Nan Martin

Nan Martin (July 15, 1927 – March 4, 2010) was an American actress and comedian who starred in movies and on television.

Early life Nan Martin was born on July 15, 1927, in Decatur, Illinois. She was raised in Santa Monica, California, and attended Santa Monica High School.

Career Martin's first film role was The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956). Her other film roles included The Mugger (1958), For Love of Ivy (1968), Goodbye Columbus (1969), Doctor Detroit (1983), All of Me (1984), and Chuck Russell's cult film A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) where she played the role of Amanda Krueger, the mother of killer Freddy Krueger. Her last film role was in Thicker than Water (2005).

On television, Martin portrayed Helen Cavanaugh on Buck James and Grace D'Angelo on Mr. Sunshine. Her other TV roles included the 1983 miniseries The Thorn Birds and the soap opera Santa Barbara. She had a recurring role on The Drew Carey Show as Mrs. Louder. She made many guest appearances on various television series, including Ben Casey, The Untouchables, Mannix, Hart to Hart, The Twilight Zone, two episodes of The Fugitive, The Invaders, the first-season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Haven", and in the Columbo television movie, Murder, Smoke and Shadows. In 1965, she played co-murderer Beth Fuller in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Fatal Fortune".

She appeared on two episodes of The Golden Girls: first as the mean-spirited and nasty Frieda Claxton, who was told to drop dead by Rose Nylund, after which she did. She also portrayed Philomena, a friend of Sophia Petrillo's from Sicily, who claimed that Dorothy was really her daughter and not Sophia's. One month after her appearance on The Golden Girls, she appeared as Valerie's mean chain-smoking Aunt Josephine on The Hogan Family. She also briefly appeared as a cranky woman in the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode "Porno Gil".

Martin's Broadway credits include The Eccentricities of a Nightingale (1976), Summer Brave (1975), Come Live With Me (1967), Under the Yum-Yum Tree (1960), Henry IV, Part I (1960), Lysistrata (1959), The Great God Brown (1959), J.B. (1958), Makropoulos Secret (1957), The Constant Wife (1951), and A Story for a Sunday Evening (1950).

Personal life Martin's first husband was musical composer Robert Emmett Dolan, whom she married on March 17, 1948; they had one son, Casey Martin Dolan. Her second husband, Harry Gesner, is the father of her younger son, actor Zen Gesner.

Death Martin died on March 4, 2010, at her Malibu home, aged 82. She suffered from emphysema.

Filmography Film Film Year Title Role Notes 1956 The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit Polly Lawerence Uncredited 1957 The Buster Keaton Story Edna 1958 The Mugger Claire Townsend 1963 Toys in the Attic Charlotte Warkins Uncredited 1964 Gertrude 1965 Bus Riley's Back in Town Mrs. Nichols The Art of Love Margo 1968 For Love of Ivy Doris Austin Three in the Attic Dean Nazarin 1969 Goodbye, Columbus Mrs. Ben Patimkin 1973 The Young Nurses Woman Reporter 1975 The Other Side of the Mountain June Kinmont 1976 Jackson County Jail Allison Number One Teacher Short 1978 The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2 June Kinmont 1980 A Small Circle of Friends Mrs. Baxter Loving Couples Walter's Nurse 1982 Some Kind of Hero Hilda Richard II Duchess of York Direct-to-video 1983 Doctor Detroit Margaret Skridlow 1984 All of Me Divorce Lawyer 1987 A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors Amanda Krueger / Sister Mary Helena 1989 Animal Behavior Mrs. Norton 1995 Last Gasp Mrs. Hardwick 2000 Big Eden Widow Thayer Forever Lulu Lulu Look-Alike Cast Away Kelly's Mother 2001 Shallow Hal Nurse Tanya Peeler 2005 Greener Mountains "M"

