Anne Meara
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Born Name:
Anne Therese Meara
Born Date: September 20, 1929
Born Place: New York City
Died Date: May 23, 2015
Died Place: New York City
Occupations: Comedian, actress
Brief Biography: Anne Meara was best known as half of the legendary 1960s comedy duo Stiller and Meara alongside her husband Jerry Stiller, she maintained a prolific six-decade career in film, television, and theater, and was the mother of actor Ben Stiller.
Early Life & Career Beginnings:
Background: She was raised on Long Island in a middle-class Irish-Catholic family. Her mother died by suicide when Meara was 11, a loss that impacted her deeply.
Training: She studied drama at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in Manhattan and HB Studio.
Meeting Jerry Stiller: In 1953, she met aspiring actor Jerry Stiller at a casting call in New York City. They quickly bonded, married in 1954, and shared a 61-year marriage until her death.
Stiller and Meara:
The Compass Players: At Stiller's urging, Meara shifted from serious drama to comedy. The couple joined The Compass Players (an improv troupe that evolved into The Second City in Chicago).
The Duo: By the early 1960s, they had developed a wildly successful national club act billed as Stiller and Meara.
Ethnic Comedy: They mined humor from the differences in their backgrounds—she was an Irish-Catholic, he was a Jewish man from Brooklyn.
Ed Sullivan: The duo became a national phenomenon, making 36 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and frequently starring on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Solo Acting Career:
As the era of variety television declined, Meara transitioned into a highly respected, versatile actress.
Rhoda: Won a Golden Globe for her recurring role as Sally Gallagher in the sitcom Rhoda.
Archie Bunker's Place: Starred as outspoken cook Veronica Rooney for three seasons.
Sex and the City: Played the memorable, recurring role of Mary Brady in the HBO series.
The King of Queens: Starred alongside her husband (playing Arthur Spooner) by taking on the recurring role of Veronica Olchin.
Film: Appeared in notable films such as The Out-of-Towners, Fame, Awakenings, Reality Bites, and Night at the Museum.
Playwriting and Later Life:
Later in life, Meara returned to her first love—the stage. She wrote Off-Broadway and Broadway plays, most notably After-Play (1995) and Down the Garden Paths (2000). In 2007, she and Jerry Stiller received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Born Date: September 20, 1929
Born Place: New York City
Died Date: May 23, 2015
Died Place: New York City
Occupations: Comedian, actress
Brief Biography: Anne Meara was best known as half of the legendary 1960s comedy duo Stiller and Meara alongside her husband Jerry Stiller, she maintained a prolific six-decade career in film, television, and theater, and was the mother of actor Ben Stiller.
Early Life & Career Beginnings:
Background: She was raised on Long Island in a middle-class Irish-Catholic family. Her mother died by suicide when Meara was 11, a loss that impacted her deeply.
Training: She studied drama at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in Manhattan and HB Studio.
Meeting Jerry Stiller: In 1953, she met aspiring actor Jerry Stiller at a casting call in New York City. They quickly bonded, married in 1954, and shared a 61-year marriage until her death.
Stiller and Meara:
The Compass Players: At Stiller's urging, Meara shifted from serious drama to comedy. The couple joined The Compass Players (an improv troupe that evolved into The Second City in Chicago).
The Duo: By the early 1960s, they had developed a wildly successful national club act billed as Stiller and Meara.
Ethnic Comedy: They mined humor from the differences in their backgrounds—she was an Irish-Catholic, he was a Jewish man from Brooklyn.
Ed Sullivan: The duo became a national phenomenon, making 36 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and frequently starring on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Solo Acting Career:
As the era of variety television declined, Meara transitioned into a highly respected, versatile actress.
Rhoda: Won a Golden Globe for her recurring role as Sally Gallagher in the sitcom Rhoda.
Archie Bunker's Place: Starred as outspoken cook Veronica Rooney for three seasons.
Sex and the City: Played the memorable, recurring role of Mary Brady in the HBO series.
The King of Queens: Starred alongside her husband (playing Arthur Spooner) by taking on the recurring role of Veronica Olchin.
Film: Appeared in notable films such as The Out-of-Towners, Fame, Awakenings, Reality Bites, and Night at the Museum.
Playwriting and Later Life:
Later in life, Meara returned to her first love—the stage. She wrote Off-Broadway and Broadway plays, most notably After-Play (1995) and Down the Garden Paths (2000). In 2007, she and Jerry Stiller received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.