Gloria Jacqueline LeRoy (November 7, 1925 – May 24, 2018)[1] was an American character actress. She had a diverse career on stage, in film, and on television. Her film career began after Norman Lear spotted her on stage and cast her in The Night They Raided Minsky's in 1968. She was perhaps best known for playing the voluptuous Mildred "Boom Boom" Turner in the 1970s sitcom All in the Family.[2]
Gloria LeRoy | |
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Born | Gloria Jacqueline LeRoy November 7, 1925 Bucyrus, Ohio, U.S. |
Died | May 24, 2018(2018-05-24) (aged 92) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1943–2018 |
LeRoy was born in 1925 to vaudeville performers Loletta and Russell LeRoy in Bucyrus, Ohio. When she was a young girl the family moved to New York, where they owned a dance school, which both Gloria and her brother Kenneth studied. Kenneth went on to star on Broadway as a dancer and singer and was the first Bernardo in West Side Story. Gloria performed on Broadway in Artists and Models[3][4] with Jackie Gleason in 1943 at age 17 as a Specialty Dancer.[5][6] Her early career started in night clubs as a dancer and singer for Barbara Walters' father, impresario Lou Walters, at the Latin Quarter. She later headlined Nouvelle Eve, a Parisian cabaret show import, at the Hotel El Rancho Vegas from 1951 to 1952.[7][8]
She was cast in a production of Hello, Dolly! (1964) as Ernestina Money, but was replaced by Mary Jo Catlett.[9] She toured with Ann Corio's This Was Burlesque[10][11][12][13][14] as a tassel-twirler.[15][16][17][18][11][19][20][21][22] She also appeared in George M! A New Musical.[23][11]
She had recurring roles on the soaps Days of Our Lives as Queenie (1989), The Young and the Restless as Beatrice Tucker (1998) and Passions as Ruth (2000). She appeared in Three's Company as Nancy in the episode "The Goodbye Guy" (1980), as well as on Married... with Children as Chesty LaRue in the episode "Live Nude Peg" (1997). In 2001, she appeared in the season 8 Frasier episode "A Day in May" as Mrs. Smolenski, a prospective house buyer. In 2007, LeRoy appeared in the pilot episode of Rules of Engagement. In 2009, she appeared in Season 5 of Desperate Housewives as Rose Kemper. She also appeared in season 1 and season 2 episodes of the Showtime series Shameless as Aunt Ginger. Her final appearances were in season 3 episodes of the HBO series Getting On in 2015.
LeRoy died in Los Angeles, California on May 24, 2018 at age 92.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1968 | The Night They Raided Minsky's | Mae Harris | |
1971 | Cold Turkey | Lottie Davenport (Masseuse)[8] | |
The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight | Ida | ||
1974 | Welcome to Arrow Beach | Ginger | |
1975 | The Day of the Locust | Mrs. Loomis | |
1978 | Bloodbrothers | Sylvia | |
1980 | Cheaper to Keep Her | Woman on Diving Board | |
Tricks of the Trade | |||
1981 | Honky Tonk Freeway | Fish Restaurant Waitress | |
Pennies from Heaven | A Prostitute | ||
1986 | Sid and Nancy | Grandma | |
Stewardess School | Grandma Polk | ||
1987 | Barfly | Grandma Moses | |
1990 | Cool Blue | Ida | Video |
1992 | Body Waves | Mrs. Matthews | |
Final Embrace | Velvet | ||
1993 | Snapdragon | Nurse | |
1994 | Bad Blood | Elderly Bank Lady | |
1996 | Going Home | Toni | Short |
1997 | Sparkler | Maxine | |
Jack | Mrs. Goodman | ||
1999 | The Clock | Gracie | Short |
Pumpkin Hill | Gracie | Short | |
2000 | Sordid Lives | Peggy Ingram | |
Face the Music | Grandma | ||
2001 | All You Need | Nana Sabistan | |
2003 | Shotgun | Minnie | Short |
2005 | The Amateurs | Mrs. Mendelson | |
2010 | Quit | Pawn Clerk | |
2014 | Out | Louise[24] | Short |
