Alice Ghostley
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Biography
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Biography
Prolific TV actress-comedienne who appeared in over a dozen sitcoms and variety series of the 1960s and 70s. Ghostley first received attention onstage in such revues as "New Faces of 1952"; two years later she reprised her role in the film adaptation, committing her hilarious rendition of "The Boston Beguine" to celluloid. By the time of her Tony-winning performance in "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" (1965), though, Ghostley had largely transferred her energies to the small screen.
One of the most accomplished scene-stealers in the history of TV comedy, Ghostley perfected a dithering manner and a flustered, hesitant style of line delivery. A regular on "The Jonathan Winters Show," "The Julie Andrews Hour" and "The Golddiggers," she played recurring or supporting roles on such comedies as "Mayberry R.F.D.," "Car 54, Where Are You?" and, perhaps most memorably, "Bewitched," where her incompetent babysitting witch Esmeralda constantly conjured up one sitcom disaster after another. Ghostley busied herself in feature films during the late 70s and later made a triumphant return to TV comedy in the 80s as Bernice, the human non sequitur, on "Designing Women."
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1953
Appeared as a regular on the TV game show, "Freedom Rings"
1954
Made film debut in the recreation of the stage revue "New Faces of 1952" entitled "New Faces"; performed "The Boston Beguine"
1957
Acted on TV in such Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentations as "Twelfth Night" and "Lost Horizon"
1962
Returned to feature films to play a supporting role in Robert Mulligan's film adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird"
1967
Played Mrs. Nash, the hero's mother, on the sitcom, "Captain Nice"
1998
Returned to features after more than a decade in "The Odd Couple II"
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