Estelle Harris, who played George Costanza’s (Jason Alexander) mother Estelle on the iconic NBC sitcom Seinfeld, died Saturday evening of natural causes in Palm Desert, California, just weeks before her 94th birthday.
“It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25pm,” her son Glen Harris, who held her as she drew her final breath, told Deadline. “Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her.”
Born Estelle Nussbaum in New York City on April 22, 1928, Harris appeared on 27 episodes of Seinfeld between 1992 and 1998. (The character had been named Estelle before she landed the part.) She began pursuing acting at assorted amateur community theaters while raising her children, and went on to find incredible success both on stage and on screen, also featuring in such series as Futurama, The Looney Tunes Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, iCarly, ER, Mind of Mencia, Phil of the Future, Dave the Barbarian, Kim Possible, The Proud Family, House of Mouse, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Godzilla: The Series, The Wild Thornberrys, Hercules, Cybill, Living Single, Moesha, The Mask, Night Stand, Star Trek: Voyager, The Tick, Aladdin, Good Advice, Mad About You, Married… with Children and Night Court.
Harris is also known for voicing Mrs. Potato Head in three installments of Pixar’s Toy Story franchise (2, 3 and 4) and a number of additional shorts. Other film credits included Promoted, CBGB, Playing Mona Lisa, Dancing in September, What’s Cooking?, Lost & Found, My Giant, The Odd Couple II, Chairman of the Board, Out to Sea, Downhill Willie, Perfect Alibi, This Is My Life, Stand and Deliver, Once Upon a Time in America, Summerdog and Looking Up.
Boasting comedic gifts and a unique voice, Harris was at one point known on Madison Avenue as the “Queen of Commercials,” having been known to book as many as 25 national TV spots in a single year. “Her passion was her work,” said Glen Harris, “and her work was her passion.”
Harris is survived by a total of three children, as well as three grandsons and a great-grandson. Plans for a memorial have not been disclosed.
Alexander paid tribute to Harris on Twitter following the news of her death.
Island_Maximum on April 3rd, 2022 at 03:27 UTC »
She will be missed.
Frank and Estelle Costanza, are one of my absolute favorite tv couples. I can hear every argument in my head.
scott_lobster on April 3rd, 2022 at 03:17 UTC »
"You have nothing better to do at three o'clock in the afternoon? I go out for a quart of milk. I come home, and find my son treating his body like it was an amusement park!" Such a classic line and delivery.
realnicky2tymes on April 3rd, 2022 at 02:50 UTC »
What a great contribution she made to the comedy world.