Peggy Pope

Career overview

Peggy Pope (May 15, 1929 – May 27, 2020) was an American actress whose work encompassed stage, television and film. Over several decades she appeared in a variety of popular television series. Her guest spots included roles on Bewitched, Hart to Hart, Eight Is Enough, Soap, The Golden Girls, Hope & Faith and Law & Order, and she was a recurring presence on Barney Miller, appearing in six episodes of that sitcom. Pope’s television career reflected a steady stream of character work that kept her in the public eye throughout the 1970s, 1980s and beyond.

In cinema Pope is perhaps most remembered for her portrayal of Margaret Foster, the office alcoholic who later seeks recovery, in the 1980 comedy 9 to 5. She also played the minor part of Elvira in the 1984 science‑fiction film The Last Starfighter and appeared as the mother of Mark Kendall in the 1985 horror‑comedy Once Bitten. Later, in 2008, she was cast as Sister Angela in Clark Gregg’s film Choke. In addition to screen work, Pope held Broadway credits, underscoring a career that spanned both live theatre and the screen.