Liz Sheridan
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth "Liz" Sheridan (born April 10, 1929) is an American
actress
.
, the daughter of Elizabeth Poole-Jones, a concert singer, and Frank Sheridan, a classical pianist. Sheridan began her career as a dancer working in New York City
in nightclubs and musicals. There, she met the then-unknown James Dean
. Sheridan claims that she and Dean became engaged and had a short-lived romance. She has written a book on this subject, Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life with James Dean: A Love Story, in which she claimed they were each others' first "romantic love". After Dean was cast in a play which looked to be successful, he drifted away from Sheridan and — despite the play's quick demise — this was the end of their affair.
, before moving on to regular supporting roles in films and television series such as Moonlighting
, Kojak
, The A-Team
, Murder, She Wrote
, and Cagney & Lacey
. Her first major role was playing nosy neighbour Raquel Ochmonek on the NBC TV series ALF
. Sheridan may be best-known for her recurring role as Helen Seinfeld, mother to Jerry Seinfeld
in Seinfeld
. She played the role for nine seasons, from 1990 to 1998.
In 2008, Sheridan starred alongside Andy Griffith
, Doris Roberts
, Paul Campbell
and Marla Sokoloff
in the romantic comedy, Play The Game, about a young ladies man who teaches his dating tricks to his lonely, widowed grandfather who is re-entering the dating world after a 60 year hiatus. The film stirred up some controversy due to its octogenarian sex scene between Griffith and Sheridan.
Sheridan was married to the late William T. "Dale" Wales (August 17, 1917 - May 24, 2003). She was also a close friend of Elizabeth Montgomery
. She lived with actor James Dean
for a few years in New York City, when she was an aspiring dancer. They went their separate ways after he got a role in the short-lived Broadway play, See the Jaguar.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
.
Background
Sheridan was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the daughter of Elizabeth Poole-Jones, a concert singer, and Frank Sheridan, a classical pianist. Sheridan began her career as a dancer working in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in nightclubs and musicals. There, she met the then-unknown James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
. Sheridan claims that she and Dean became engaged and had a short-lived romance. She has written a book on this subject, Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life with James Dean: A Love Story, in which she claimed they were each others' first "romantic love". After Dean was cast in a play which looked to be successful, he drifted away from Sheridan and — despite the play's quick demise — this was the end of their affair.
Career
Sheridan starred in the 1976 Broadway play Best FriendBest Friend (play)
Best Friend was a 1976 Broadway play written by Michael Sawyer that premiered at the Lyceum Theatre on October 19, 1976 and closed on October 23, 1976 after 8 performances.-Setting:In the present at an apartment on the Upper West Side.Act I - 5;30 p.m...
, before moving on to regular supporting roles in films and television series such as Moonlighting
Moonlighting (TV series)
Moonlighting is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 3, 1985, to May 14, 1989. The network aired a total of 66 episodes...
, Kojak
Kojak
Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
, The A-Team
The A-Team
The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
, Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
, and Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey is an American television series that originally aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from October 8, 1981 to May 16, 1988...
. Her first major role was playing nosy neighbour Raquel Ochmonek on the NBC TV series ALF
ALF (TV series)
ALF is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990, created by Paul Fusco. The title character was Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF , who crash lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family.The series starred Max...
. Sheridan may be best-known for her recurring role as Helen Seinfeld, mother to Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
in Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
. She played the role for nine seasons, from 1990 to 1998.
In 2008, Sheridan starred alongside Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
, Doris Roberts
Doris Roberts
Doris Roberts is an American character actress of film, stage and television. She has received five Emmy Awards. She began her career in 1952, and may be best-known as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996–2005....
, Paul Campbell
Paul Campbell (Canadian actor)
-Life and career:From 2004 to 2006 he portrayed Billy Keikeya on the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. Campbell's character was a personal assistant to President Laura Roslin....
and Marla Sokoloff
Marla Sokoloff
Marla Lynne Sokoloff is an American actress and musician, known for playing the part of Lucy Hatcher on the TV show The Practice, and Gia Mahan on the ABC sitcom, Full House.- Personal life :...
in the romantic comedy, Play The Game, about a young ladies man who teaches his dating tricks to his lonely, widowed grandfather who is re-entering the dating world after a 60 year hiatus. The film stirred up some controversy due to its octogenarian sex scene between Griffith and Sheridan.
Sheridan was married to the late William T. "Dale" Wales (August 17, 1917 - May 24, 2003). She was also a close friend of Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery was an American film and television actress whose career spanned five decades. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched, as Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape and as Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.-Early life:Born in Los...
. She lived with actor James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
for a few years in New York City, when she was an aspiring dancer. They went their separate ways after he got a role in the short-lived Broadway play, See the Jaguar.