The red-haired, Brooklyn-born Meara began her career in off-Broadway theater, appearing as the Nurse in the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of "Romeo and Juliet" (1957), a role she reprised for a 1988 production. She made her TV bow in the series "The Greatest Gift" (NBC, 1954), appeared in the groundbreaking off-Broadway production of "Ulysses in Nighttown" (1958) with Zero Mostel and made her Broadway debut starring in John Guare's award-winning farce "The House of Blue Leaves" (1970). But it was with Stiller--in cabarets, recordings, TV and radio skits--that she became best-known through the 1960s and '70s.
Eventually, Meara began to work independently of Stiller. She had roles in the films "The Out-of-Towners" (1970, typically billed as "Irate Woman") and "Lovers and Other Strangers" (1970). Meara was a nun in the comedy "Nasty Habits" (1976), gave an unusual--and revealingly effective--dramatic turn in the thriller "The Boys From Brazil" (1978), portrayed a feisty teacher in the popular teenage dance drama "Fame" (1980) and also appeared in the low-budget comedies "The Longshot" and "The Perils of P.K." (both 1986). After appearing with Stiller in the comedy about comedy "That's Adequate" (1989), Meara hit the big-time again with Penny Marshall's heartwarming psychodrama "Awakenings" (1990). She and daughter Amy Stiller were directed by her son Ben Stiller in his feature film debut, "Reality Bites" (1994).
On TV, Meara appeared on numerous specials and had continuing roles on "Rhoda" (CBS, 1974-78); "Archie Bunker's Place" (CBS, 1979-83) as the bar cook; as a grandmother on "Alf" (NBC, 1986-90); and as painter Eldin Bernecky's mother on "Murphy Brown" (CBS, 1994). Meara starred in two series: the short-lived "The Corner Bar" (ABC, 1973), and in the first network series to feature a woman lawyer, "Kate McShane" (1975).
The mid-1990s were a good time for her, not only because of son Ben's success (and her husband's role on the TV show "Seinfeld"), but her own renaissance onstage. She made her Off-Broadway debut as a playwright with the comedy/drama of two couples, "After-Play" (1994-95). Meara subsequently joined the cast and in late 1995, Stiller did as well, but, for a change, not as her husband. As a playwright, though, her second effort, "Down the Garden Path" did not fare as well with critics when it opened Off-Broadway in fall 2000.