Born Name:  Ellen Gerstein

Born Date:  April 29, 1950

Born Place:  The Bronx, New York

Died Date: 

Died Place: 

Occupations:  Actress, comedian, writer, producer, director

Brief Biography:  Ellen Gerstein was raised in Miami, Florida, and is known for her work in film and television, including appearances in projects like Venom and Shameless.

Early Life & Education:
Champion in horse show riding as a teenager.
Attended the University of Georgia, majoring in Sociology.
Co-founded Georgia Students for Human Rights during the 1960s.
Later earned a Master's Degree in Psychology from Antioch University.

Career Shift to Acting:
Spent six years working as a New York City social worker.
Left social work at age 28 to pursue acting.Studied for five years under acting legend Lee Strasberg.
Studied script analysis under Stella Adler.
Became a lifetime member and audition judge at The Actors Studio.

Entertainment Credits:

Television:
Played Carol in the 1990 Seinfeld episode "The Stake Out".
Played Aunt Lisa in the Friends episode "The One in Massapequa".
Appeared in The Morning Show, Liza on Demand, and Fresh Off the Boat.
Guest starred in the anthology series Monster.

Film:
Portrayed Mrs. Manfredi in the Marvel film Venom (2018).
Appeared in the films The Golden Age and Passage.
Early roles include the comedy films Coast to Coast (1980) and Joy of Sex (1984).

Directing & Writing:
Directed the award-winning 2003 short film Waiting for Ronald.
Wrote, directed, and starred in the award-winning short film Come Away with Me.
Created the award-winning one-woman show, My Psychotherapy Comeback Tour.