NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Frances Sternhagen, the veteran character actor who won two Tony Awards and became a familiar maternal face to TV viewers later in life in such shows as 鈥淐heers,鈥 鈥淓R,鈥 鈥淪ex and the City鈥 and 鈥淭he Closer,鈥 has died. She was 93.
Sternhagen died peacefully of natural causes Monday her son, John Carlin, said in a statement 鈥淔ly on, Frannie,鈥 he wrote. 鈥淭he curtain goes down on a life so richly, passionately, humbly and generously lived.鈥 Sternhagen's publicist confirmed the death and said it occurred in New Rochelle, New York.
Sternhagen won a Tony for best featured actress in a play in 1974 for her role in Neil Simon's "The Good Doctor" and a second one in 1995 for a revival of "The Heiress." Her last turn on Broadway was in 鈥淪eascape鈥 in 2005.
She was nominated for Tonys four other times, for starring or featured roles in "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window," "Equus," "Angel" and "Morning's at Seven." In 2013, she played Edie Falco鈥檚 mother in the off-Broadway play 鈥淭he Madrid.鈥
鈥淚 have been very fortunate,鈥 Sternhagen told the Daily Breeze of Torrance, California, in 2002. 鈥淎nd I think a lot of that is because I鈥檓 considered a character actor 鈥 which really means you can do a variety of things. It doesn鈥檛 mean that you can鈥檛 do leading parts, because I have. But you鈥檙e not limited to playing yourself.鈥
In a 2005 review of 鈥淪teel Magnolias,鈥 then-Associated Press drama critic Michael Kuchwara called Sternhagen 鈥渙ne of the treasures of New York theater, able to invest any role she plays with considerable sympathy. Here, she turns what could be a throwaway part into one that provides much laughter 鈥 and applause.鈥
She kept up a flourishing career while at the same time raising six children. She always said her family came first 鈥 commuting from her suburban home in New Rochelle while acting on Broadway 鈥 but admitted that touring and movie and TV work sometimes took her away from home.
鈥淚 remember telling my older daughter when she was about 13 that sometimes I felt terribly guilty that I wasn鈥檛 home all the time,鈥 she told a Gale Group reporter. 鈥淎nd my daughter said, `Oh, Mom, you would have been impossible if you were home all the time.鈥 I鈥檓 sure she was right.鈥
TV viewers knew her as played the rich grandmother of Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) in the long-running 鈥淓R.鈥 On 鈥淐heers鈥 she was the know-it-all mother of postman Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger). 鈥淪he was just impossible and great fun to play,鈥 she told The New York Times. The role brought her two Emmy nominations.
More recently, she had a recurring role in 鈥淪ex and the City鈥 as Bunny MacDougal, the strong-minded mother-in-law of Charlotte (Kristin Davis), which brought her her third Emmy nomination, and played Kyra Sedgwick鈥檚 mother in 鈥淭he Closer.鈥 Soap opera fans in the 1960s knew her in 鈥淟ove of Life鈥 as Toni Prentiss Davis, who carried a gun and went mad.
鈥淚 must say it鈥檚 fun to play these snobby older ladies. It鈥檚 always more fun to be obnoxious. I have known women like that, and I can imitate them, I guess,鈥 she told the in 2002.
Playwright Paul Rudnick on Wednesday called her 鈥渁 wonderful actress, capable of the highest comedy and deeply moving drama.鈥 She was, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, 鈥渁n indelible presence.鈥
In 鈥淓quus,鈥 opposite Anthony Hopkins and Peter Firth on Broadway in 1974, she originated the role of the mother of the troubled youth whose shocking act of violence against horses sets the drama in motion, earning her a Tony nod.
In 1979, she appeared in the original Broadway production of 鈥淥n Golden Pond鈥 in the role of Ethel Thayer that Katharine Hepburn won an Oscar for in the film version. 鈥淚 feel very close to Ethel,鈥 Sternhagen told the Times. 鈥淪he reminds me of my mother and I took to her immediately.鈥
Sternhagen was one of three actors to handle the title role over the long off-Broadway run of 鈥淒riving Miss Daisy,鈥 another stage role that became an Oscar-winner on screen, this time for Jessica Tandy.
She made her film debut in 鈥淯p the Down Staircase鈥 in 1967. Among her other movies: 鈥淗ospital,鈥 鈥淭wo People,鈥 鈥淔edora,鈥 鈥淏right Lights Big City,鈥 鈥淢isery,鈥 鈥淒oc Hollywood,鈥 鈥淩aising Cain鈥 and 鈥淐urtain Call.鈥
Sternhagen was born in 1930, in Washington, D.C., where her father was a tax court judge. As a child she loved to perform 鈥 she recalled herself as 鈥渁 shameful show-off鈥 鈥 but she never considered an acting career. She entered Vassar as a history major, but a friendly teacher suggested another direction: acting.
鈥淓ven though I was acting in college,鈥 she told the New York Daily News, 鈥渋t hadn鈥檛 occurred to me to major in drama.鈥 But when it was noted that she was doing 鈥淐鈥 work in history, Sternhagen switched to drama.
After graduation she taught drama, modern dance and singing outside Boston, earning $2,000 for the year before deciding to pursue work in the theater.
鈥淚 thought I would try it, see if I liked it, and then get out,鈥 she told the Times in 1981. 鈥淏ut you never get out. It鈥檚 an addiction, because it touches your emotions, because it鈥檚 where you want to live. ... I think those of us who can stay in it are just plain lucky.鈥
She met her husband, actor Thomas A. Carlin, while appearing in a production in Maryland. He died of heart failure in 1991.
She didn鈥檛 let her pregnancies interfere much with her work schedule, explaining that as an only child, 鈥淚 always longed for a big family.鈥
鈥淚 was lucky,鈥 she told the Times. 鈥淚 usually didn鈥檛 show a pregnancy until the sixth or seventh month. I was afraid to stop acting, because if I stopped I would never start again.鈥
鈥淚 can鈥檛 say it鈥檚 been easy. There have been quite a number of things I haven鈥檛 done. You make choices and have to stick with them.鈥
She and Carlin had four sons, Paul, Tony, Peter and John, and two daughters, Amanda and Sarah. She also is survived by nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
鈥淎 celebration of her remarkable career and life is planned for mid January, near her 94th birthday,鈥 said a statement from her family. 鈥淲e continue to be inspired by her love and life.鈥
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Mark Kennedy is at
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
