Jean Stapleton was born Jeanne Murray in Manhattan, New York City, to Marie A. (Stapleton), an opera singer, and Joseph Edward Murray, a billboard advertising salesman. Her paternal grandparents were Irish. She was a cousin of actress Betty Jane Watson. Other relatives in show business were her uncle, Joseph E. Deming, a vaudevillian; and her brother Jack Stapleton, a stage actor. She graduated from Wadleigh High School, NYC, in 1939, and attended Hunter College. She worked as a secretary before becoming an actress. Stapleton made her stage debut at the Greenwood Playhouse, Peaks Island, Maine, in the summer of 1941, and her New York stage debut in "The Corn Is Green" (1948). She appeared on Broadway in the musicals "Damn Yankees" (1955) and "Bells Are Ringing" (1956), and later repeated her roles in the movie versions (Damn Yankees (1958) and Bells Are Ringing (1960)). Her other Broadway roles included the original companies of "Rhinoceros" (1961) and "Funny Girl" (1964). Stapleton also played Abby Brewster in the 1986-87 revival of "Arsenic and Old Lace".
Series | Those Were the Days | Unknown | 2025 |
Series | Justice for All | Unknown | 2025 |
Movie | Good Evening Captain | Self | 2025 |
Movie | 5150 | Unknown | 2024-03-16 |
Movie | The Last Laugh | Self | 2016-04-18 |
Movie | Those Were the Days: The Birth of "All in the Family" | Self | 2009-06-09 |
Movie | The Television Revolution Begins: "All in the Family" Is On the Air | Self | 2009-06-09 |
Series | TV Land Top 10 | Unknown | 2004-06-16 |
Series | TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV | Unknown | 2003-03-12 |
Movie | Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes | Irene Silverman | 2001-05-20 |
Movie | Pursuit of Happiness | Lorraine | 2001-01-17 |
Movie | Baby | Byrd | 2000-10-08 |
Series | Style & Substance | Gloria Utley | 1998-01-05 |
Movie | Chance of a Lifetime | Mrs. Dunbar | 1998-03-29 |
Movie | Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Mrs. Jenkins (voice) | 1998-08-04 |
Movie | You've Got Mail | Birdie Conrad | 1998-12-18 |
Movie | Lily Dale | Mrs. Coons | 1996-06-09 |
Movie | Michael | Pansy Milbank | 1996-12-25 |
Series | The Rosie O'Donnell Show | Self | 1996-06-10 |
Series | Everybody Loves Raymond | Aunt Alda | 1996-09-13 |
Series | E! True Hollywood Story | Unknown | 1996-08-21 |
Series | Caroline in the City | Unknown | 1995-09-21 |
Series | Touched by an Angel | Emma | 1994-09-21 |
Series | Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle | Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle | 1994-05-30 |
Movie | The Trial | Landlady (uncredited) | 1993-06-18 |
Series | Intimate Portrait | Self | 1993-11-14 |
Series | Grace Under Fire | Unknown | 1993-09-29 |
Movie | Bury Me in Niagara | Mildred | 1993-10-31 |
Series | Beakman's World | Beakman's Mom | 1992-09-12 |
Series | Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories | Narrator (Voice) | 1992-04-21 |
Movie | The Habitation of Dragons | Lenora Tolliver | 1992-09-08 |
Movie | Fire in the Dark | Henry Dutton | 1991-07-01 |
Movie | Funny Ladies: A Portrait of Women Cartoonists | Narrator | 1991-06-05 |
Movie | Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme | Mother Goose | 1990-05-19 |
Series | Bagdad Cafe | Unknown | 1990-03-30 |
Series | Murphy Brown | Unknown | 1988-11-14 |
Series | Trying Times | Unknown | 1987-10-18 |
Movie | Dead Man's Folly | Ariadne Oliver | 1986-01-08 |
Movie | Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff | Self | 1985-07-09 |
Movie | Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | 1985-08-14 |
Series | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Unknown | 1985-05-21 |
Movie | A Matter of Sex | Irene Wallin | 1984-01-01 |
Movie | The Buddy System | Mrs. Price | 1984-05-04 |
Series | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Unknown | 1983-10-03 |
Movie | Jack and the Beanstalk | The Giantess | 1983-09-08 |
Series | Faerie Tale Theatre | The Fairy Godmother | 1982-09-11 |
Movie | Eleanor, First Lady of the World | Eleanor Roosevelt | 1982-05-12 |
Movie | Isabel's Choice | Isabel Cooper | 1981-12-16 |
Movie | Angel Dusted | Betty Eaton | 1981-02-11 |
Movie | The Muppets Go Hollywood | Self | 1979-05-16 |
Movie | You Can't Take it With You | Penny Sycamore | 1979-05-16 |
Movie | Aunt Mary | Mary Dobkin | 1979-12-05 |
Series | Archie Bunker's Place | Unknown | 1979-09-23 |
Series | The Love Boat | Unknown | 1977-09-24 |
Movie | Tail Gunner Joe | Mrs. DeCamp | 1977-02-06 |
Series | The Muppet Show | Self - Special Guest Star | 1976-09-05 |
Series | Cher | Self | 1975-02-16 |
Series | Saturday Night Live | Self (uncredited) | 1975-10-11 |
Movie | Acts of Love and Other Comedies | Gina's Mother | 1973-03-15 |
Series | The Electric Company | Unknown | 1971-10-25 |
Movie | Cold Turkey | Mrs. Wappler | 1971-02-19 |
Series | All in the Family | Edith Bunker | 1971-01-12 |
Series | Great Performances | Helen | 1971-01-28 |
Movie | Klute | Strassberg's Secretary | 1971-06-23 |
Series | The Dick Cavett Show | Self - Guest | 1968-06-06 |
Series | The Carol Burnett Show | Self - Guest / Various Characters | 1967-09-11 |
Series | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Self | 1967-09-09 |
Movie | Up the Down Staircase | Sadie Finch | 1967-06-28 |
Series | The Patty Duke Show | Unknown | 1963-09-18 |
Series | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Unknown | 1962-10-01 |
Series | The Eleventh Hour | Unknown | 1962-10-03 |
Series | The Defenders | Mrs. Larsen | 1961-09-16 |
Series | Dr. Kildare | Nurse Whitney | 1961-09-27 |
Series | The Mike Douglas Show | Self | 1961-12-11 |
Movie | Something Wild | Shirley Johnson | 1961-12-23 |
Series | Route 66 | Unknown | 1960-10-07 |
Series | My Three Sons | Unknown | 1960-09-29 |
Movie | Bells Are Ringing | Sue | 1960-06-23 |
Series | Dennis the Menace | Unknown | 1959-10-04 |
Series | Naked City | Mrs. Trellis | 1958-09-30 |
Movie | Damn Yankees | Sister Miller | 1958-09-26 |
Series | Tony Awards | Self - Presenter | 1956-04-01 |
Series | Woman With A Past | Unknown | 1954-02-01 |
Series | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Mary Dobkin | 1951-12-24 |
Series | Robert Montgomery Presents | Unknown | 1950-01-30 |
Series | Lux Video Theatre | Teacher | 1950-10-02 |
Series | The Philco Television Playhouse | Bus Girl | 1948-10-03 |