Christina Pickles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christina Pickles
Pickles in 1987
Born	Christine Pickles (1935-02-17) February 17, 1935 (age 90) Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1961–present
Spouse(s)	Victor Lobl ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1985)​ Ian Masters ​ ​ (m. 2005)​
Partner(s)	Herb Edelman (1984–1996)
Children	2
Relatives	Carolyn Pickles (niece) Wilfred Pickles (uncle) James Pickles (brother)

Christina Pickles (born February 17, 1935) is a British-American actress famous for her roles on television and in movies. Many people know her as Judy Geller, the mother of Ross and Monica on the popular TV show Friends. For this role, she was nominated for an Emmy Award.

She also starred as Nurse Helen Rosenthal in the medical drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988. Her work on that show earned her five Emmy nominations. Over her long career, she has appeared in many movies, including Masters of the Universe (1987), Romeo + Juliet (1996), and The Wedding Singer (1998). In 2018, she won an Emmy Award for the web series Break a Hip.

Early Life and Education

Christina Pickles was born in Halifax, a town in West Yorkshire, England. She knew she wanted to be an actress from a young age.

At just 14 years old, she began studying at the famous Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. There, she was classmates with other future stars like Albert Finney and Peter O’Toole. After she graduated, she moved to New York City in the late 1950s to start her acting career.

Career Highlights

Stage and Early Television

Pickles began her career acting in plays. She appeared in several Broadway shows in the 1960s and 1970s, including The Misanthrope and Sherlock Holmes.

She also started working in television. She had roles in daytime soap operas like Guiding Light and Another World. These early roles helped her become a familiar face to TV audiences.

Breakthrough with St. Elsewhere

In 1982, Pickles was cast as Nurse Helen Rosenthal in the medical drama St. Elsewhere. The show was about the lives of doctors and nurses at a hospital in Boston.

The series was a big hit and ran for six years until 1988. Pickles was a main character for the entire show. Her performance was so well-liked that she was nominated for five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress.

Famous Role in Friends

From 1994 to 2003, Pickles played one of her most memorable roles. She was a recurring guest star on the hit sitcom Friends as Judy Geller. Judy was the mother of main characters Ross and Monica Geller.

She appeared in 19 episodes throughout the show's ten seasons. Her funny and critical character was a fan favorite. In 1995, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Judy.

Movie and Later TV Work

Besides her TV work, Pickles has appeared in many movies. She played the Sorceress in Masters of the Universe and the mother of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Romeo + Juliet. She was also Adam Sandler's mom in the comedy The Wedding Singer.

She has continued to act in many TV shows. She played the grandmother of Lily Aldrin on How I Met Your Mother. In 2018, she won her first Emmy Award for her role in the comedy web series Break a Hip. This was her seventh Emmy nomination overall.

Personal Life

Pickles was married to director Victor Lobl for 23 years. They divorced in 1985. She became a citizen of the United States in 1989.

From the mid-1980s, she was in a relationship with actor Herbert Edelman. He also played her love interest on the show St. Elsewhere. They were together until he passed away in 1996. In 2005, she married journalist Ian Masters.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of Christina Pickles's most well-known roles.

Film

• Masters of the Universe (1987) as the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull
• Legends of the Fall (1994) as Isabel Ludlow
• Romeo + Juliet (1996) as Caroline Montague
• The Wedding Singer (1998) as Angie Sullivan
• George of the Jungle 2 (2003) as Beatrice Stanhope
• Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011) as Mother Rearden

Television

• Guiding Light (1970–1972, 2007) as Linell Conway
• St. Elsewhere (1982–1988) as Nurse Helen Rosenthal
• Friends (1994–2003) as Judy Geller
• JAG (1998–2000) as Trish Burnett
• How I Met Your Mother (2009, 2011) as Rita
• Break a Hip (2015–2018) as Biz

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Christina Pickles para niños