Eileen Brennan

Eileen Brennan (born Verla Eileen Regina Brennen; September 3, 1932 – July 28, 2013) was an American actress. She made her film debut in the satire Divorce American Style, followed by a supporting role in Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show (1971), which earned her a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

She gained further critical acclaim for her role as Captain Doreen Lewis in Private Benjamin (1980), earning an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She reprised the role in the television adaptation, winning both a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Brennan starred opposite Peter Falk in two Neil Simon-penned murder mystery spoofs: Murder by Death (1976) and The Cheap Detective (1978). She also appeared in the ensemble cast of the mystery-comedy Clue (1985) which gained a major cult following. She worked prolifically in television, receiving Emmy nominations for her guest roles on Newhart, Thirtysomething, Taxi, and Will & Grace.

Early life Verla Eileen Regina Brennen was born September 3, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, to Regina Menehan, a former silent film actress, and John Gerald Brennen, a doctor.

After graduating from high school in California, Brennan moved to Washington, D.C., to attend Georgetown University, where she was a member of the Mask and Bauble Society. She later relocated to New York City to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she was the roommate of Rue McClanahan.

Career Early work and theatre

Brennan began her acting career while attending university, appearing in Georgetown's stage productions of Arsenic and Old Lace. Her exceptional comic skills and romantic soprano voice propelled her from unknown to star in the title role of Rick Besoyan's off-Broadway tongue-in-cheek musical/operetta Little Mary Sunshine (1959), She went on to create the role of Irene Molloy in the original Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! (1964).

Brennan's work in theatre attracted attention from television producers in California. Carl Reiner, who was seeking an actress to play the role of Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, flew her from New York to Los Angeles to audition for the part; however, the role was given to Mary Tyler Moore.

Transition to film Her feature-film debut was in Divorce American Style (1967). She soon became one of the most recognizable supporting actresses in film and television. She usually played sympathetic characters, though she played a variety of other character types, including earthy, vulgar and sassy, but occasionally "with a heart of gold". A year after her feature-film debut, she became a semi-regular on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, but stayed for only two months. Brennan also appeared in the Barnaby Jones episode titled "Blood Relations" (1975).

Brennan became a favorite of a number of directors, in particular Peter Bogdanovich. She appeared in Bogdanovich's drama The Last Picture Show as Genevieve (1971), for which she received a BAFTA nomination for best supporting actress.

In 1972, Brennan appeared in an All in the Family episode, "The Elevator Story" (1972), as Angelique McCarthy, followed by a role in George Roy Hill's Academy Award-winning film The Sting (1973) as Billie, the brothel madam and confidante of con man Henry Gondorf (Paul Newman). In 1974, she reunited with director Bogdanovich, appearing in his adaptation of the Henry James novella Daisy Miller. Bogdanovich was the only director who made use of her musical talents (save for The Cheap Detective; and she sang in performances off Broadway) when he cast her as Cybill Shepherd's crude, fun-loving maid in his musical flop At Long Last Love (1975) (which also starred Madeline Kahn; Brennan and Kahn worked together in two more films: The Cheap Detective (1978) and Clue (1985).

Brennan also worked with director Robert Moore and writer Neil Simon, appearing in Murder by Death as Tess Skeffington (1976) and also appearing in The Cheap Detective (1978). Both of these movies also starred James Coco, James Cromwell and Peter Falk. She had a starring role, playing the disc jockey Mother in the film FM (1978), a comedy-drama about life at a rock-music radio station.

In 1980, Brennan received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her role as Goldie Hawn's nasty commanding officer in Private Benjamin. She reprised the role in the television adaptation (1981–1983), for which she won an Emmy (supporting actress) as well as a Golden Globe (lead actress). She had one additional Golden Globe nomination and six Emmy nominations. Brennan received an Emmy nomination for her guest-star role in the Taxi episode "Thy Boss's Wife" (1981).

In 1985, Brennan portrayed the iconic Mrs. Peacock in the Paramount Pictures adaptation of Clue.

