Caroline Rhea

Caroline Gilchrist Rhea (; born April 13, 1964) is a Canadian actress and stand-up comedian, best known for her role as Hilda Spellman on the ABC series Sabrina the Teenage Witch and for voicing Linda Flynn-Fletcher in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb.

She has performed numerous comedy specials, including three one-hour standup specials for HBO, Showtime, and Bravo. She is also known as a regular on Hollywood Squares with her friend Whoopi Goldberg. Rhea was chosen by Rosie O'Donnell as the new hostess of her syndicated talk show (renamed The Caroline Rhea Show) and hosted the reality television show The Biggest Loser on NBC for the first three seasons. She appeared regularly on ABC's Match Game with Alec Baldwin from 2016 to 2020. She also returned to the Disney Channel to portray Judy Reynolds in the comedy series Sydney to the Max, which aired from 2019 to 2021.

Early life Rhea was born and raised in Westmount, Quebec, the daughter of Margery and David Rhea, an obstetrician and gynecologist. She has two sisters, Cynthia and Celia. She attended The Study, an all-girls private school in Westmount, Quebec; Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia; and the University of Arizona.

Career

Standup

Rhea moved to New York in 1986 to pursue a career as a comedian and actress. She began performing at venues like Catch a Rising Star and The Comic Strip, where she performed along with comedians including Chris Rock, Louis C.K., Dave Attell, Marc Maron, and Jim Gaffigan. She made her first filmed standup appearances on MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour, Comic Strip Live, and Caroline's Comedy Hour.

Rhea was given a one-hour special for HBO, called One Night Stand. She followed it up with Rhea's Anatomy, her one-hour special for Bravo, and Give Me My Remote for Showtime.

Even as recently as New Year's Eve 2024, Rhea continues to perform live comedy shows.

Film and television After finding success in New York as a comedian, Caroline moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career in Hollywood, debuting on NBC's television series Pride & Joy, where she co-starred with Jeremy Piven. She later gained widespread fame for her role as Aunt Hilda on the ABC (and later, The WB) series Sabrina the Teenage Witch and for her recurring role on the latest incarnation of Hollywood Squares.

Rhea is also well known for her voice role as Linda Flynn-Fletcher on the long-running Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb; for her syndicated daytime talk show, The Caroline Rhea Show; as the original host of The Biggest Loser on NBC; and for playing Noleta Nethercott on the TV series Sordid Lives: The Series for Logo, and a sequel film A Very Sordid Wedding.

In 2004, she appeared in the Christmas comedy film Christmas with the Kranks. In 2005, Rhea appeared in The Perfect Man, playing a co-worker of Jean (Heather Locklear) and had a recurring role on the Disney Channel Original Series, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as Ilsa Shickelgubermeiger-Von Helsing der Keppelugerhofer, an inspector turned manager of the rival hotel. In 2007, she starred in the original Lifetime Television movie To Be Fat Like Me opposite Kaley Cuoco and in the Fox animated series Two Dreadful Children.

In 2008, Rhea starred alongside Justin Guarini and Mircea Monroe in the MarVista Entertainment production of Fast Girl. In 2013, Rhea hosted a travelling live stage show version of the game show Family Feud that toured fairs in the US and Canada, including the Calgary Stampede. In 2017, she began a recurring role on ABC's revival of Match Game. She appeared in 21 episodes, her last airing in October 2020.

Rhea has competed on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown and GSN's World Series of Blackjack, and has also done a live webcast with author Meg Cabot.

In 2018, Rhea began hosting Caroline & Friends on GSN. The series features funny videos of animals and children. The studio audience votes for the best video from ones chosen by Rhea and her two guest comedian co-hosts. The show lasted for one season.

In 2019, Rhea began appearing as Judy, the grandmother, in the Disney Channel sitcom Sydney to the Max, which premiered January 25, 2019 and ran for three seasons until November 2021. The role got her a spot amongst a team of contemporary moms on the network for an episode of Celebrity Family Feud which aired in 2020.

