Eileen Heckart
Biography
Eileen Heckart was an American actress of stage, screen, and television born Anna Eileen Herbert on March 29, 1919, in Columbus, Ohio. Her career spanned nearly 60 years. She first became known for playing schoolteacher Rosemary Sydney in the original 1953 Broadway cast of William Inge's play Picnic. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing the overprotective mother of a blind adult son in Butterflies Are Free, a role she originated on Broadway before appearing in the film. She frequently played mothers, including Rocky Graziano's mother in Somebody Up There Likes Me, the mother of a murdered child in The Bad Seed, and the elderly mother of an estranged son in a PBS production. She died on December 31, 2001, at the age of 82.
Career overview
Eileen Heckart was an American actress of stage, screen, and television whose career spanned nearly 60 years. Born Anna Eileen Herbert on March 29, 1919, in Columbus, Ohio, she became known for her role as schoolteacher Rosemary Sydney in the original 1953 Broadway cast of William Inge's play Picnic. Throughout her extensive career in acting, she accumulated 85 known credits across film and television.
Heckart frequently portrayed mothers in her acting roles. Notable maternal characters included the mother of a murdered child in The Bad Seed and Rocky Graziano's mother in Somebody Up There Likes Me. She also played the elderly mother of an estranged son in a PBS production, and she portrayed the overprotective mother of a blind adult son in Butterflies Are Free.
Her performance in Butterflies Are Free earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She had originated the role on Broadway before reprising it in the film adaptation. Eileen Heckart passed away on December 31, 2001, at the age of 82.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
99 titles- The First Wives Club (1996) as Catherine MacDuggan
- Cybill (1995) as Marge
- Murder One (1995)
- Ellen (1994) as Grandma
- The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994) as Mother Emma Buchanan
- Breathing Lessons (1994) as Mabel
- Ultimate Betrayal (1994) as Sarah McNeil
- Stephen King's Golden Tales (1993) as Rose Pennywell
- Triumph Over Disaster: The Hurricane Andrew Story (1993) as Shelly
- Triumph Over Disaster: The Hurricane Andrew Story (1993) as Shelley
- Love & War (1992)
- Home Improvement (1991) as Elaine Jenkins
- Stuck with Each Other (1989) as Fay Cass
- Annie McGuire (1988)
- Heartbreak Ridge (1986) as Little Mary Jackson
- The Cosby Show (1984) as Mrs. Hickson
- Tales from the Darkside (1984) as Rose Pennywell
- Highway to Heaven (1984) as Helen Spencer
- Partners in Crime (1984) as Jeanine
- Trauma Center (1983) as Amy Decker
- 9 to 5 (1982)
- Table Settings (1982)
- Games Mother Never Taught You (1982) as Martha Brewster
- Joe Dancer: The Big Black Pill (1981) as Sister Clara
- F.D.R.: The Last Year (1980) as Eleanor Roosevelt
- White Mama (1980) as Three Bag Lady
- Trapper John, M.D. (1979)
- Backstairs at the White House (1979) as Eleanor Roosevelt
- Out of the Blue (1979) as The Boss Angel
- The Sorrows of Gin (1979) as Rosemary
- Flying High (1978)
- The Honeymooners Christmas Special (1978) as Mildred
- Suddenly, Love (1978) as Mrs. Malloy
- Lou Grant (1977)
- Sunshine Christmas (1977) as Bertha Hayden
- Alice (1976)
- Burnt Offerings (1976) as Roz Allardyce
- Switch (1975) as Annie Warren
- The Hiding Place (1975) as Katje
- Little House on the Prairie (1974) as Amanda Cooper
- Rhoda (1974) as Aunt Lillian Fiedler
- Zandy's Bride (1974) as Ma Allan
- The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One (1974) as Ma Barker
- Wedding Band (1974) as Herman's Mother
- Barnaby Jones (1973) as Virginia Lennox / Steele
- The Streets of San Francisco (1972) as Stella 'Stell' Charnovski
- Banyon (1972) as Mrs. Shaw
- Butterflies Are Free (1972) as Mrs. Florence Baker
- The Victim (1972) as Mrs. Hawkes
- All the Way Home (1971) as Aunt Hannah Lynch
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) as Flo Meredith
- The Tree (1969) as Sally Dunning
- Hawaii Five-O (1968) as Agatha Henderson
- No Way to Treat a Lady (1968) as Mrs. Brummel
- Up the Down Staircase (1967) as Henrietta Pastorfield
- Felony Squad (1966)
- CBS Playhouse (1966) as Janet Ferguson
- The F.B.I. (1965) as Mrs. Creighton
- The Fugitive (1963) as Sister Veronica
- My Six Loves (1963) as Ethel
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Nurse Jenny Freesmith
- Ben Casey (1961)
- The New Breed (1961) as Harriet Dawson
- Heller in Pink Tights (1960) as Lorna Hathaway
- Play of the Week (1959) as Myrtle
- A Doll's House (1959) as Kristine
- Naked City (1958) as Mildred Pepper
- Naked City (1958) as Virginia Cort
- Hot Spell (1958) as Fan
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Nominee
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Winner
- The Bad Seed (1956) as Hortense Daigle
- Bus Stop (1956) as Vera
- Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) as Ma Barbella
- Miracle in the Rain (1956) as Grace Ullman
- The Little Foxes (1956) as Birdie
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Hattie Silks
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Athena Partridge Royce
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Lucy Baldwin
- Kraft Television Theatre (1953)
- The Trip to Bountiful (1953) as Jessie Mae Watts
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Birdie
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Mabel
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Kristine Linde
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Aunt Hannah Lynch
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Florie
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Miss Green
- Suspense (1949) as Mollie
- Suspense (1949)
- Suspense (1949) as Margaret Quartermain
- Suspense (1949) as Mrs. Haskell
- Studio One (1948)
- Studio One (1948) as Evie Jackson
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948)
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948) as Jessie Mae
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948) as Ruthie
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- The Ford Theatre Hour (1948) as Carrie
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Eileen Heckart best known for?
Eileen Heckart is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The First Wives Club (1996), Cybill (1995), Murder One (1995), Ronia: The Robber's Daughter (1984).
When and where was Eileen Heckart born?
Eileen Heckart was born on March 29, 1919 in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.. They passed away on December 31, 2001.
How many credits does Eileen Heckart have?
Eileen Heckart has accumulated over 99 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1948 to 1996.
What is Eileen Heckart's background in cinema and television?
Eileen Heckart was an American actress of stage, screen, and television born Anna Eileen Herbert on March 29, 1919, in Columbus, Ohio. Her career spanned nearly 60 years. She first became known for playing schoolteacher Rosemary Sydney in the original 1953 Broadway cast of William Inge's play Picnic. She won an Academy...
Eileen Heckart by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Birdie — aged about 32
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Mabel — aged about 32
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Kristine Linde — aged about 32
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Aunt Hannah Lynch — aged about 32
- Banyon (1972) as Mrs. Shaw — aged about 53
- Little House on the Prairie (1974) as Amanda Cooper — aged about 55
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