Audrey Meadows
Audrey Meadows | |
|---|---|
| Born | Audrey Cotter Template:Birth date New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 3, 1996 (aged 73) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, businesswoman, memoirist |
| Years active | 1950–1995 |
| Known for | Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners |
Audrey Meadows (née Audrey Cotter; February 8, 1922 – February 3, 1996) was a prominent American actress, most famously recognized for her role as the deadpan housewife Alice Kramden in the 1950s television comedy series The Honeymooners. She was also the younger sibling of the renowned Hollywood actress Jayne Meadows.
Early life
Born in New York City in 1922, Audrey Cotter was the youngest among four children. Although there had been some earlier uncertainty regarding her birth details, official documentation confirms her New York City origins. Her parents, Reverend Francis James Meadows Cotter and Ida Miller Taylor, served as Episcopal missionaries in Wuchang, Hubei, China, where her three elder siblings were born. The family permanently resettled in the United States in 1927.
Meadows completed her secondary education at the Barrington School for Girls located in Massachusetts before relocating to New York City to embark on an acting career. While there, she resided at the Rehearsal Club alongside other women aspiring to become actresses.
The Honeymooners
Following high school graduation, Meadows appeared in the Broadway musical Top Banana and subsequently became a regular performer on The Bob and Ray Show. She was later cast as Alice on The Jackie Gleason Show after the original actress, Pert Kelton, was removed due to blacklisting. When The Honeymooners transitioned into a half-hour sitcom format on CBS, Meadows (who was six years younger than Gleason) retained the role and reprised it during specials throughout the 1970s.
Initially, Gleason rejected Meadows for appearing too polished; however, after submitting a more modest photograph, she secured the part of Alice—a character that became strongly associated with her. Meadows also brought Alice to life in guest spots on The Steve Allen Show and The Jack Benny Program.
Notably, Meadows was the sole member of the "Classic 39" episodes cast (1955–56) to receive residual payments due to a contract clause negotiated by her brother Edward, who was an attorney. This arrangement resulted in substantial earnings from rerun broadcasts. Subsequently, Joyce Randolph, who portrayed Trixie Norton, began receiving royalties following the release of previously unaired episodes.
Meadows garnered a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress at the 8th Emmy Awards but was ultimately surpassed by Nanette Fabray for her work on Caesar's Hour.
Work beyond The Honeymooners
In 1960, Meadows appeared in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat", which stood out as one of Hitchcock’s rare comedic episodes. Her career also included roles in films as well as appearances on Dean Martin's variety programs and celebrity roasts. She took on the role of Nancy Palmer in an episode of Wagon Train and later returned to television sitcoms by portraying Ted Knight’s mother-in-law on Too Close for Comfort from 1982 to 1985.
Her guest-starring credits span shows such as The Red Skelton Show, Murder, She Wrote (episode "If the Frame Fits"), and an episode of The Simpsons ("Old Money") where she voiced Bea Simmons, the romantic interest of Grampa Simpson. In 1988, during a second retirement phase, she made a brief comeback on CBS Summer Playhouse. Meadows’ final acting appearance was on Dave's World, portraying Kenny (Shadoe Stevens)’s mother.
Throughout her career, Meadows received four nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards and won once for her performance on The Jackie Gleason Show.
Personal life
While working on The Honeymooners in 1956, Meadows wed Randolph Rouse, a prosperous real estate entrepreneur. Later, on August 24, 1961, she entered into marriage with her second spouse, Robert F. Six, who was the president of Continental Airlines until his passing in 1986.
Banking and marketing career
Meadows broke new ground as the first female director at the First National Bank of Denver, a position she held for 11 years. Between 1961 and 1981, she also acted as an advisory director for Continental Airlines, playing an influential role in marketing efforts such as designing flight attendant attire, enhancing aircraft interiors, and developing the exclusive President's Club airport lounges.
Memoirs
Her autobiography, titled Love, Alice: My Life As A Honeymooner, was released in October 1994.
Illness and death
A habitual smoker for many years, Meadows was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1995 and was given a prognosis of one year to live. Opting for comfort-focused care, she passed away on February 3, 1996, just five days shy of her 74th birthday, after entering a coma at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, alongside her second husband. Notably, her gravestone inaccurately records her birth year as 1926.
Legacy
In the 2002 television biographical film Gleason, which chronicles the life of her Honeymooners co-star Jackie Gleason, Meadows was depicted by actress Kristen Dalton.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | The Baron of Arizona | Townswoman in Court Scene | Uncredited |
| 1951 | The Amazing Mr. Malone | Season 1 Episode 1: "Blood Is Thicker Than Water" | |
| 1951–1952 | Bob & Ray | Regular | |
| 1952 | Lux Video Theatre | The Singer | Season 2 Episode 21: "Ceylon Treasure" |
| 1952 | Pulitzer Prize Playhouse | Lady Mary | Season 2 Episode 7: "Monsieur Beaucaire" |
| 1952–1957 | The Jackie Gleason Show | Alice Kramden / Sketch Actress / Audrey Meadows | 113 episodes |
| 1953 | Man Against Crime | Season 4 Episode 21: "The Midnight Express" | |
| 1955–1956 | The Honeymooners | Alice Kramden | 39 episodes |
| 1959 | The United States Steel Hour | Season 7 Episode 7: "Marriage... Handle with Care" | |
| 1960–1971 | The Red Skelton Hour | Various Roles | 11 episodes |
| 1960 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Mrs. Bixby | Season 6 Episode 1: "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" |
| 1961–1962 | Various TV Series | Multiple Roles | |
| 1962 | That Touch of Mink | Connie Emerson | |
| 1965–1966 | Various TV Appearances and Specials | Various Roles | |
| 1972–1978 | Various TV Specials and Series including The Honeymooners specials and The Love Boat | Alice Kramden and other roles | |
| 1980s–1990s | Various TV Series including Too Close for Comfort, Diff'rent Strokes, and Uncle Buck | Recurring roles and guest appearances | |
| 1991 | The Simpsons (voice) | Bea Simmons | Season 2 Episode 17: "Old Money" |
External links
- 1922 births
- 1996 deaths
- 20th-century American actresses
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- 20th-century American businesswomen
- 20th-century American memoirists
- Actresses from Connecticut
- Actresses from New York City
- American bankers
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- American women bankers
- American women memoirists
- Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
- California Republicans
- Connecticut Republicans
- Deaths from lung cancer in California
- Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
- People from Sharon, Connecticut
- Pseudonymous actors