Audrey Meadows

Audrey Meadows (born Audrey Cotter; February 8, 1922 – February 3, 1996) was an American actress who portrayed the deadpan housewife Alice Kramden on the 1950s American television comedy The Honeymooners. She was the younger sister of actress Jayne Meadows.

Early life Meadows was born Audrey Cotter in New York City on February 8, 1922, the youngest of four siblings.

Her parents, the Reverend Francis James Meadows Cotter and his wife, the former Ida Miller Taylor, were Episcopal missionaries in Wuchang, China, where her three elder siblings were born. Her older sister was actress Jayne Meadows, and she had two older brothers. The family returned permanently to the United States in 1927.

Career The Honeymooners After high school, Meadows sang in the Broadway musical Top Banana before becoming a regular on television in The Bob and Ray Show.

When The Honeymooners became a half-hour sitcom, Meadows (who was six years younger than Gleason) continued in the role. When the "lost" Honeymooners episodes from the variety shows were released, Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie Norton, received royalty payments.

For her work on the show, Meadows was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (then for "In a Regular Series") at the 8th Primetime Emmy Awards. She lost to Nanette Fabray in Caesar's Hour.

Career outside The Honeymooners Meadows appeared in a 1960 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat", one of the 17 episodes in the 10-year series directed by Hitchcock, and a rare light-hearted one.

She appeared in feature films and on Dean Martin's television variety shows and celebrity roasts. She starred in an episode of Wagon Train in the episode's titled role of Nancy Palmer. Years later, Meadows played Ted Knight's mother-in-law in Too Close for Comfort (1982–1985). In real life, Meadows was only 1 year older than Knight.

She guest-starred on The Red Skelton Show, made an appearance in an episode of Murder, She Wrote ("If the Frame Fits"), and made an appearance in an episode of The Simpsons ("Old Money"), wherein she voiced the role of Bea Simmons, Grampa Simpson's girlfriend. During the second year of her second retirement, she returned to television in 1988 on CBS Summer Playhouse. Her last work was an appearance on Dave's World, in which she played the mother of Kenny (Shadoe Stevens).

In total, Meadows earned four Primetime Emmy nominations for her television work, winning one for The Jackie Gleason Show.

Personal life In 1956 (during the run of The Honeymooners), Meadows married Randolph Rouse, a wealthy real-estate businessman. On August 24, 1961, Meadows married her second husband, Robert F. Six, president of Continental Airlines, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He died on October 6, 1986. Ronald Reagan and Meadows in 1986 at his 75th birthday party in the White House.

Banking and marketing career Meadows served as director of the First National Bank of Denver for 11 years, the first woman to hold the position. From 1961 to 1981, she was an advisory director of Continental Airlines, where she was actively involved in marketing programs that included the designs of flight attendant and customer-service agent uniforms, aircraft interiors and Continental's exclusive President's Club airport club lounges.

Illness and death A longtime smoker, Meadows was diagnosed with lung cancer and given a year to live in 1995.

Legacy Meadows was portrayed by Kristen Dalton in Gleason, a 2002 television film about the life of Jackie Gleason.

