Sada Thompson

Sada Carolyn Thompson (September 27, 1927 – May 4, 2011) was an American stage, film, and television actress.

Contents

1 Life and career 2 Personal life 3 Death 4 Filmography

4.1 Film 4.2 Television

5 Awards and nominations 6 References 7 External links

Life and career[edit] Born in Des Moines, Iowa,[1] in 1927 to Hugh Woodruff Thompson and his wife Corlyss (née Gibson), and raised in Fanwood, New Jersey,[2][3] where she attended Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, graduating in the class of 1945.[4] Thompson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre at the Carnegie Institute of Technology,[3] after which she worked steadily in regional theatre in such plays as The Seagull, Pygmalion, Our Town, Arms and the Man, and Blithe Spirit.[1] She received training at Pittsburgh Playhouse, where she appeared in numerous productions.[5] She made her Off-Broadway debut in a 1955 production of Under Milkwood,[3] and the following year she appeared on television in a Goodyear Television
Television Playhouse production. She made her Broadway debut in the 1959 musical Juno. Her additional New York City
New York City stage-credits include The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Tartuffe, and Twigs. Her stage performances won her an Obie Award, a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress
Actress in a Play, three Drama Desk Awards and two Sarah Siddons Awards (the last presented for outstanding performances in Chicago theatre). She was elected to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2005.[6] On the strength of her success in Twigs, Thompson was signed to play neighbor Irene Lorenzo on All in the Family. After taping her first episode, however, she was replaced by Betty Garrett, when it became obvious that she and producer Norman Lear
Norman Lear had different opinions about how the character should be played.[3] Her portrayal of matriarch Kate Lawrence on Family won her the 1978 Emmy Award
Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress
Actress in a Drama Series and garnered her three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress
Actress in a Television
Television Series Drama. She was nominated for the Emmy Award
Emmy Award nine times, winning once. Thompson's additional television credits included Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, The Love Boat, Father Dowling Mysteries, Andre's Mother, Cheers, Indictment: The McMartin Trial, ER and Law & Order. Her feature films included The Pursuit of Happiness, Desperate Characters, and Pollock. Personal life[edit] Thompson was married to Donald E. Stewart from December 18, 1949, until her death.[1] She and her husband lived in Southbury, Connecticut. They had one daughter, costume designer Liza Stewart.[7] Death[edit] Sada Thompson
Sada Thompson died on May 4, 2011, in Danbury, Connecticut, of lung disease, aged 83. In addition to her daughter, Liza, she is survived by her husband (a former executive for Pan American Airways) and a brother, David.[7] Filmography[edit] Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes

1971 The Pursuit of Happiness Ruth Lawrence

1971 Desperate Characters Claire

1976 The Entertainer Phoebe Rice Television
Television movie

1977 Our Town Mrs. Gibbs Television
Television movie

1983 Princess Daisy Masha Television
Television movie

1986 My Two Loves Dorothea

1987 Father Dowling Mysteries Maria Pello Television
Television movie

1989 Home Fires Burning Pastine Tibbetts

1989 Fear Stalk Pearl

1995 Indictment: The McMartin Trial Virginia McMartin Television
Television movie

1997 Any Mother's Son Gertie Television
Television movie

1998 The Patron Saint of Liars Sister Evangeline Television
Television movie

2000 Pollock Stella Pollock

Television[edit]

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 N/A 3 episodes

1995 Law & Order Elaine Nicodos Episode: "Jeopardy"

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Association Category Nominated work Result

1976 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress
Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Lincoln Nominated

1976 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress
Actress in a Limited Series or Movie The Entertainer Nominated

1977 Golden Globe Awards Best Actress
Actress – Television
Television Series Drama Family Nominated

1977 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress
Actress in a Drama Series Nominated

1978 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress
Actress in a Drama Series Won

1979 Golden Globe Awards Best Actress
Actress – Television
Television Series Drama Nominated

1979 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress
Actress in a Drama Series Nominated

1980 Golden Globe Awards Best Actress
Actress – Television
Television Series Drama Nominated

1980 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress
Actress in a Drama Series Nominated

1991 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress
Actress in a Comedy Series Cheers Nominated

1995 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress
Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Indictment: The McMartin Trial Nominated

References[edit]

^ a b c FilmReference.com ^ McLellan, Dennis. " Sada Thompson
Sada Thompson dies at 83; stage and TV actress known for playing matriarch on Family", Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2011. Accessed June 18, 2016. "Born Sada Carolyn Thompson in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 27, 1927, she moved with her family to Fanwood, N.J., several years later." ^ a b c d AllMovie.com ^ Staff, "New inductees to Scotch Plains-Fanwood H.S. Hall of Fame", Suburban News, October 9, 2014. Accessed June 18, 2016. "Sada Thompson. Class of 1945. Now deceased, Sada starred as an actress in productions off-Broadway, Broadway, TV and films." ^ Conner, Lynne (2007). Pittsburgh In Stages: Two Hundred Years of Theater. University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 152. ISBN 978-0-8229-4330-3. Retrieved 2011-06-06. ^ "Theater Hall of Fame inducts Thompson, Lithgow, others". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 14, 2014. ^ a b Weber, Bruce (May 5, 2011). "Sada Thompson, Actress
Actress Known for Maternal Roles, Dies at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved May 6, 2011.

External links[edit]

Sada Thompson
Sada Thompson at the Internet Broadway Database
Internet Broadway Database Sada Thompson
Sada Thompson on IMDb Sada Thompson
Sada Thompson at the Internet Off-Broadway Database