Suzanne Shepherd

Sadie Gertrude Stern (October 31, 1934 – November 17, 2023), known professionally as Suzanne Shepherd, was an American actress and theater director.

Background Shepherd was born Sadie Gertrude Stern on October 31, 1934, to a Jewish family in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the daughter of Dora (Mendelson), a cook, and David Stern, a distributor of jukeboxes and vending machines. She began using the name "Suzanne" when she was 13. She later went on to teach Meisner's program of acting study, the first woman to do so.

Career Shepherd was a founding member of the Compass Players in the early 1960s, along with Alan Alda and Alan Arkin.

Shepherd was known for her portrayal of Aunt Tweedy in the film Mystic Pizza, Karen's overbearing mother in the film Goodfellas, Carmela Soprano's mother Mary DeAngelis in the HBO television series The Sopranos, and the assistant school principal in Uncle Buck, receiving a memorable verbal assault from Buck. Her second marriage, to Carroll Calkins, lasted from 1996 until his death in 2006.

Filmography Film

Television