Filmography +Film and television Year Title Role Notes 1950 The Baron of Arizona Townswoman in Court Scene Uncredited 1951 The Amazing Mr. Malone Season 1 Episode 1: "Blood Is Thicker Than Water" 1951–1952 Bob & Ray Regular 1952 Lux Video Theatre The Singer Season 2 Episode 21: "Ceylon Treasure" 1952 Pulitzer Prize Playhouse Lady Mary Season 2 Episode 7: "Monsieur Beaucaire" 1952–1957 The Jackie Gleason Show Alice Kramden / Sketch Actress / Audrey Meadows 113 episodes 1953 Man Against Crime Season 4 Episode 21: "The Midnight Express" 1955–1956 The Honeymooners Alice Kramden 39 episodes 1959 The United States Steel Hour Episode: "Holiday on Wheels", Season 7 Episode 7: "Marriage... Handle with Care" 1960–1971 The Red Skelton Hour Clara ApplebyMrs. CavendishThe QueenAdmissions Nurse 11 episodes 1960 Play of the Week Nell Valentine Season 1 Episode 34: "The Grand Tour" 1960 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Mrs. Bixby Season 6 Episode 1: "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" 1961 Wagon Train Nancy Palmer Season 4 Episode 24: "The Nancy Palmer Story" 1961 Checkmate Althea Todd Season 1 Episode 24: "One for the Book" 1961 General Electric Theater Connie Marlowe Season 9 Episode 28: "Sis Bowls 'Em Over" 1962 The DuPont Show of the Week Constance Season 1 Episode 20: "The Action in New Orleans" 1962 That Touch of Mink Connie Emerson 1962 Sam Benedict Dr. Carrie Morton Season 1 Episode 9: "Life Is a Lie, Love Is a Cheat" 1963 Take Her, She's Mine Anne Michaelson 1965 Please Don't Eat the Daisies Kitty Clair Season 1 Episode 15: "The Big Brass Blonde" 1965 Invisible Diplomats Kelly Smith Short 1966 Jackie Gleason: American Scene Magazine Alice Kramden Season 4 Episode 17: "The Honeymooners: The Adoption" 1966 Clown Alley Washerwoman Clown TV movie 1966 Password Herself Game Show Contestant / Celebrity Guest Star 1967 Rosie! Mildred Deever 1972 Love, American Style Eve / Harriet / Mom Segment: "Love and Dear Old Mom and Dad" 1974 The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast Martha Washington Season 9 Episode 22: "Celebrity Roast: George Washington" 1976 The Honeymooners Second Honeymoon Alice Kramden TV special 1977 The Honeymooners Christmas Special Alice Kramden / Mother Cratchit TV special 1978 The Honeymooners Valentine Special Alice Kramden TV special 1978 The Love Boat Gladys Watkins Season 1 Episode 21: "Taking Sides/Going by the Book/A Friendly Little Game" 1978 Starsky & Hutch Hilda Zuckerman Season 4 Episode 8: "Dandruff" 1978 The Second Honeymooners Christmas Special Alice Kramden TV special 1980 The Love Boat Mrs. Elliott Season 3 Episode 23: "Another Time, Another Place/Doctor Who/Gopher's Engagement" 1981 Lily: Sold Out! Polly Jo TV special 1982 Diff'rent Strokes Mrs. Martinson Season 4 Episode 15: "The Squatter" 1982–1986 Too Close for Comfort Iris Martin 23 episodes 1984 The Love Boat Helen Williams Season 7 Episode 24: "A Rose is Not a Rose/Novelties/Too Rich and Too Thin" 1985 Hotel Amelia Chelton Season 3 Episode 4: "Pathways" 1986 Murder, She Wrote Mildred Tilley Season 2 Episode 22: "If the Frame Fits" 1986 Life with Lucy Audrey (Lucy's sister) Season 1 Episode 8: "Mother of the Bride" 1988 CBS Summer Playhouse Aunt Lunar Season 2 Episode 7: "The Johnsons Are Home" 1989 Nightingales Mrs. Mandel Season 1 Episode 4: "Episode #1.4" 1990 Red Pepper Ina TV movie 1990 Later (talk show) Herself Episode: "Audrey Meadows" 1990–1991 Uncle Buck Maggie Hogoboom 16 episodes 1991 The Simpsons Bea Simmons (voice) Season 2 Episode 17: "Old Money" 1991 Hi Honey, I'm Home! Alice Kramden Season 1 Episode 3: "Fur Flies" 1992 Davis Rules Gunny's Ex-Wife Season 2 Episode 7: "Gunny's Ex" 1993 Sisters Ada Benbow Season 4 Episode 4: "A Kick in the Caboose" 1994 Burke's Law Georgia Stark Season 1 Episode 6: "Who Killed Alexander the Great?" 1994 Empty Nest Margaret Randall Season 6 Episode 22: "The Devil and Dr. Weston" 1995 Dave's World Ruby Season 2 Episode 23: "The Mommies" & Season 3 Episode 12: "Working Stiffs" (final role)