A prolific television actress, Penny Fuller first came to attention in show biz circles as the scheming Eve Harrington in the Broadway production of "Applause", the 1970 musical version of Joseph L Mankiewicz's classic 1950 feature "All About Eve". More than holding her own against Lauren Bacall's Margo Channing, Fuller won strong reviews, earned a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical and reprised the role in the 1973 CBS TV adaptation. The petite redhead with expressive eyes went on to establish herself as a fine character actress on the small screen. (Her big screen credits are limited to a small role in 1976's "All the President's Men" and 1993's "The Beverly Hillbillies".) She made her TV-movie debut alongside Lois Nettleton and Jessica Walter as one of the "Women in Chains" (ABC, 1972), which also marked Ida Lupino's telefilm debut. She went on to offer support to Dennis Weaver and Mare Winningham in "Amber Waves" (ABC, 1980) and landed her first series berth as a gossip columnist in the short-lived NBC series "Bare Essence". As the English actress Madge Kendal who befriends the deformed title character (played by Philip Anglim) in "The Elephant Man" (NBC, 1982), Fuller earned her first Emmy Award. She won praise for her bitchy sister-in-law to Tommy Lee Jones' Brick and Jessica Lange's Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (Showtime, 1984; PBS, 1985). On the short-lived cop drama "Fortune Dane", she was tough female mayor of a West Coast town. Other notable longforms include the CBS miniseries "George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation" (1986), "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" (NBC, 1987) and "Miss Rose White" (NBC, 1992). Fuller has also had recurring roles on "China Beach" (ABC, 1989-90) as the mother of Dana Delany's McMurphy, and simultaneously on "Melrose Place" (Fox, 1994-95) and "Mad About You" (NBC, 1994-95). In the latter, she appeared as the mother of Jmaie Buchman (Helen Hunt). For her guest appearance on the second season premiere of the NBC medical drama "ER" (1996), Fuller earned a third Emmy nomination.
Profession(s):
Actor
Sometimes Credited As:
Drama League Award Outstanding Artist 1997
Emmy Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special "The Elephant Man" 1981 - 1982
2000 Had featured role in "The Dinner Party"; earned Tony nomination
1997 Returned to Broadway as co-star of "An American Daughter"
1993 Second feature role, Margaret Drysdale in "The Beverly Hillbillies"
1986 Played the Mayor on the short-lived ABC series "Fortune Dane"
1986 TV miniseries debut, "George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation"
1983 TV series debut, "Bare Essence" (NBC)
1982 Co-starred in NBC TV adaptation of "The Elephant Man"; won a Best Supporting Actress Emmy
1976 Feature film debut, small role in Alan J Pakula's "All the President's Men"
1973 Recreated her Broadway role of Eve Harrington in the CBS version of "Applause"
1972 TV-movie debut "Women in Chains" (ABC)
1970 Achieved stage stardom as Eve Harrington in "Applause", opposite Lauren Bacall; nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical
1965 Broadway stage debut, "Barefoot in the Park"
Played leading role of Sally Bowles in Broadway production of "Cabaret"
Had recurring role of Mrs. McMurphy, mother of Dana Delany's character, on ABC Vietnam-era drama "China Beach"
Played recurring role on Fox primetime soap "Melrose Place"
Played recurring role of Theresa Stemple, mother to Jamie (Helen Hunt), on NBC sitcom "Mad About You"