Sada Thompson | |
|---|---|
 James Broderick and Sada Thompson onFamily (1976) | |
| Born | Sada Carolyn Thompson (1927-09-27)September 27, 1927 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | May 4, 2011(2011-05-04) (aged 83) Danbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Education | Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1955–2000 |
| Spouse | Donald Stewart (1949–2011; her death) |
| Children | 1 |
Sada Carolyn Thompson (September 27, 1927 – May 4, 2011) was an Americanstage,film, andtelevisionactress. Though best known to television audiences as Kate Lawrence inFamily (1976–1980), for which she won theEmmy Award forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1978, Thompson originally won acclaim as a theater actress on Broadway winning aTony Award for Best Actress in a Play forTwigs in 1972.
She was born Sada Carolyn Thompson inDes Moines, Iowa, in 1927 to Hugh Woodruff Thompson and his wife Corlyss (née Gibson). The family moved toFanwood, New Jersey a few years later.[1][2] where she attendedScotch Plains-Fanwood High School, graduating in the class of 1945.[3] Thompson earned aBachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre at theCarnegie Institute of Technology (now known asCarnegie Mellon University),[2] after which she worked steadily inregional theatre in such plays asThe Seagull,Pygmalion,Our Town,Arms and the Man, andBlithe Spirit. She received training atPittsburgh Playhouse, where she appeared in numerous productions.[4]
She made herOff-Broadway debut in a 1955 production ofUnder Milk Wood,[2] and the following year she appeared on television in aGoodyear Television Playhouse production. She made herBroadway debut in the 1959musicalJuno. Her additionalNew York City stage-credits includeThe Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds,Tartuffe, andTwigs. Her stage performances won her anObie Award, aTony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play (for "Twigs"), threeDrama Desk Awards and twoSarah Siddons Awards (the last presented for outstanding performances inChicago theatre). She was elected to theAmerican Theater Hall of Fame in 2005.[5]
On the strength of her success inTwigs, Thompson was signed to play neighbor Irene Lorenzo onAll in the Family. After taping her first episode, however, she was replaced byBetty Garrett, when it became obvious that she and producerNorman Lear had different opinions about how the character should be played.[2]
She was subsequently cast asmatriarch Kate Lawrence onFamily. Thompson's portrayal of Kate was lauded for its realism.[1] She won the 1978Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the role, which also garnered three nominations for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama.[citation needed]
She was nominated for theEmmy Award nine times, including a nomination for her portrayal of Carla's mother onCheers.[6] Thompson's additional television credits includedOwen Marshall: Counselor at Law,The Love Boat,Father Dowling Mysteries,Andre's Mother,Indictment: The McMartin Trial,ER andLaw & Order. Herfeature films includedThe Pursuit of Happiness,Desperate Characters, andPollock.
Thompson was married to Donald E. Stewart from December 18, 1949, until her death.[1] She and her husband lived inSouthbury, Connecticut. Their daughter, Liza Stewart, is a costume designer.[7]
Thompson died on May 4, 2011, inDanbury, Connecticut, of lung disease, aged 83.[7]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Pursuit of Happiness | Ruth Lawrence | |
| 1971 | Desperate Characters | Claire | |
| 1976 | The Entertainer | Phoebe Rice | Television movie |
| 1977 | Our Town | Mrs. Gibbs | Television movie |
| 1983 | Princess Daisy | Masha | Television movie |
| 1986 | My Two Loves | Dorothea | Television movie |
| 1987 | Father Dowling Mysteries | Maria Pello | Television movie |
| 1989 | Home Fires Burning | Pastine Tibbetts | |
| 1989 | Fear Stalk | Pearl | Television movie |
| 1990 | Andre's Mother | Katharine Gerard | Television movie |
| 1995 | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Virginia McMartin | Television movie |
| 1997 | Any Mother's Son | Gertie | Television movie |
| 1998 | The Patron Saint of Liars | Sister Evangeline | Television movie |
| 2000 | Pollock | Stella Pollock |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Camera Three | Rosalyn | Episode: "The Cracked Looking Glass" |
| 1963 | The Nurses | Mrs. Mitchell | Episode: "The Helping Hand" |
| 1964 | The DuPont Show of the Week | Judy | Episode: "The Missing Bank of Rupert X. Humperdinck" |
| 1973 | Love Story | Mamma Cassalini | Episode: "Joie" |
| 1974–76 | Lincoln | Mary Todd Lincoln | 5 episodes |
| 1976–80 | Family | Kate Lawrence | 86 episodes |
| 1982 | Marco Polo | Aunt Flora | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | The Love Boat | Laura Jameson | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Cheers | Mama Lozupone | Episode: "Honor Thy Mother" |
| 1993 | Alex Haley's Queen | Miss Mandy | 3 episodes |
| 1995 | Law & Order | Elaine Nicodos | Episode: "Jeopardy" |
Born Sada Carolyn Thompson in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 27, 1927, she moved with her family to Fanwood, N.J., several years later.
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