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Audra Lindley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Audra Marie Lindley (September 24, 1918 – October 16, 1997) was an American actress, most famous for her role as landlady Helen Roper on the sitcom Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers. Born in Los Angeles, California, Lindley was the daughter of show business parents. She got her early start in Hollywood by being a stand-in, which eventually progressed to stunt work. Nothing panned out, and she went to New York in her mid-20s to work in theater. Among her many Broadway plays were: On Golden Pond, Playhouse 90, Long Day's Journey into Night, and Horse Heavens. She took time off to get married and raise five children. Upon resuming her career, she began to make steady appearances on television, including the role of Sue Knowles on the CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow, and a six-year stint as manipulative "Aunt Liz" Matthews on the NBC soap opera Another World. She also had regular roles as Meredith Baxter's mother in the sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie, as well as Lee Grant's best friend in Fay. Her greatest fame arrived when she began playing the wisecracking, perpetually unfulfilled and sexually frustrated Helen Roper on the hit sitcom Three's Company (1977). (Lindley wore a wig to maintain the character's exaggerated hairstyle.) The character and her husband, Mr. Roper (played by Norman Fell), were spun off to their own show, The Ropers (1979), which was not a success. Lindley continued to appear steadily on television and in film, such as Revenge of the Stepford Wives in 1980 and as Fauna, the owner of the "Bear Flag Restaurant," a Monterey, CA brothel portrayed in the 1982 film Cannery Row. In 1982, she appeared in the film Best Friends starring Goldie Hawn and Burt Reynolds. One of her last roles was a character part in the lesbian-themed film Desert Hearts (1985). Lindley wanted to reshoot one key scene. The director, Donna Deitch, replied that they did not have the budget for reshooting. Lindley said that she would buy a portion of the film if Deitch let her do just that one take again. Deitch agreed, and Lindley kept her word. Lindley garnered further parts of all sizes in various TV films and series, including playing Phoebe Buffay's grandmother on Friends, and her last, a recurring role as Cybill Shepherd's mother on the CBS sitcom Cybill. She had also played Shepherd's mother in the 1972 film The Heartbreak Kid. Lindley died from leukemia on October 16, 1997, at Cedars Sinai Medical Center with a Cybill script by her hospital bedside. She was married to and divorced from Dr. Hardy Ulm (1943–1960); they had five children. She later married and divorced James Whitmore (1972–1979) Description above from the Wikipedia article Audra Lindley, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia


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Born:
Sep 24, 1918 In Los Angeles - California - USA
Movie/TV Credits:
47
First Appeared:
In the movie Manpower 1941-08-09
Latest Project:
Movie Sisters and Other Strangers 1997-05-06
Known For
Poster of Sisters and Other Strangers
Poster of Friends
Poster of Matlock
Poster of Bridget Loves Bernie
Filmography
Movie Sisters and Other Strangers Irene Connelly 1997-05-06
Movie The Relic Dr. Matilda Zwiezic 1997-01-10
Movie Sudden Death Mrs. Ferrara 1995-10-27
Movie Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart Katherine Kendrick 1994-03-25
Movie The Corpse Had a Familiar Face Monica/Edna's mother 1994-03-27
Series Friends Frances 1994-09-22
Movie The New Age Sandi Rego 1994-09-16
Movie Absolute Strangers Anne Zusselman 1991-04-14
Movie Bridesmaids Lulu 1989-01-01
Series Tales from the Crypt Unknown 1989-06-10
Movie Troop Beverly Hills Frances Temple 1989-03-22
Movie Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake Mrs. Chaney 1988-05-15
Movie Take My Daughters, Please Rebecca 1988-11-21
Movie Spellbinder Mrs. White 1988-09-23
Movie Stamp of a Killer Granny 1987-11-01
Series Matlock Unknown 1986-03-03
Movie Sunday Drive Aunt Joan 1986-11-30
Movie Desert Hearts Frances Parker 1985-10-01
Series Murder, She Wrote Unknown 1984-09-30
Movie Best Friends Ann Babson 1982-12-17
Movie Cannery Row Fauna Flood 1982-02-12
Movie The Silent Lovers Laura Hope Crews 1980-05-20
Movie Revenge of the Stepford Wives Barbara Parkinson 1980-10-12
Movie When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? Ceil Ryder 1979-02-09
Series The Ropers Helen Roper 1979-03-13
Movie Getting Married Catherine Lawrence 1978-05-17
Series Three's Company Helen Roper 1977-03-15
Series The Love Boat Unknown 1977-09-24
Series The Bob Crane Show Unknown 1975-03-06
Series Fay Lillian 1975-09-04
Series Chico and the Man Unknown 1974-09-13
Movie The Canterville Ghost Mrs. Otis 1974-12-31
Series Bridget Loves Bernie Amy Fitzgerald 1972-09-16
Movie The Heartbreak Kid Mrs. Corcoran 1972-12-17
Movie Taking Off Ann Lockston 1971-03-28
Series Another World 1964-05-04
Series Route 66 Unknown 1960-10-07
Series From These Roots Laura Tompkins 1958-06-30
Series Naked City Unknown 1958-09-30
Series Search for Tomorrow 1951-09-03
Series Robert Montgomery Presents Unknown 1950-01-30
Series Lux Video Theatre Unknown 1950-10-02
Series The Philco Television Playhouse Unknown 1948-10-03
Movie The Male Animal Student (uncredited) 1942-03-12
Movie Manpower Nurse (uncredited) 1941-08-09
Movie One Foot in Heaven Mother (uncredited) 1941-11-01
Movie Dangerously They Live Nurse (uncredited) 1941-12-24