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Alice Hirson, the veteran actor who performed Ellen DeGeneres’s mother on her ’90s sitcom, died on Valentine’s Day at 95, TV Line stories. She had been dwelling within the Movement Image & Tv Nation House.
Hirson was born March 10, 1929, in Brooklyn and grew up on Lengthy Island.
After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1948, she made her stage debut in “On the City,” later making her Broadway debut in 1964’s “Traveller with Baggage.”
She made her TV debut on “Starlight Theatre” in 1951, however didn’t work commonly within the medium till the tip of the ’60s, when she started her first of many stints on a cleaning soap, taking part in Stephanie Martin on “The Fringe of Night time” (1969-1970).
Different cleaning soap work included “Somerset” (1970-1972), “One other World” (1970), “One Life to Stay” (1971-1976), “Basic Hospital” (1982), and “Loving” (1993).
Hirson had memorable recurring roles as Miss Ellie’s finest pal on “Dallas” (1982-1988) and as Mimsy on “The Secret Lifetime of the American Teenager” 2008-2012), nevertheless it was her efficiency as Ellen’s ditzy mother on “Ellen” (1994-1998) that turned her most generally considered.
As a part of that gig, she appeared on the present’s “The Pet Episode,” the 1997 installment on which her TV daughter — mirroring Ellen herself — got here out as homosexual. The episode drew 42 million viewers.
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Hirson guested on many widespread collection, amongst them “Maude” (1977), “The Waltons” (1977), “Flamingo Street” (1981), “Barney Miller” (1981), “Taxi” (1981), “Quincy, M.E.” (1977-1983), “Resort” (1985), “Matlock” (1986), “Full Home” (1987), and “Legislation & Order” (1993).
Whereas she appeared on and off in function movies, she was notably efficient in a small function as an American first girl within the visionary Peter Sellers film “Being There” (1979).
Hirson was married to and divorced from actor Roger O. Hirson, and was preceded in loss of life by her second husband, actor Stephen Elliott, in 2005. She is survived by her two kids with Hirson and a grandchild.