Polly Holliday

Polly Holliday

Holliday in Alice (1976).
Born Polly Dean Holliday
(1937-07-02) July 2, 1937
Jasper, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1973–2010

Polly Dean Holliday (born July 2, 1937) is an American actress who has appeared on stage, television and in film. She is best known for her portrayal of sassy waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the 1970s sitcom Alice, which she reprised in its short-lived spinoff, Flo.

Early life

Holliday was born in Jasper, Alabama, the daughter of Ernest Sullivan Holliday, a truck driver and Velma Mabell Holliday (née Cain).[1] Prior to acting, Holliday worked as a piano teacher in her native Alabama, and then in Florida. She began her acting career as a member of the Asolo Theatre Company in Sarasota, Florida, where she stayed for 10 years.

Career

In 1976 Holliday became known for her American sitcom role of "Flo" on the television series Alice. Her character coined the popular catchphrase Kiss my grits! The phrase became part of the American vocabulary and Holliday's popular character of Flo later received a spin-off show, entitled Flo. Her notable roles in films include All the President's Men, Mrs. Doubtfire, the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap and her role as Mrs. Ruby Deagle in the 1984 box office smash Gremlins.

In 1973, she moved to New York and appeared in Alice Childress's play Wedding Band at the Public Theater. More than a year later, she was cast in the Broadway hit All Over Town. While working on All Over Town, she befriended the play's director, Dustin Hoffman, who would later work with her on the 1976 movie All the President's Men.

Soon, she was cast — in what would be her major break — in the role of sassy, man-hungry waitress Flo. While on Alice, she became very popular. After appearing on the show from 1976 to 1980, she moved to her own spin-off show, Flo, in which Flo left her residence in Arizona and moved back home. The show was moderately successful during its first abbreviated season, but ratings declined during the following season, and it was canceled in 1981. In 1983, Holliday joined the cast of the CBS-TV sitcom Private Benjamin as a temporary replacement for series regular Eileen Brennan, who was recovering from a serious car injury. However, the show was suffering low ratings before Holliday arrived and was shortly canceled. As a result, only one of the two episodes she filmed was aired.

Holliday also made appearances on television shows such as The Golden Girls, where she played Rose Nylund's blind sister Lily; in a recurring role as Jill Taylor's mother on Home Improvement, and a regular on The Client.

On the Broadway stage, she has appeared in revivals of Arsenic and Old Lace (1986) as Martha Brewster, one of the dotty, homicidal, sweet old aunties; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1990), for which she was nominated for a Tony for her portrayal of "Big Mama"; and Picnic (1994). She also appeared in the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap as the director of Camp Walden. In 2000, she appeared at Lincoln Center in a revival of Arthur Laurents's The Time of the Cuckoo.

In 2000, she was inducted into the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame.[2]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1974 Search for Tomorrow Prison Inmate Leader TV series
1975 W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings Mrs. Cozzens
1975 Silence, TheThe Silence Mrs. Watson TV movie
1975 Catamount Killing, TheThe Catamount Killing Miss Pearson
1975 Distance Mrs. Herman
1976 All the President's Men Dardis's Secretary
1976 NBC Special Treat Mrs. Cronkite Episode: "Luke Was There"
1976 Bernice Bobs Her Hair Mrs. Harvey TV movie
1976–1980 Alice Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry 90 episodes
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1979-80)
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1978-80)
1978 One and Only, TheThe One and Only Mrs. Crawford
1979 You Can't Take It with You Miriam Kirby TV movie
1980–1981 Flo Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry 29 episodes
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
1981 All the Way Home Aunt Hannah TV movie
1982 American Playhouse Mrs. Wooster Episode: "The Shady Hill Kidnapping"
1982 Missing Children: A Mother's Story Mary Gertrude TV movie
1982–1983 Private Benjamin Capt. Amanda Allen 3 episodes
1983 The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story Aunt Minerva 'Min' TV movie
1984 Gremlins Ruby Deagle Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
1985 Lots of Luck Lucille TV movie
1985 Stir Crazy Captain Betty Episode: "Pilot"
1985 Konrad Berti Bartolotti TV movie
1986 Golden Girls, TheThe Golden Girls Lily Lindstrom Episode: "Blind Ambitions"
1986 Amazing Stories Elma Dinnock Episode: "The Pumpkin Competition"
1988 Equalizer, TheThe Equalizer Sister Sara Episode: "Regrets Only"
1988 Moon Over Parador Midge
1991 A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story Ruth TV movie
1993 Mrs. Doubtfire Gloria Chaney
1993–1999 Home Improvement Lillian Patterson 5 episodes
1995–1996 Client, TheThe Client Momma Love 21 episodes
1996 Mr. Wrong Mrs. Alston
1996 Loss of Innocence, AA Loss of Innocence Christina Eriksen TV movie
1996 Homicide: Life on the Street Mrs. Rath Episode: "The Heart of a Saturday Night"
1998 Parent Trap, TheThe Parent Trap Marva Kulp, Sr
2004 It Must Be Love Mama Bell TV movie
2006 Stick It Judge Westreich
2007 Heartbreak Kid, TheThe Heartbreak Kid Beryl
2010 Fair Game Diane Plame
2016 "All Yours" Grandmom

References

  1. ↑ "Polly Holliday Biography (1937-)". Filmreference.com. 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  2. ↑ "Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame". theatretusc.com. Retrieved October 29, 2910. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)


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