Eileen Brennan
| Eileen Brennan | |
|---|---|
 Brennan, circa 1990 | |
| Born |
Verla Eileen Brennen[1] September 3, 1932 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died |
July 28, 2013 (aged 80) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Bladder cancer |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1960–2009 |
| Spouse(s) | David John Lampson (1968–1974; divorced; 2 sons) |
Eileen Brennan (September 3, 1932 – July 28, 2013) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Brennan was 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 Brennen on September 3, 1932[2] in Los Angeles, California, daughter of Regina "Jeanne" Menehan, a silent film actress, and John Gerald Brennen, a doctor.[3] 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 played Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker at the 1961 Central City, Colorado Festival, directed by Arthur Penn who had just won a Tony for his direction of the play on Broadway.[4] She went on to create the role of Irene Malloy in the original Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! (1964).[5]
Her feature film debut was in Divorce American Style (1967). She soon became one of the most recognizable (if not precisely identifiable) supporting actresses in film and television. Her roles were usually sympathetic characters, though she 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 the disc jockey 'Mutha' in the 1978 movie, FM, a comedy-drama about life at a rock-music radio station.
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 had 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 suffered massive injuries. She took three years off work to recover, and had to overcome a subsequent addiction to painkillers.[6]
It was during this time that she played Mrs. Peacock in the film Clue (1985). 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 appeared in one All In The Family episode, "The Elevator Story" (1972) as Angelique Mcarthy. 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". Brennan was nominated for an Emmy in 2004 for her performance as Zandra,[7] Jack McFarland's caustic yet endearing drama teacher on Will and Grace.
Personal life
From 1968 to 1974, Brennan was married to David John Lampson, with whom she had two sons: former basketball player turned actor, Patrick and singer Sam. Brennan was a breast cancer survivor, and in addition to the 1982 car crash where a drunk driver crushed her legs and an eye socket when she was leaving a restaurant, had fallen from the stage in 1989 during a production of Annie, breaking a leg.[8]
Death
Brennan died at her home in Burbank, California, on July 28, 2013, of bladder cancer.[9] 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."[10] Actor, writer and director Michael McKean, Brennan's co-star in Clue, called Brennan "a brilliant actress, a tough and tender woman and a comic angel".[9] She was survived by her sons, Sam and Patrick, and by two grandchildren and her sister, Kathleen Howard.[8]
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 | Nourish the Beast | Baba Goya | Television Film |
| 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 | |
| 1986 | Babes in Toyland | Ms. Piper/Widow Hubbard | |
| 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 |
| 2002 | Comic Book Villains | Miss Cresswell | |
| 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) |
| 2004 | The Hollow | Ms. Etta | |
| 2005 | Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous | Carol Fields | |
| 2009 | The Kings of Appletown | Coach's blind mother | |
References
- ↑ "California Birth Index 1905-1995: Verla Eileen Brennen". Family Search. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Program, 30th Anniversary Central City Festival, "The Miracle Worker" by William Gibson. (1961).
- ↑ "Eileen Brennan: Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
- ↑ "Out of Her Horrid Accident and the Drug Addiction That Followed, Eileen Brennan Finds a Prescription for Life". People. April 22, 1985. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
- ↑ "Eileen Brennan". Television Academy. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
- 1 2 Olsen, Mark (July 30, 2013). "Eileen Brennan dies at 80; Oscar-nominated 'Private Benjamin' star". Los Angeles Times.
- 1 2 Barnes, Mike (July 30, 2013). "Actress Eileen Brennan Dies at 80". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
- ↑ "Eileen Brennan Dead: 'Private Benjamin' Actress Dies Aged 80". The Huffington Post. July 31, 2013. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
External links
- Eileen Brennan at the Internet Movie Database
- Eileen Brennan at the Internet Broadway Database
- Eileen Brennan at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Eileen Brennan at AllMovie
- Eileen Brennan, Who Played Flinty Captain in Private Benjamin, Dies at 80
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