second Tony nomination for the title role in Paul Zindel's "And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little"
1977
Had stage triumph playing the title role in "Miss Margarida's Way"; received third Tony nomination
1978
Off-Broadway directing debut, "Voices"
1979
Starred as Bess Truman in the NBC miniseries, "Backstairs at the White House"
1982
Starred with Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith in the Broadway revival of "The Pirates of Penzance"
1983
Directed (also adapted and performed) Dario Fo's "Orgasmo Adulto Escapes From the Zoo"
1985
Hosted the PBS series "Mothers By Daughters"
1989
Had recurring role as Bev Harris, Roseanne's mother on the ABC sitcom, "Roseanne"
1990
First movie role in more than 15 years, Mrs. Truehart in Warren Beatty's "Dick Tracy"
1993
Acted in the TNT presentation of Arthur Miller's "The American Clock"
1995
Essayed the part of Louise in "Boys on the Side"
1996
Portrayed Winnie in the Chicago stage production of Samuel Beckett's "Happy Days"
1996
Turned up as Queen Margaret in Al Pacino's exploration of Shakespeare, "Looking for Richard"
1997
Played Old Lady McCracken in remake of "That Darn Cat"
1998
Reprised Winnie for Hartford Stage Company production of "Happy Days"
1999
Had featured role in Showtime's "Freak City"
1999
Portrayed a 99-year-old silent film director recalling her life in the stage play "The First Picture Show"
2002
Received a Tony nominations for her role in "Morning's at Seven"
2005
Co-starred in the HBO miniseries, "Empire Falls"
2008
Joined the Broadway cast of "August: Osage County" as matriarch Violet Weston
Photo Collections
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Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
"Actually, if I had my life to live over, I think I'd like to be a philosopher. I was so dumb, I didn't realize I could get a job teaching and then do my thinking. I just thought you can't get paid to be thinking all the time. But acting has always excited me. I never had to look at the clock. And it keeps me from being bored."All my life I've done what I wanted to do. I think people don't like me for it. I've never had a desire to be successful. I never wanted fame, I never wanted awards, I never wanted to be in the movies. But I've paid a price. I'm not as famous as some of my contemporaries. I told you I'm weird." --Estelle Parsons to Daily News, June 23, 1996.
