Herta Ware

Herta Ware (June 9, 1917 – August 15, 2005) was an American actress and activist.

Early life Ware was born Herta Schwartz in Wilmington, Delaware. Her mother, Helen Ware, was a musician and violin teacher. Her father, Laszlo Schwartz, was an actor who was born in Budapest. Her father was Jewish and her mother was Christian.

Herta's maternal uncle, Harold Ware, headed the Ware Group, the most extensive Soviet spy ring in American history. Her maternal grandmother was labor organizer and socialist Ella Reeve Bloor, the co-founder of the Communist Labor Party of America, and later a member of the central committee of the Communist Party USA.

Career

Ware made her Broadway debut in Let Freedom Ring (November 6, 1935–February 1936), co-starring husband Will Geer, whom she had married in 1934. The couple appeared together in other New York plays, including Bury the Dead (1936), Prelude (1936), 200 Were Chosen (1936) and Journeyman (1938), and Six O'Clock Theatre (1948), all of which were short-lived.

She made her on-screen debut in 1978, when she appeared in the television film, A Question of Guilt. Subsequently, she appeared in her first feature film 1980, The Black Marble. Her second feature film was Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype, which featured Oliver Reed. She starred in 2010 in 1984.

She is perhaps most recognized for her performance in the classic film Ron Howard's Cocoon, and appeared in the sequel Cocoon: The Return. She appeared in Critters 2: The Main Course as "Nana". She had roles in several other well-known films such as, Species, Practical Magic, with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, and Cruel Intentions, with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe. Her role in the 1992 television film Crazy in Love earned her a CableACE Award for Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries.

Ware made many guest appearances on classic television series including, Knots Landing, Highway to Heaven, Cagney & Lacey, The Golden Girls and ER, to name a few.

Along with her daughter, Ellen Geer, she made guest appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Beauty and the Beast.

Personal life In 1934, Ware married actor Will Geer, with whom she had three children. Together, they relocated to Los Angeles in the early 1940s

They were a politically minded couple and, in 1951, the passionately left-wing Geer was blacklisted by Hollywood for taking the Fifth Amendment and refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Ware later married actor David Marshall in 1954. Together they had one child, a daughter, actress Melora Marshall. The marriage ended in divorce.

Ware and Geer reunited in 1973 and subsequently co-founded the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, which was on five acres of land that Ware purchased in Topanga Canyon for $10,000. The burgeoning theater officially opened as a summer theater in 1973. due to complications of Parkinson's disease, in Topanga, California. She was 88 years old. Her ashes and those of her ex-husband, Will Geer, were scattered at their outdoor theatre.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Directed by Notes 1980 The Black Marble The Grand Duchess Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype Old Lady On Bus 1984 2010 Jessie Bowman 1985 Cocoon Rosie Lefkowitz 1987 Slam Dance Mrs. Raines Promised Land Mrs. Higgins Dirty Laundry Grandmother Verna 1988 Critters 2: The Main Course Nana Cocoon: The Return Rose Lefkowitz Dakota Aunt Zard 1991 Soapdish Old Woman Lonely Hearts Gran Race Against Tomorrow 1995 Top Dog Mrs. Wilder, Jake's Mother Species Mrs. Morris 1997 St. Patrick's Day Aunt Delia 1998 Practical Magic Old Lady Wilkes The Politics of Desire The Radio Listener 1999 Cruel Intentions Mrs. Sugarman Held Up Alice 2000 Beautiful Clara Desperate But Not Serious Grammy (final film role)

Television Year Title Role Notes 1983 Knots Landing Ethel Marcus Season 5, episode 14 "Secrets Cry Aloud" 1984 Highway to Heaven Grandma Season 1, episode 13 "Another Song for Christmas" 1985 Wildside Mrs. Brinkenhoff Season 1, episode 1 "Well-Known Secret" (pilot) Scarecrow and Mrs. King Season 3, episode 3 "Over the Limit" 1986 Crossings Mrs. Emma Zimmerman Television mini-series; episode 1 Amazing Stories Grandma Helen Season 1, episode 24 "Grandpa's Ghost" (season finale) Sidekicks Mamie Season 1, episode 12 "Grey Belts" 1987 Crime Story Old Lady Season 1, episode 19 "The Pinnacle" Beauty and the Beast Sylvia Season 1, episode 3 "Siege" Star Trek: The Next Generation Yvette Picard Season 1, episode 6 "Where No One Has Gone Before" 1988 Cagney & Lacey Wilma Milton Season 7, episode 10 "Old Flames" The Golden Girls Ida Season 4, episode 8 "Brother, Can You Spare That Jacket?" 1989 Just the Ten of Us Sister Cyril Season 2, episode 10 "Song of Constance" 1990 The Munsters Today The Widow Johansen Season 2, episode 24 "That's Gratitude" (season finale) 1991 The New Adam-12 Claire Season 1, episode 20 "221 Pizza" Eerie, Indiana Mary B. Carter Season 1, episode 8 "The Dead Letter" 1992 Civil Wars Alma Gough Season 2, episode 3 "Oboe Phobia" 1994 ER Mrs. Franks Season 1, episode 2 "Day One" 1995 Misery Loves Company Old Hildy Season 1, episode 5 "The Witches of East 6th" (unaired episode) 1996 Tracey Takes On... Ida Levitz Season 1, episode 6 "Law" 1998-2000 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Old Woman Season 2, episode 9 (story 3 - "The Getaway") Season 3, episode 3 ("The Find", "The Golden Cue", "The FBI Story", "The Gravedigger's Nemesis" & "Last Rites" - all 5 stories from #3.3)

Television films Year Title Role Notes 1978 A Question of Guilt Miriam's Mother 1986 Child's Cry Mrs. Hartounian 1990 Miracle Landing Dorothy Hendricks 1992 Crazy in Love Pem CableAce Award for Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries 1996 Alien Nation: Millennium Alana Co-ed Call Girl Customer

Other appearances 1974 Medieval Theater: The Play of Abraham and Isaac ... Mary Pink, Mother (short documentary) 1984 Woody Guthrie: Hard Travelin' (documentary) 1993 When Jesus Was a Kid (video short)