Charity work

Rhea has appeared at Comic Relief as well as the Ms. Foundation's "Women of Comedy from Caroline's Comedy Club". She appeared as a contestant in 2001 on a special edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, winning $125,000 for her charity.

Personal life Rhea and her former partner, comedian Costaki Economopoulos, have a daughter, Ava (b. October 2008).

Rhea's parents were diagnosed with cancer one week apart. Her mother, Margery, was diagnosed with breast cancer and her father, David, with lung cancer. David died 10 months later; Margery lived another six years.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1986 Meatballs III: Summer Job Beach girl #4 Debut role, Uncredited 1996 Casting director 1999 Man on the Moon Fridays Melanie Chartoff 2000 Ready to Rumble Eugenia King 2001 Happy Birthday Monica 2004 Christmas with the Kranks Candi 2005 Gloria 2008 Fast Girl Maddie 2009 Love N' Dancing Bonnie 2015 Being Canadian Herself Documentary 2017 A Very Sordid Wedding Noleta Nethercott 2020 Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe Linda Flynn-Fletcher Voice role 2025 Are We Good? Herself Documentary

Television Year Title Role Notes 1993 Fools for Love Herself Host 1995 Pride & Joy Carol Green Main role 1996–2003 Sabrina the Teenage Witch Hilda Spellman Main role (seasons 1–6); guest role (season 7) 1996 Bonnie 2 episodes 1997 Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist Caroline Voice role; episode: "Big Fat Slug" 1999 Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm Herself Television special 2000 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Spidey Voice role; episode: "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" 2000 Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire Lynette Hansen Television film 2001 Mrs. Claus Television film; voice role 2002 Fillmore! Mrs. Konquist Voice role; episode: "Nappers Never Sleep" 2002–2003 Herself Daytime talk show 2004–2006 Host (seasons 1–3) 2005–2006 Ilsa 3 episodes 2005–2006 Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Herself 2 episodes, "Out & About" and "Puppy Chaos" 2007 To Be Fat Like Me Madelyn Television film 2007–2015,2025–present Phineas and Ferb Linda Flynn-Fletcher, Betty Jo Flynn, additional voices Main voice role 2008 Sordid Lives: The Series Noleta Nethercott Main role 2009 Larry the Cable Guy's Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau Shopper #1 / Grandma / Mrs. Claus Television film2011 Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension Linda Flynn-Fletcher / Linda 2 Television film; voice role Cake Walk: Wedding Cake Edition Herself Host2012 Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town Mrs. Diston Television film Maya Fletcher 2013 Baby Daddy Jennifer Perrin Episode: "On the Lamb-y"2014 Maron Herself Episode: "Nostalgic Sex Buddy" Manhattan Love Story Coach Reisner Episode: "The Ex Factor" 2015 2 Broke Girls Bonnie Episode: "And the Disappointing Unit"2016 The Grinder Fran Episode: "Genesis" Bruno & Boots: Go Jump in the Pool Eugenia Scrimmage Television film 2016–2025 Match Game Herself (Panelist) 23 episodes 2017 Bruno & Boots: The Wizzle War, This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall Eugenia Scrimmage Television film 2017–2019 Funny You Should Ask Herself (Panelist) 51 episodes2018 Caroline & Friends Herself Host A Christmas in Tennessee Mrs. Claus Television film 2019–2021 Sydney to the Max Judy Reynolds Main role 2020 The Blame Game Herself (Panelist) Episode: 27 November 2020 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Sitcom Hilda Spellman (Parallel Cosmos-modified version) 2 episodes 2021 Debbie Macomber's A Mrs. Miracle Christmas Gloria Merkel (Mrs. Miracle) Television film 2022 LOL: Last One Laughing Canada Herself (Contestant) 6 episodes 2022 Lopez vs Lopez Jana Recurring Cast2024 Extended Family Lana Telsoup Episode: "The Consequences of Being Irish" Holiday Mismatch Kath Television film Hallmark Channel 2025Sheriff CountryGina Recurring Cast

Video games