Television Television Year Title Role Notes 1952 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Season 2 episode 3: "I Want to Be a Movie Star" 1953 Hollywood Opening Night Season 2 episode 25: "My Boss and I" 1955 Studio 57 Season 1 episode 25: "Center Ring" 1957 Robert Montgomery Presents Season 8 episode 31: Victoria Regina 1959 NBC Sunday Showcase Nancy Season 1 episode 1: "People Kill People Sometimes"1960 Moment of Fear Episode 6: "Finger of Death" The Play of the Week Lady Percy Season 2 episode 1: Henry IV1962 The New Breed Margaret Season 1 episode 21: "Wings for a Plush Horse" Ben Casey Liza Bowers Season 1 episode 25: "All the Clocks Are Ticking" The Untouchables Stella Kurtz Season 4 episode 6: "Bird in the Hand"1963 The Eleventh Hour Sophie Clayton Season 1 episode 16: "Where Ignorant Armies Clash" The Twilight Zone Laura Ford Season 4 episode 15: "The Incredible World of Horace Ford" The Defenders Grave Havelock Season 3 episode 10: "Climate of Evil"1964 The Reporter Irene Episode 4: "Rope's End" The Fugitive Congresswoman Marian Snell / Paula Decker 2 episodes 1965 Perry Mason Beth Fuller Season 9 episode 2: "The Case of the Fatal Fortune" 1966 The Trials of O'Brien Margo Episode 15: "Alarums and Excursions" 1967 The Invaders Dr. Maria McKinley Season 2 episode 4: "Valley of the Shadow"1969 The Mod Squad Mrs. Barnes Season 1 episode 14: "Hello Mother, My Name Is Julie" Mannix Frances Jordan Season 2 episode 21: "Odds Against Donald Jordan" Medical Center Anne Filbey Season 1 episode 6: "The Crooked Circle" 1969–1972 The F.B.I. Eleanor Garnett / Susan Crane 3 episodes1970 Mission Impossible Grand Duchess Teresa Season 4 episode 25: "The Choice" Lancer Lizzie Cramer Season 2 episode 23: "Goodbye, Lizzie"1971 Bewitched Martha Berkley Season 7 episode 19: "Samantha and the Troll" The Young Lawyers Elsa Novak Episode 20: "And the Walls Came Tumbling Down" Longstreet Mrs. Franklin Episode 8: "The Girl with the Broom" 1972 The Sixth Sense Dora Hallam Season 2 episode 3: "Witness Within" 1972–1973 Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law Mrs. Holden / Beatrice Cohen 2 episodes1973 Room 222 Marie Clark Season 5 episode 3: "Can Nun Be One Too Many?" The Streets of San Francisco Prof. Talmadge Season 2 episode 14: "Most Feared in the Jungle"1974 The Wide World of Mystery Catherine Episode: "The Book of Murder" Remember When Annie Hodges TV movie 1975 Ellery Queen Olivia Burns Episode 6: "The Adventure of Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance" 1975–1981 Insight Dr. Gersten / Elaine Ritter / Emma 3 episodes 1976–1977 Visions Mrs. Gregg / Annie 2 episodes 1977 A Circle of Children Doris Flemming TV movie1978 Outside Chance Alison TV movie Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold Aunt Isabel TV movie1979 The Runaways Helen Rossmore Season 2 episode 7: "Throwaway Child" Mrs. R's Daughter Mrs. Bergson TV movie Family Virgina Kabel Season 5 episode 1: "Thanksgiving" Angie Aunt Cooper Season 2 episode 9: "Family Feud" 1980 The Golden Honeymoon Cora Hartsell TV movie1981 Hart to Hart Edith Tannen, R.N. Season 2 episode 18: "Operation Murder" Dear Teacher Karen Lipner TV short 1982 St. Elsewhere Mrs. Stevenson Season 1 episode 8: "Tweety and Ralph"1983 I Take These Men Doris TV movie The Thorn Birds Sister Agatha Mini-series "Part 1" The Winter of Discontent Mrs. Baker TV movie 1985–1986 