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
1972 | Gunsmoke | Claire | Episode: Eleven Dollars |
All in the Family | Bobbi Jo Loomis | Episode: The Threat | |
1973 | Love, American Style | Episode: Love and the Cozy Comrades | |
Cannon | Episode: The Perfect Alibi | ||
The Blue Knight | TV film | ||
Miracle on 34th Street | Mother #1 | TV film | |
1974 | Mannix | Jenny | Episode: Mask for a Charade |
Gunsmoke | Mady | 2 episodes | |
The Streets of San Francisco | Mrs. Ledbetter | 2 episode 1974, 1976 | |
All in the Family | Mildred 'Boom Boom' Turner | 2 episodes 1974, 1978 | |
1975 | Hot L Baltimore | Millie | |
Baretta | Doris Mazurski | Episode: When Dues Come Down | |
Petrocelli | Mrs Ames / Zasu O'Brien | 2 episode | |
The Bob Crane Show | Lola | Episode: Son of the Campus Capers | |
1976 | Richie Brockelman: The Missing 24 Hours | Hooker | TV film |
Baretta | Wicked Wanda | Episode: "Shoes" | |
In the Glitter Palace | Norma Addison | TV film | |
1977 | The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver | Saleslady | TV film[25] |
Alice | Bar Waitress | Episode: Alice by Moonlight | |
1978-1979 | Kaz | Mary Parnell | 22 episodes |
1979 | But Mother! | Trixie | TV film |
Topper | Saleswoman | TV film | |
1980 | Scruples | Rosie | |
The Ropers | Gloria Mealy | Episode: Old Flames | |
Three's Company | Nancy | Episode: The Goobye Guy | |
1981 | Behind the Screen | Drunk Lady | Episode: 1.2 |
1982 | WKRP in Cincinnati | Sheila | 1 episode |
Hill Street Blues | Rena | 2 episodes | |
1983 | Automan | Landlady | Episode: Automan |
1985 | Crazy Like a Fox | Episode: The Man Who Cried Fox | |
It's a Living | Customer | Episode: Harassed | |
1986 | Falcon Crest | Minister's Wife | Episode: Captive Hearts |
1987 | Warm Hearts, Cold Feet | Waitress | TV film |
Hunter | Landlady | Episode: The Girl Next Door)[26] | |
1989 | Days of Our Lives | Queenie | |
1991 | The Flash | Pearl | 1 episode |
Flash III: Deadly Nightshade | Pearl | ||
1993 | Doogie Howser, M.D. | Nancy Jameson | Episode: Dorky Housecall, M.D. |
1994 | The Larry Sanders Show | Helen | Episode: Next Stop Bottom |
Viper | Elderly Bank Lady | ||
1995 | Dad, the Angel & Me | Opera Diva Nanny | TV film |
Weird Science | Grandma | Episode: Grampira | |
1996 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Ilsa Lawsenstrom | Episode: Woman of the Year |
ER | Beth Lang | Episode: Homeless for the Holidays | |
1997 | Married... with Children | Stripper | Episode:Live Nude Peg |
1998 | Tracey Takes On... | Mrs. Jordache | Episode: Loss |
3rd Rock from the Sun | Dolores | Episode: Portrait of Tommy as an Old Man | |
Saved by the Bell: The New Class | Florence | Episode: Free for All | |
The Young and the Restless | Beatrice Tucker | Recurring Guest Role | |
1999 | Tracey Takes On... | Woman | Episode: Books |
Chicago Hope | Alzheimer-patiente | Episode: Vanishing Acts | |
2000 | Passions | Ruth | 9 episodes |
2001 | Dharma & Greg | Jeannette | Episode: How This Happened |
Diagnosis Murder | Christine Wilson | Episode: The Blair Nurse Project | |
Frasier | Mrs. Smolenskis | Episode: A Day in May | |
2002 | Malcolm in the Middle | Martha | Episode: Hal Coaches |
2004 | My Wife and Kids | Grandmother | Episode: Childcare Class |
Charmed | Old Brenda | Episode: Charrrmed! | |
2006 | Malcolm in the Middle | Judith | Episode: Malcolm's Money |
2007 | Rules of Engagement | Margaret | Episode: Pilot |
2009 | Desperate Housewives | Rose Kemper | 2 episodes |
2011-2012 | Shameless | Aunt Ginger | Episodes: Aunt Ginger and Summer Loving |
2014 | Suburgatory | Esther | 1 episode |
2015 | Getting On | Vivian 'Mama Viv' Hartley | 2 episodes, (final appearance) |
General | |
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National libraries |