Maureen Stapleton
Biography
Lois Maureen Stapleton was an American actress born in Troy, New York, on June 21, 1925. She passed away on March 13, 2006, at the age of 80. Stapleton established a career spanning approximately forty years as a star of stage, screen, and television, earning critical praise and accolades for her strong, earthy portrayals of women. Over the course of her career, she received numerous honors, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Tony Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award, making her one of the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. In addition to her acting work, her career encompassed known credits across film and television.
Career overview
Lois Maureen Stapleton was an American actress, director, and film music composer born in Troy, New York, on June 21, 1925. Her career spanned some forty years, during which she became a star of the stage, screen, and television. Stapleton was noted for her strong, earthy portrayals of women that earned her critical praise and accolades. Throughout her distinguished career, she received numerous awards and honors, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Tony Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award, making her one of the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting.
Her extensive body of work includes known credits across film and television. Among her recognized projects are appearances in East Side/West Side, Playhouse 90, and Medic. Her enduring presence across multiple entertainment mediums cemented her status as a celebrated performer in American culture. Stapleton passed away on March 13, 2006, at the age of 80 in Lenox, Massachusetts.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
86 titles- Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (2003) as Self
- Snow Cat (1998) as Grandma (voice)
- Wilbur Falls (1998) as Wilbur Falls High Secretary
- Addicted to Love (1997) as Nana
- Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman (1996) as Self
- The Last Good Time (1994) as Ida Cutler
- Trading Mom (1994) as Mrs. Cavour, the Gardener
- Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage (1994) as Self
- Passed Away (1992) as Mary Scanlan
- Lincoln (1992) as Sarah Bush Lincoln (voice)
- Miss Rose White (1992) as Tanta Perla
- Last Wish (1992) as Ida Rollin
- B.L. Stryker (1989) as Auntie Sue
- Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre (1989) as Self (voice)
- When We Were Young: Growing Up on the Silver Screen (1989) as Self
- Cocoon: The Return (1988) as Mary Luckett
- Hello Actors Studio (1988) as Self
- Liberace: Behind the Music (1988) as Frances Liberace
- Doin' Time on Planet Earth (1988) as Helium Balloon Saleslady
- Made in Heaven (1987) as Aunt Lisa
- Nuts (1987) as Rose Kirk
- Sweet Lorraine (1987) as Lillian Garber
- The Money Pit (1986) as Estelle
- Heartburn (1986) as Vera
- The Cosmic Eye (1986) as Mother Earth (voice)
- The Equalizer (1985) as Emmy Rutherford
- Cocoon (1985) as Mary Luckett
- Night of 100 Stars II (1985) as Self
- Private Sessions (1985) as Dr. Liz Bolger
- Johnny Dangerously (1984) as Mom
- America and Lewis Hine (1984) as Voice
- Sentimental Journey (1984) as Ruthie
- Family Secrets (1984) as Maggie Lukauer
- Alice in Wonderland (1983) as White Queen
- Montgomery Clift (1983) as Self
- Little Gloria... Happy at Last (1982) as Nurse Emma Kieslich
- Night of 100 Stars (1982) as Self
- The Electric Grandmother (1982) as Grandmother
- Reds (1981) as Emma Goldman
- The Fan (1981) as Belle Goldman
- On the Right Track (1981) as Mary the Bag Lady
- The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979) as Self
- Lost and Found (1979) as Jemmy
- Letters from Frank (1979) as Betty Miller
- Arthur Miller on Home Ground (1979)
- The Gathering, Part II (1979) as Kate Thornton
- The Runner Stumbles (1979) as Mrs. Shandig
- Interiors (1978) as Pearl
- The Gathering (1977) as Kate
- Laurence Olivier Presents (1976) as Big Mama
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1976) as Big Mama
- A Mother's Tale (1976) as Narrator
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Self - Host
- Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975) as Bea Asher
- NOVA (1974) as Narrator (voice)
- Voyage to Next (1974) as Mother Earth (voice)
- A Sunday Dinner (1974)
- Tell Me Where It Hurts (1974) as Connie
- Tennessee Williams' South (1973)
- Dig: A Journey Into Earth (1972) as Mother (voice)
- Great Performances (1971) as White Queen
- Summer of '42 (1971) as Hermie's Mother (voice) (uncredited)
- Plaza Suite (1971) as Karen Nash
- Airport (1970) as Inez Guerrero
- Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall (1969) as Ruthie Maxwell
- Trilogy (1969) as Mary O'Meaghan
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest
- Bye Bye Birdie (1963) as Mama Mae Peterson
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- A View from the Bridge (1962) as Beatrice Carbone
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self - Taped Tribute
- The Fugitive Kind (1960) as Vee Talbot
- Lonelyhearts (1959) as Fay Doyle
- For Whom the Bell Tolls (1959) as Pilar
- Naked City (1958) as Abilene Hutchinson Bick
- Naked City (1958) as Ruth Callan
- All the King's Men (1958)
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Nominee
- Playhouse 90 (1956) as Pilar
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Ethel
- Main Street to Broadway (1953) as Self (uncredited)
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Tanta Perla
- Studio One (1948) as Rachel Jackson
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948) as Daughter
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948) as Mrs. Johnson
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Maureen Stapleton best known for?
Maureen Stapleton is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (2003), Addicted to Love (1997), Lincoln (1992), You Are Not Alone (1978).
When and where was Maureen Stapleton born?
Maureen Stapleton was born on June 21, 1925 in Troy, New York, United States. They passed away on March 13, 2006.
How many credits does Maureen Stapleton have?
Maureen Stapleton has accumulated over 86 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1948 to 2003.
What is Maureen Stapleton's background in cinema and television?
Lois Maureen Stapleton was an American actress born in Troy, New York, on June 21, 1925. She passed away on March 13, 2006, at the age of 80. Stapleton established a career spanning approximately forty years as a star of stage, screen, and television, earning critical praise and accolades for her strong, earthy portray...
Maureen Stapleton by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Tanta Perla — aged about 26
- Playhouse 90 (1956) as Pilar — aged about 31
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self — aged about 37
- Lincoln (1992) as Sarah Bush Lincoln (voice) — aged about 67
- The Equalizer (1985) as Emmy Rutherford — aged about 60
- Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (2003) as Self — aged about 78
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