Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan (September 3, 1932 – July 28, 2013) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Brennan is best known for her role as Doreen Lewis in Private Benjamin, for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She reprised the role for the TV adaptation, winning both a Golden Globe and Emmy for her performance. She received Emmy nominations for her guest starring roles on Newhart, Thirtysomething, Taxi and Will & Grace.
Early life
Brennan was born Verla Eileen Regina Brennen on September 3, 1932[1] in Los Angeles, California, daughter of Regina "Jeanne" Menehan, a silent film actress, and John Gerald Brennen, a doctor.[2] Of Irish descent, she was raised Roman Catholic.
Career
Brennan appeared in plays with the Mask and Bauble Society at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she was employed. She starred there in Arsenic and Old Lace. Her exceptional comic skills and romantic soprano voice propelled her from unknown to star in the title role of Rick Besoyan's off-Broadway tongue-in-cheek musical/operetta Little Mary Sunshine (1959), earning Brennan an Obie Award, and its unofficial sequel The Student Gypsy (1963). She went on to create the role of Irene Malloy in the original Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! (1964).[3] Her feature film debut was in Divorce American Style (1967). She soon became one of the most recognizable (if unidentifiable) supporting actresses in film and television. Her roles were usually sympathetic characters, though she has played a variety of other character types, including earthy, vulgar and sassy, but occasionally "with a heart of gold." A year after her feature film debut she became a semi-regular on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, but stayed for only two months.
Brennan received excellent reviews as brothel madam "Billie" in George Roy Hill's Oscar-winning 1973 film The Sting as the confidante of con man Henry Gondorf (Paul Newman). Although her name was not often recognized by the general public, she became a favorite of many directors, in particular Peter Bogdanovich. She appeared in Bogdanovich's 1971 classic The Last Picture Show (for which she received a BAFTA nomination for best supporting actress) and his 1974 adaptation of the Henry James novella Daisy Miller. Bogdanovich was the only director who made use of her musical talents (before, she sang in performances off Broadway) when he cast her as Cybill Shepherd's crude, fun-loving maid in his 1975 musical flop At Long Last Love (which also starred Madeline Kahn; Brennan and Kahn would work together in two more films: The Cheap Detective and Clue; where Brennan once more displayed her world-weary acting style to great effect).
Brennan also worked with director Robert Moore and writer Neil Simon, appearing in Murder by Death as Tess Skeffington (1976); and The Cheap Detective (1978). Both of these movies also starred James Coco, James Cromwell and Peter Falk. She had a starring role, playing 'Mutha' in the 1978 movie, FM, about rock radio.
In 1980, Brennan received a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her role as Goldie Hawn's nasty commanding officer in Private Benjamin. She reprised the role in the television adaptation (1981–1983), for which she won an Emmy (supporting actress) as well as a Golden Globe (lead actress). She has one additional Golden Globe nomination and six Emmy nominations.
After having dinner together one night in 1982, Brennan and Hawn left a restaurant. Brennan was hit by a passing car and was critically injured. She took three years off work to recover, and had to overcome a subsequent addiction to painkillers.[4]
It was during this time that her performance as Mrs. Peacock in Clue (1985) reached theaters. In the 1990s, she appeared in Stella with Bette Midler, Bogdanovich's Texasville, the sequel to The Last Picture Show, and Reckless. She had a recurring role on the sitcom Blossom as the neighbor/confidant of the title character. In 2001, she made a brief appearance in the horror movie Jeepers Creepers as The Cat Lady.
In 2002, she starred in the dark comedy film Comic Book Villains, with DJ Qualls. In recent years, Brennan had guest-starred in television, including recurring roles as the nosy Mrs. Bink in 7th Heaven and as gruff acting coach Zandra on Will & Grace. In 2003 director Shawn Levy cast her in a cameo role of a babysitter to Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt's children in an updated remake of Cheaper by the Dozen. Levy was inspired to cast Brennan after his personal viewing of Private Benjamin on television. Brennan's cameo was deleted from the actual cut of the movie however. Nonetheless she did receive credit for her role on the Deleted Scenes special feature of the film's DVD. In 2004, she appeared in The Hollow as "Joan Van Etten".
