A tall, gangly redheaded comic character player, Marcia Wallace is best recalled as Carol Kester Bondurant, the efficient receptionist to Bob Hartley, on "The Bob Newhart Show" (CBS, 1972-1978). Her work since the demise of the series has often been sporadic, however, and the actress has faced her shared of tragedies. In the early 1990s, she was debt-ridden, due in part to her husband's fatal illness. Wallace was bailed out with a benefit in which Newhart and others performed, although her home was destroyed in a 1995 fire. Nevertheless, she has persevered. While she still occasionally makes guest appearances on TV sitcoms, Wallace may be heard providing the voice of Mrs. Krabappel, Bart Simpson's teacher, on the long-running animated series "The Simpsons" (Fox, 1990- ).The Iowa native first hit the theatrical scene in the late 1960s, landing Off-Broadway in 1968 in "The Fourth Wall". By 1970, she was in Hollywood, making her episodic debut on "The Brady Bunch" before appearing in late episodes of "Bewitched" as an advertising agency secretary to Darrin Stevens. She was "discovered" by the audience on the Newhart series, in which her energetic banter won the hearts of the audience. Much of what Wallace was offered after doing the show was clearly frothy, at best, such as "The Castaways on Gilligan's Island" (NBC, 1979), and "The Great American Traffic Jam" (NBC, 1980), in which she played the aptly-named BoomBoom Shavelson. Although the actress continued to make occasional guest appearances (i.e., "Taxi", "Night Court"), she gradually disappeared from frequent view. This was in part to her own illness; in 1985, she successfully battled breast cancer. When she began to find work again, it was in less than stellar projects such as playing the drama teacher who shows kindness to the magical lead in the feature "Teen Witch" (1989). She also co-starred in the dreadful "Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College" (1991), which rotted on video shelves. One of her best and most amusing guest appearances was a 1993 episode of "Murphy Brown", ostensibly playing Secretary Number 66, who just happened to be Carol Kester Bondurant.
Profession(s):
Actor
Sometimes Credited As:
2001 Returned to series work as the White House maid on the Comedy Central series "That's My Bush!"
2001 Acted in the Off-Broadway production of "The Vagina Monologues"
1995 Lost her home to a fire
1992 Show biz pals (including Bob Newhart and Suzanne Pleshette) bailed Wallace out of debt with a benefit at Pasadena Playhouse
1991 IRS demanded back taxes of $79,000
1990 Did voice of Mrs. Krabappel on "The Simpsons" (Fox)
1989 Co-starred in feature film "Teen Witch"
1985 Was a regular on the short-lived "New Love American Style" (ABC)
1985 Diagnosed with breast cancer; underwent lumpectomy and follow-up treatments
1978 Made TV-movie debut in "Flying High" (CBS)
1972 - 1978 Co-starred as Carol Kester on "The Bob Newhart Show" (CBS)
1970 Made episodic TV debut on "The Brady Bunch" (ABC)
1968 Made Off-Broadway debut in "The Fourth Wall"