The Twilight Zone Margaret's Mother / First Nun 2 episodes / segments1986 Mr. Sunshine Grace D'Angelo Main role Valerie Aunt Josephine Season 2 episode 7: "One of a Kind" 1986, 1988 My Sister Sam Aunt Elsie 2 episodes 1986–1989 The Golden Girls Frieda Claxton / Philomena Bosco 2 episodes 1987 Home Fires Judge TV movie Proud Men Laura TV movie Buck James Helen Gallagher Episode 3: "Too Close to Home" Star Trek: The Next Generation Victoria Miller Season 1 episode 11: "Haven" Frank's Place Mrs. Weisberger Episode 13: "Season's Greetings"1988 L.A. Law Hazel Brackman Season 2 episode 15: "The Bald Ones" CBS Summer Playhouse Arabia Vanderway Porter Season 2 episode 3: "Old Money" 1988–1989 Fantastic Max Additional voices 3 episodes 1989 Columbo Rose Walker Season 8 episode 2: "Murder, Smoke and Shadows" Major Dad Miss Shields Season 1 episode 12: "Boxer Rebellion" 1990 Father Dowling Mysteries Mrs. Dansky Season 2 episode 6: "The Ghost of a Chance Mystery" Over My Dead Body Rose Haversham Episode 2: "No Ifs, ands or Butlers" Matters of the Heart TV movie 1991 A Woman Named Jackie Diana Vreeland Mini-series 2 episodes Charlie Hoover Marge Episode 4: "Mother-in-Law" 1991–1992 Harry and the Hendersons Dr. Arnesen 2 episodes 1991–1993 The Pirates of Dark Water Additional voices 9 episodes 1992 Santa Barbara Abigail Beckwithe 12 episodes Child of Rage Barbara TV movie 1993 Mother of the Bride Beatrice TV movie Baywatch Dick's Wife Season 4 episode 11: "The Child Inside" The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Lil Swill Episode 14: "Mail Order Brides" Harts of the West Beverly Episode 8: Jake's Brother" 1995 The 5 Mrs. Buchanans Nana Buchanan Episode 15: "Becoming a Buchanan" Sisters Marjorie Markham Season 6 episode 8: "Renaissance Woman" 1995–1999 The Drew Carey Show Mrs. Louder 25 episodes 1996 Terror in the Family Ivy TV movie 1997 ER Mrs. Curwane Season 3 episode 22 “One for the Road” Chicago Hope Mrs. Mankiewicz Season 4 episode: "The Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen... by Proxy" 1997–1998 Suddenly Susan Grandma Richmond 2 episodes 1998 The Practice Judge Lydia Winchell Season 2 episode 21: "In Deep" Maximum Bob President of the Daughters of Stars and Bars Episode 5: "Good Dog Karl" Profiler Rose Fraley Season 3 episode 7: "Perfect Helen"2000 Murder in the Mirror TV movie The Invisible Man Gloria Howard Season 1 episode 5: "Impetus" Gideon's Crossing Mrs. Champion Episode 1: "The Gift" Curb Your Enthusiasm Woman on the road Season 1 episode 3: "Porno Gil" The Michael Richards Show Aunt Flossie Episode 5: "The Nursing Home"2001 The Song of the Lark Mrs. Nathanmeyer TV movie Crossing Jordan Lydia Season 1 episode 2: "The Dawn of a New Day" The Agency Season 1 episode 5: "Pilot"2002 Six Feet Under Rita Piper Season 2 episode 3: "The Plan" Strong Medicine Edith Strauss Season 3 episode 4: "Heartbeat" Push, Nevada Eunice Blackwell Episode 4: "Storybook Hero" Dancing at the Harvest Moon Harriet Finnigan TV movie 2003 Nip/Tuck Adelle Coffin Season 1 episode 10: "Adelle Coffin" 2004 Father of the Pride Episode 8: "Donkey"2005 NYPD Blue Enid Season 12 episode 16: "Old Man Quiver" CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Daphne Eiger Season 5 episode 15: "King Baby" Las Vegas Season 2 episode 18: "To Protect and Serve Manicotti" Thicker than Water Abygail Jordan TV movie Mrs. Harris Mama Tarnower TV movie