Maureen Stapleton has died.
March 15, 2006 7:44 AM   Subscribe

Maureen Stapleton has died. A fat teenager with dreams of stardom moves to the big city, loses a lot of the weight but becomes a hard drinker and hard smoker, takes acting lessons, and then gets lucky in classic Hollywood style: a big actress turns down a choice role in a Tennessee Williams play and Stapleton gets the part. But it was talent, not luck, that won her the Tony. This was the start of a long and honored acting career in which she also won Oscars and an Emmy. And yet you're thinking, "Archie's wife?"
posted by pracowity (30 comments total)
 
Actually, I was thinking "isn't this a double post?" but apparently the first one was deleted.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:16 AM on March 15, 2006


I was thinking the same... which leads to the question what leads to posts being deleted?
posted by NailsTheCat at 8:24 AM on March 15, 2006


Either way,

.
posted by damnthesehumanhands at 8:26 AM on March 15, 2006


And yet you're thinking, "Archie's wife?"

That was Jean Stapleton
posted by poppo at 8:32 AM on March 15, 2006


Previous thread, which started off badly, and just went downhill from there.

A shame, since she was a great actor.

And yet you're thinking, "Archie's wife?"

I know what you're saying, but she was amazing in that role. We're accustomed to praising overacting, but it takes more talent to play characters who try hard but are weak.
posted by mkultra at 8:32 AM on March 15, 2006


And in case, you're wondering, her and Maureen are not related
posted by poppo at 8:33 AM on March 15, 2006


That was Jean Stapleton

Duh, you're so right. They're not even related.
Still, among the theater folk, she was a Great.
posted by mkultra at 8:35 AM on March 15, 2006


Maureen

Jean
posted by poppo at 8:37 AM on March 15, 2006


And yet you're thinking, "Archie's wife?"


Actually, I was thinking I needed to take a pee.
posted by lalochezia at 8:46 AM on March 15, 2006


Previous thread, which started off badly, and just went downhill from there.

"Stop acting like a bunch of fag choir boys"
posted by matteo at 8:46 AM on March 15, 2006


Speaking of errors in obits on metafilter.
posted by delmoi at 8:56 AM on March 15, 2006


I love Johnny Dangerously!
posted by candyland at 8:59 AM on March 15, 2006


. (Has that Hummer been sold yet?)
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:00 AM on March 15, 2006


Also known as Wilford Brimley's wife in Cocoon. I had no idea that she was a relatively accomplished actress outside of those movies, having never heard of her before. Sad. :(
posted by antifuse at 9:13 AM on March 15, 2006


"Stop acting like a bunch of fag choir boys"

I love how the discourse level here at MeFi retains the highest level of edification and class.
posted by djeo at 9:19 AM on March 15, 2006


You understand that the "fag choir boys" comment is a quote of Maureen's from Johnny Dangerously, right?
posted by daveleck at 9:26 AM on March 15, 2006


Rest In Peace, Ma Kelly...
posted by daveleck at 9:27 AM on March 15, 2006


I heard she went both ways.
posted by bondcliff at 9:29 AM on March 15, 2006


I know what you're saying, but she was amazing in that role. We're accustomed to praising overacting, but it takes more talent to play characters who try hard but are weak.
posted by mkultra at 8:32 AM PST on March 15 [!]

That was Jean Stapleton

Duh, you're so right. They're not even related.
Still, among the theater folk, she was a Great
.
posted by mkultra at 8:35 AM PST on March 15 [!]

Sorry for grinning - but not unkindly, mkultra.

I'm just not sure your defensive "but" adequately covers insta-mourning the wrong actress, then swiftly insisting one of them was indeed "a Great" among the folk on Mt. Thespus!!
posted by Jody Tresidder at 9:46 AM on March 15, 2006


Thanks for the new post, she deserved it.
posted by Pollomacho at 10:31 AM on March 15, 2006


That lady knew how to cook beer with noodles like nobody's business.

djeo: please check the imdb entry for johnny dangerously to understand the fag choir boys line.
posted by shmegegge at 10:38 AM on March 15, 2006


And yet you're thinking, "Archie's wife?"

That was Jean Stapleton


Well, I know that. I meant to joke (or maybe you were joking too?) that, after all that busy life in the fame business, she still had that silly trouble with name recognition.

I have to confess here that I wouldn't have posted this thing at all but it's sort of a response to the previous shot at it, and it's also because I hated to see her not get the dots when guys like Don Knotts get mefi to go black for a day. (And still she only got two dots. I guess she doesn't work the nostalgia heartstrings hard enough.)
posted by pracowity at 11:06 AM on March 15, 2006


.

She was so great as Emma Goldman in Reds.
posted by goatdog at 11:10 AM on March 15, 2006


“And yet you're thinking, "Archie's wife?"”

Damn you philistine dogs! How dare you think that?!
*cracks whip*

Oh sure, she was funny and had range and talent and stuff, but she’s no Will Farrell. So I for one don't believe any of this alien crap.
posted by Smedleyman at 11:24 AM on March 15, 2006


.
posted by Smedleyman at 11:25 AM on March 15, 2006



You understand that the "fag choir boys" comment is a quote of Maureen's from Johnny Dangerously, right?


Urk. Nope, color me stupid.
posted by djeo at 11:56 AM on March 15, 2006


Funny story: back in college a bunch of us just out of a local bar and three sheets to the wind decided to see the new Woody Allen movie "Interiors". What a laugh riot. Ms. Stapleton played the father's (E. G. Marshall) new girlfriend who came to holiday with his kids and then the real mother showed up at the window standing outside in the rain and... oh wait, nevermind... gad that movie was depressing...
posted by hal9k at 12:36 PM on March 15, 2006


Emma Goldman was one of the true american heroes!
posted by petsounds at 1:18 PM on March 15, 2006


Finally, Ma Kelly is done ironing all those shirts.

.
posted by disclaimer at 1:55 PM on March 15, 2006


.
posted by moonbird at 4:41 PM on March 15, 2006


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