Estelle Parsons Biography

Estelle Parsons enjoys a lengthy and successful career, having appeared on television, film, and the stage since the early 1950’s. Her first foray into the business began when she was hired by “The Today Show,” first as a production assistant, then staff writer, which eventually led her to become the first female television network political news reporter. Towards the late 1950’s Estelle began acting and appeared in her first stage performance in 1956 for the production of Happy Hunting. Since then, Estelle has gone on to either star in or direct over 25 productions. Most notably, she has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performances in The Seven Descents of Myrtle (1968); And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little (1971); and Miss Margarida’s Way (1978). Furthermore, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Featured Actress for her work in Mornings at Seven (2002). Estelle’s first film role came in Ladybug, Ladybug in 1963 and continued with 15 more roles over the next 30 years. In particular, her role in Bonnie & Clyde garnered an Academy Award (1967), and she was nominated again the following year for her work in Rachel, Rachel (1968). Other film performances include Don’t Drink the Water (1969), I Walk the Line (1970), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), Watermelon Man (1970), For Pete’s Sake (1974), Dick Tracy (1990), Boys on the Side (1995), and Looking for Richard (1996). On television, Estelle appeared in “All in the Family,” but is best remembered as the mother of “Roseanne” on the eponymous hit sitcom, logging over 50 episodes during the show’s 9 year run. Most recently, she has appeared in the television mini-series on HBO “Empire Falls” (2005). She triumphantly returned to Broadway in 2008 as the star of August: Osage County, and subsequently toured Canada and the States. She won the Garland Award in Los Angeles for Best Actress. She also recently starred in Deathtrap in the West End with Simon Russell Beale. In addition to teaching acting at Columbia and Yale, Estelle Parsons served as the Artistic Director of the Actors’ Studio between 1996 and 2001.