Anne Meara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anne Meara
Meara in 1975
Born	Anne Therese Meara (1929-09-20)September 20, 1929 New York City, U.S.
Died	May 23, 2015(2015-05-23) (aged 85) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, comedian
Years active	1948–2015
Spouse(s)	Jerry Stiller ​ (m. 1954)​
Children	2, including Ben Stiller

Anne Meara (born September 20, 1929 – died May 23, 2015) was a famous American actress and comedian. She was well-known as one half of the comedy team Stiller and Meara with her husband, Jerry Stiller. Their son is the actor, director, and producer Ben Stiller.

Anne Meara also acted on stage, in many TV shows, and in movies. She later became a writer for plays. During her career, Meara was nominated for four Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. She also won a Writers Guild Award for helping to write the TV movie The Other Woman.

Early Life

Anne Meara was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 20, 1929. Her parents were from Ireland. Her father, Edward Joseph Meara, was a lawyer. Anne was an only child and grew up in Rockville Centre, New York, on Long Island. When she was 11 years old, her mother passed away.

At 18, Anne studied acting at the Dramatic Workshop at The New School and at HB Studio in Manhattan. In 1948, she started her acting career in summer stock plays.

Career Highlights

Becoming a Comedy Star

Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller in 1965

Anne Meara met actor and comedian Jerry Stiller in 1953. They got married in 1954. Jerry was the one who first thought they should be a comedy team. Anne said, "Jerry started us being a comedy team. He always thought I would be a great comedy partner."

They joined an improvisational group called The Compass Players in Chicago. After leaving that group, they formed their own comedy team, Stiller and Meara. By 1961, they were performing in nightclubs in New York. The New York Times newspaper said they were a "national phenomenon" by 1962.

Their comedy acts were often made up on the spot. They talked about everyday relationship problems in a funny way. Their skits focused on home life. They also added a new twist by sometimes talking about Jerry being Jewish and Anne being Catholic. By the late 1960s, Stiller and Meara were the top comedy couple. They became the most famous married comedy team since Burns and Allen.

Stiller and Meara became regular guests on The Ed Sullivan Show, appearing 36 times. They also appeared on other TV shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In 1963, they released their first comedy album, which was very popular. However, by 1970, they decided to stop performing as a team. Anne said it was affecting their marriage, and Jerry worried he "would have lost her as a wife."

Acting in TV, Movies, and Stage

In the 1970s, Anne and Jerry Stiller made many radio commercials for Blue Nun Wine. Anne had a regular role on the TV show Rhoda as a flight attendant named Sally Gallagher. She also had a small part in the movie The Boys from Brazil (1978).

In 1975, Anne starred in her own TV series called Kate McShane on CBS. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her acting in 1976, but the show was canceled after ten episodes. Anne also narrated parts of the educational TV show Sesame Street.

Anne Meara in The Corner Bar, 1973

In the early 1980s, Anne Meara co-starred with Carroll O'Connor in the popular sitcom Archie Bunker's Place. This show was a continuation of All in the Family. She played Veronica Rooney, the bar's cook, for three seasons (1979–1982). During this time, she also acted in the movie Fame (1980), playing an English teacher. She appeared as the grandmother in the TV series ALF in the late 1980s.

From 1999 to 2007, Meara was a guest star on The King of Queens. Her husband, Jerry Stiller, also starred in that show. Anne played two different characters on the show, Mary Finnegan and later Veronica Olchin.

Starting in 2010, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller began starring in a web series called Stiller & Meara. Their son, Ben Stiller, produced this show. Anne also taught acting classes at HB Studio until she passed away.

Writing and Consulting Work

In 1995, Anne Meara wrote a comedy play called After-Play, which was performed off-Broadway. In her later years, she had recurring roles on TV shows like Sex and the City and The King of Queens. She also appeared in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2004–05.

In 2009, Meara wrote about her life experiences in an online blog called Mr. Beller's Neighborhood -- New York City Stories. In her blog, she shared memories of her mother's death and her childhood at a Catholic boarding school.

Personal Life

Religion

Anne Meara was born and raised a Roman Catholic. She converted to Judaism six years after marrying Jerry Stiller. She said she did not convert because Jerry asked her to. She took her new faith seriously and studied Judaism deeply. Her husband even joked that being married to Anne made him "more Jewish." They talked about how they met and their early careers on the TV game show What's My Line? in 1968.

Family

Anne Meara and her husband, Jerry Stiller, had two children: a daughter named Amy and a son named Ben.

Passing Away

Anne Meara passed away on May 23, 2015, at her home in Manhattan. She was 85 years old and had suffered from several strokes.

Awards and Recognition

Anne Meara received many awards and nominations for her work:

On February 9, 2007, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their stars are located at 7018 Hollywood Blvd.

See also

In Spanish: Anne Meara para niños