Later roles Brennan guest-starred on two Murder, She Wrote episodes, "Old Habits Die Hard" (1987) and "Dear Deadly" (1994), and in 1987, she also appeared in the Magnum, P.I. episode "The Love That Lies". Other guest appearances included Newhart, Thirtysomething, Home Improvement, Walker, Texas Ranger and ER, the first two of which garnered her Emmy nominations. In the 1990s, she appeared in Stella (1990) with Bette Midler, Bogdanovich's Texasville (1990, the sequel to The Last Picture Show), and Reckless (1995). She had a recurring role on the sitcom Blossom as the neighbor/confidante of the title character. She also appeared opposite Vincent D'Onofrio in a segment of Boys Life 2, an anthology film about gay men in America.

In 2001, she made a brief appearance in the horror movie Jeepers Creepers, and the following year starred in the dark comedy film Comic Book Villains, with DJ Qualls. Around that time, Brennan had also guest-starred on television, including recurring roles as the nosy Mrs. Bink on 7th Heaven and as gruff-acting coach Zandra on Will & Grace. In 2003, director Shawn Levy cast her in a cameo role as a babysitter to Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt's children in an updated remake of Cheaper by the Dozen. Levy was inspired to cast Brennan after seeing Private Benjamin on television. However, Brennan's cameo was deleted from the actual cut of the movie. Nonetheless, she did receive credit for her role on the deleted scenes special feature of the film's DVD. In 2004, she appeared in the horror film The Hollow as Joan Van Etten. That same year, Brennan was nominated for an Emmy for her performance as Zandra, Jack McFarland's caustic drama teacher, on Will & Grace.

Personal life From 1968 to 1974, Brennan was married to British poet and photographer David John Lampson, with whom she had two sons: Patrick, a former basketball player turned actor, and Sam, a singer. She also fell from the stage in 1989 during a production of Annie, breaking a leg. The following year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, for which she was successfully treated.

Death Brennan died at her home in Burbank, California, on July 28, 2013, of bladder cancer, aged 80. Her Private Benjamin co-star Goldie Hawn said she was a "brilliant comedian, a powerful dramatic actress and had the voice of an angel". Actor, writer and director Michael McKean, Brennan's co-star in Clue, called Brennan "a brilliant actress, a tough and tender woman and a comic angel".

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1967 Divorce American Style Eunice Tase 1971 The Last Picture Show Genevieve Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role 1973 Scarecrow Darlene 1973 The Blue Knight Glenda Television film 1973 The Sting Billie 1974 Nourish the Beast Baba Goya Television Film 1974 Daisy Miller Mrs. Walker 1975 At Long Last Love Elizabeth 1975 Hustle Paula Hollinger 1976 Murder by Death Tess Skeffington 1977 The Death of Richie Carol Werner Television film 1977 The Great Smokey Roadblock Penelope Pearson 1978 FM Mother 1978 The Cheap Detective Betty DeBoop 1979 When She Was Bad... Mary Jensen Television film 1979 My Old Man Marie Television film 1980 Private Benjamin Captain Doreen Lewis Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress 1981 Incident at Crestridge Sara Davis 1981 When the Circus Came to Town Jessy Television film 1982 Pandemonium Candy's mom 1983 The Funny Farm Gail Corbin 1985 Clue Mrs. Peacock 1986 Babes in Toyland Ms. Piper / Widow Hubbard 1988 The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking Miss Bannister Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress 1988 Sticky Fingers Stella 1988 Rented Lips Hotel Desk Clerk 1988 Going to the Chapel Maude 1989 It Had to Be You Judith 1990 Stella Mrs. Wilkerson 1990 Texasville Genevieve Morgan 1990 White Palace Judy 1991 Joey Takes a Cab 1992 I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore Frieda 1994 In Search of Dr. Seuss Who-Villain Television film 1995 Reckless Sister Margaret 1996 If These Walls Could Talk Tessie Segment "1996" 1997 Boys Life 2 Mrs. Randozza (segment "Nunzio's Second Cousin") 1997 Changing Habits Mother Superior 1998 Pants on Fire Mom 1999 The Last Great Ride Pamela Mimi Mackensie 2000 Moonglow 2001 Jeepers Creepers The Cat Lady 2002 Comic Book Villains Miss Cresswell 2003 Dumb Luck Minnie Hitchcock 2003 Cheaper by the Dozen Mrs. Drucker Scenes deleted 2004 The Hollow Ms. Etta 2005 Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous Carol Fields 2009 The Kings of Appletown Coach's blind mother 2010 Naked Run Gram Malone

