
Jean Stapleton
Jean Stapleton was born Jeanne Murray in Manhattan, New York City, to Marie A. (Stapleton), an opera singer, and Joseph Edward Murray, a billboard advertising salesman. Her paternal grandparents were Irish. She was a cousin of actress Betty Jane Watson. Other relatives in show business were her uncle, Joseph E. Deming, a vaudevillian; and her brother Jack Stapleton, a stage actor. She graduated from Wadleigh High School, NYC, in 1939, and attended Hunter College. She worked as a secretary before becoming an actress. Stapleton made her stage debut at the Greenwood Playhouse, Peaks Island, Maine, in the summer of 1941, and her New York stage debut in "The Corn Is Green" (1948). She appeared on Broadway in the musicals "Damn Yankees" (1955) and "Bells Are Ringing" (1956), and later repeated her roles in the movie versions (Damn Yankees (1958) and Bells Are Ringing (1960)). Her other Broadway roles included the original companies of "Rhinoceros" (1961) and "Funny Girl" (1964). Stapleton also played Abby Brewster in the 1986-87 revival of "Arsenic and Old Lace".
66Credits36 TV · 30 films
1948–2004Years activefirst to latest
9.5 Highest ratedShelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
6.9 Average ratingacross 64 titles
Top TV shows 36best Jean Stapleton shows
- 1
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime StoriesNarrator (voice) · 1 ep · 1992 - 2
Hallmark Hall of FameMary Dobkin · 1 ep · 1951 - 3
Beakman's WorldBeakman's Mom · 1 ep · 1992 - 4
E! True Hollywood Story1 ep · 1996 - 5
Faerie Tale TheatreThe Giantess · 1 ep · 1982 - 6Mrs. Piggle-WiggleMrs. Piggle-Wiggle · 13 eps · 1994
- 7
Style & SubstanceGloria Utley · 1 ep · 1998 - 8
All in the FamilyEdith Bunker · 1971–1979 · Comedy - 9Trying Times1 ep · 1987
- 10
The Electric Company1 ep · 1971 - 11
Touched by an AngelEmma · 1 ep · 1994 - 12
The Ray Bradbury Theater1 ep · 1985 - 13
Everybody Loves RaymondAunt Alda · 1 ep · 1996 - 14
Route 661 ep · 1960 - 15Lux Video TheatreTeacher · 1 ep · 1950
- 16
The Eleventh Hour1 ep · 1962 - 17
My Three Sons1 ep · 1960 - 18
The Philco Television PlayhouseBus Girl · 1 ep · 1948 - 19
Scarecrow and Mrs. King2 eps · 1983 - 20
Dennis the Menace1 ep · 1959 - 21Woman With A Past110 eps · 1954
- 22
Caroline in the CityAunt Mary Kosky · 1 ep · 1995 - 23
Murphy Brown1 ep · 1988 - 24
The Love Boat2 eps · 1977 - 25
The DefendersMrs. Larsen · 1 ep · 1961 - 26
The Patty Duke Show1 ep · 1963 - 27
Great PerformancesHelen · 1 ep · 1971 - 28
Robert Montgomery Presents1 ep · 1950 - 29
The NursesMrs. Montgomery · 1 ep · 1962 - 30
Dr. KildareNurse Whitney · 1 ep · 1961 - 31
Naked CityMarilyn Konish · 1 ep · 1958 - 32
Bagdad CafeJasmine Zweibel · 15 eps · 1990 - 33
Grace Under Fire1 ep · 1993 - 34
Archie Bunker's PlaceEdith Bunker · 1979–1983 · Comedy - 35TV Land Top 101 ep · 2004
- 36TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV1 ep · 2003
Top movies 30best Jean Stapleton movies
- 1
Angel DustedBetty Eaton · 1981 - 2
Fire in the DarkHenry Dutton · 1991 - 3
All in the Family: 20th Anniversary Special1991 - 4
Something's AfootMiss Tweed · 1982 - 5
Funny Ladies: A Portrait of Women CartoonistsNarrator · 1991 - 6
BabyByrd · 2000 - 7
Chance of a LifetimeMrs. Dunbar · 1998 - 8
Aunt MaryMary Dobkin · 1979 - 9
A Matter of SexIrene Wallin · 1984 - 10
Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny KimesIrene Silverman · 2001 - 11
Up the Down StaircaseSadie Finch · 1967 - 12
You Can't Take it With YouPenny Sycamore · 1979 - 13
Eleanor, First Lady of the WorldEleanor Roosevelt · 1982 - 14
Acts of Love and Other ComediesGina's Mother · 1973 - 15
KluteGoldfarb's Secretary · 1971 - 16
You've Got MailBirdie Conrad · 1998 - 17
CinderellaFairy Godmother · 1985 - 18
Damn YankeesSister Miller · 1958 - 19
Bury Me in NiagaraMildred · 1993 - 20
Bells Are RingingSue · 1960 - 21
Dead Man's FollyAriadne Oliver · 1986 - 22
Cold TurkeyMrs. Wappler · 1971 - 23
Something WildShirley Johnson · 1961 - 24
Tail Gunner JoeMrs. DeCamp · 1977 - 25
The Habitation of DragonsLenora Tolliver · 1992 - 26
The TrialLandlady (uncredited) · 1993 - 27
MichaelPansy Milbank · 1996 - 28
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New WorldMrs. Jenkins (voice) · 1998 - 29
Pursuit of HappinessLorraine · 2001 - 30
Mother Goose Rock 'n' RhymeMother Goose · 1990