Television
Brennan received an Emmy nomination for her guest starring role in Taxi episode "Thy Boss's Wife" (1981). Brennan guest starred on two Murder, She Wrote episodes, "Old Habits Die Hard" (1987) and "Dear Deadly" (1994), and in 1987 she also appeared in the Magnum, P.I. episode, "The Love That Lies".
Personal life
From 1968 to 1974, Brennan was married to David John Lampson, with whom she has two sons: Patrick (formerly a basketball player, now an actor, e.g., in NBC's The Black Donnellys) and Sam (a singer). Brennan was a breast cancer survivor, and in addition to the 1985 car crash which crushed her legs and an eye socket, had fallen from the stage in 1989 during a production of Annie, breaking a leg.[5]
Brennan died at her home in Burbank, California on July 28, 2013, of bladder cancer.[6] She was 80. Her Private Benjamin co-star Goldie Hawn said she was a "brilliant comedian, a powerful dramatic actress and had the voice of an angel."[7] Co-starring Clue actor and writer and director Michael McKean called Brennan "a brilliant actress, a tough and tender woman and a comic angel".[7] She is survived by her sons, Sam and Patrick and by two grandchildren and her sister, Kathleen Howard.[5]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1967 | Divorce American Style | Eunice Tase | |
1967 | NET Playhouse | Unknown | Episode: "Infancy and Childhood" |
1968 | Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In | Performer | 12 episodes |
1970 | The Ghost and Mrs. Muir | Paula Tardy | Episode: "Ladies' Man" |
1970 | The Most Deadly Game | Alice | Episode: "Photo Finish" |
1971 | The Last Picture Show | Genevieve | Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role |
1972 | All in the Family | Angelique McCarthy | Episode: "The Elevator Story" |
1972 | McMillan & Wife | Dora | Episode: "Night of the Wizard" |
1973 | Jigsaw | Unknown | Episode: "In Case of an Emergency, Notify Clint Eastwood" |
1973 | Scarecrow | Darlene | |
1973 | The Blue Knight | Glenda | Television film |
1973 | The Sting | Billie | |
1974 | Daisy Miller | Mrs. Walker | |
1975 | Insight | Carol Harris | Episode: "The Prodigal Father" |
1975 | At Long Last Love | Elizabeth | |
1975 | Barnaby Jones | Anita Willson | Episode: "Blood Relations" |
1975 | Kojak | Julie Loring | Episode: "A House of Prayer, a Den of Thieves" |
1975 | Hustle | Paula Hollinger | |
1976 | Murder by Death | Tess Skeffington | |
1977 | The Death of Richie | Carol Werner | Television film |
1977 | The Great Smokey Roadblock | Penelope Pearson | |
1978 | FM | Mother | |
1978 | The Cheap Detective | Betty DeBoop | |
1979 | 13 Queens Boulevard | Felicia Winters | 9 episodes |
1979 | When She Was Bad | Mary Jensen | Television film |
1979 | My Old Man | Marie | Television film |
1979-1980 | A New Kind of Family | Kit Flanagan | 11 episodes |
1980 | Private Benjamin | Captain Doreen Lewis | Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress |
1981 | When the Circus Came to Town | Jessy | Television film |
1981 | Taxi | Mrs. McKenzie | Episode: "Thy Boss's Wife" Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series |
1981-1983 | Private Benjamin | Captain Doreen Lewis | 37 episodes Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1982-1983) |
1982 | American Playhouse | Millworker | Episode: "Working" |
1982 | Pandemonium | Candy's mom | |
1983 | The Funny Farm | Gail Corbin | |
1984 | The Love Boat | Helen Foster | 2 episodes |
1984-1985 | Off the Rack | Kate Hollaran | 7 episodes |
1985 | Clue | Mrs. Peacock | |
1987 | Magnum P.I. | Brenda Babcock | Episode: "The Love That Lies" |
1987 | Murder, She Wrote | Mariam Simpson | Episode: "Old Habits Die Hard" |
1988 | The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking | Miss Bannister | Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress |
1988 | Sticky Fingers | Stella | |