Television Year 1966 Title The Star Wagon Role Hallie Notes 1967 NET Playhouse Unknown Episode: "Infancy and Childhood" 1968 Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In Performer 12 episodes 1970 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Paula Tardy Episode: "Ladies' Man" 1970 The Most Deadly Game Alice Episode: "Photo Finish" 1972 All in the Family Angelique McCarthy Episode: "The Elevator Story" 1972 McMillan & Wife Dora Episode: "Night of the Wizard" 1973 Jigsaw Unknown Episode: "In Case of an Emergency, Notify Clint Eastwood" 1975 Barnaby Jones Anita Willson Episode: "Blood Relations" 1975 Kojak Julie Loring Episode: "A House of Prayer, a Den of Thieves" 1975 Insight Carol Harris Episode: "The Prodigal Father" 1979 13 Queens Boulevard Felicia Winters 9 episodes 1979–1980 A New Kind of Family Kit Flanagan 11 episodes 1981 Taxi Mrs. McKenzie Episode: "Thy Boss's Wife"Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 1981–1983 Private Benjamin Captain Doreen Lewis 37 episodesGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or ComedyPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or ComedyNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1982-1983) 1982 American Playhouse Millworker Episode: "Working" 1984 The Love Boat Helen Foster 2 episodes 1984–1985 Off the Rack Kate Hollaran 7 episodes 1987 Magnum, P.I. Brenda Babcock Episode: "The Love That Lies" 1987 1994 Murder, She Wrote Mariam Simpson Loretta Lee Episode: "Old Habits Die Hard" "Dear Deadly" 1988 CBS Summer Playhouse Sioban Owens Episode: "Off Duty" 1988–1989 Newhart Corinne Denby 2 episodesNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series 1990 The Ray Bradbury Theater Mrs. Annabelle Shrike Episode: "Touched with Fire" 1991 Blossom Agnes 3 episodes 1991 Thirtysomething Margaret Weston Episode: "Sifting the Ashes"Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series 1992 Home Improvement Wanda Episode: "Heavy Meddle" 1993 Tribeca Claudia Episode: "Stepping Back" 1993 Jack's Place Dina Episode: "The Hands of Time" 1993 Bonkers Lilith DuPrave 4 episodes 1993 Tales from the Crypt Ruth Sanderson Episode: "Til Death Do We Part" 1993 All-New Dennis the Menace Voice 13 episodes 1994 Murder, She Wrote Loretta Lee Episode: "Dear Deadly" 1995 Walker, Texas Ranger Joelle Episode: "Mean Streets" 1995 Thunder Alley Irma Episode: "Are We There Yet?" 1996 ER Betty 2 episodes 1996–2006 7th Heaven Gladys Bink 9 episodes 1997 Veronica's Closet Grammy Anderson Episode: "Veronica's First Thanksgiving" 1998 Nash Bridges Loretta Bettina Episode: "Downtime" 1998 Mad About You Inspector No. 10 Episode: "Cheating on Sheila" 1999 Touched by an Angel Dolores Episode: "The Last Day of the Rest of Your Life" 2000 The Fearing Mind Irene's mother Episode: "Gentleman Caller" 2001–2006 Will & Grace Zandra 6 episodesNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series 2003 Lizzie McGuire Marge Episode: "My Fair Larry" 2003 Strong Medicine Evelyn Knightly Episode: "Coming Clean"