1988 | Rented Lips | Hotel Desk Clerk | |
1988 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Sioban Owens | Episode: "Off Duty" |
1988-1989 | Newhart | Corinne Denby | 2 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series |
1990 | Stella | Mrs. Wilkerson | |
1990 | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Mrs. Annabelle Shrike | Episode: "Touched with Fire" |
1990 | Texasville | Genevieve Morgan | |
1990 | White Palace | Judy | |
1991 | Blossom | Agnes | 3 episodes |
1991 | thirtysomething | Margaret Weston | Episode: "Sifting the Ashes" Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series |
1992 | Home Improvement | Wanda | Episode: "Heavy Meddle" |
1993 | Tribeca | Claudia | Episode: "Stepping Back" |
1993 | Jack's Place | Dina | Episode: "The Hands of Time" |
1993 | Bonkers | Lilith DuPrave | 4 episodes |
1993 | Tales from the Crypt | Ruth Sanderson | Episode: "Til Death Do We Part" |
1993 | All-New Dennis the Menace | Voice | 13 episodes |
1994 | Murder, She Wrote | Loretta Lee | Episode: "Dear Deadly" |
1995 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Joelle | Episode: "Mean Streets" |
1995 | Thunder Alley | Irma | Episode: "Are We There Yet?" |
1995 | Reckless | Sister Margaret | |
1996 | ER | Betty | 2 episodes |
1996-2006 | 7th Heaven | Gladys Bink | 9 episodes |
1997 | Veronica's Closet | Grammy Anderson | Episode: "Veronica's First Thanksgiving" |
1998 | Nash Bridges | Loretta Bettina | Episode: "Downtime" |
1998 | Mad About You | Inspector #10 | Episode: "Cheating on Sheila" |
1998 | Pants on Fire | Mom | |
1999 | Touched by an Angel | Dolores | Episode: "The Last Day of the Rest of Your Life" |
2000 | The Fearing Mind | Irene's mother | Episode: "Gentleman Caller" |
2001 | Jeepers Creepers | The Cat Lady | |
2001-2006 | Will & Grace | Zandra | 6 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series |
2003 | Lizzie McGuire | Marge | Episode: "My Fair Larry" |
2003 | Strong Medicine | Evelyn Knightly | Episode: "Coming Clean" |
2003 | Cheaper by the Dozen | Mrs. Drucker | Uncredited (Scene Deleted) |
2005 | Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous | Carol Fields | |
2009 | The Kings of Appletown | Coach's blind mother |
References
- ^ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com
- ^ "Eileen Brennan Biography (1938-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ Biography for Eileen Brennan, Turner Classic Movies website
- ^ "Out of Her Horrid Accident and the Drug Addiction That Followed, Eileen Brennan Finds a Prescription for Life". People (22 April 1985). Retrieved 8 October 2011.
- ^ a b 'Private Benjamin' star By Mark Olsen July 30, 2013, 6:39 p.m. L.A. Times http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-eileen-brennan-20130731,0,1490124.story
- ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/actress-eileen-brennan-dies-595503
- ^ a b Eileen Brennan of 'Private Benjamin,' 'Clue' dies By DerrBilly Joel J. Lang, AP Entertainment Writer Updated 8:21 am, Wednesday, July 31, 2013 San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Eileen-Brennan-of-Private-Benjamin-Clue-dies-4697159.php
External links
- Eileen Brennan at IMDb
- Eileen Brennan at the Internet Broadway Database
- Please use a more specific IOBDB template. See the template documentation for available templates.
- Eileen Brennan at AllMovie
- Eileen Brennan, Who Played Flinty Captain in Private Benjamin, Dies at 80
- 1932 births
- 2013 deaths
- Actresses from Los Angeles, California
- American film actresses
- American musical theatre actresses
- American people of Irish descent
- American sopranos
- American television actresses
- Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (television) winners
- Breast cancer survivors
- Emmy Award winners
- Singers from Los Angeles, California
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- Deaths from bladder cancer