Andrea Martin

Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American and Canadian actress,[2] best known for her work in the television series SCTV and Great News. She has appeared in films such as Black Christmas (1974), Wag the Dog (1997), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016), and Little Italy (2018). She has also lent her voice to the animated films Anastasia (1997), The Rugrats Movie (1998), and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001). Since 2021, she co-stars in the supernatural drama series Evil.

Andrea Martin
Martin in 2019
Born
Andrea Louise Martin

(1947-01-15) January 15, 1947 (age 77)[1]
Citizenship
  • United States
  • Canada
Alma materEmerson College
Occupations
  • Actress
  • comedian
  • singer
Years active1970–present
Spouse
(divorced)
Children2

Martin has been equally prolific in the world of theater, winning Tony Awards for both My Favorite Year and the 2013 revival of Pippin. Martin also appeared on Broadway in Candide, Oklahoma!, Fiddler on the Roof, Young Frankenstein, Exit the King, and Act One. She has received five nominations for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, more than any other actress in the award's history. She received her first nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for the 2016 revival of Noises Off.

Early life

Andrea Martin was born on January 15, 1947, in Portland, Maine,[3][4] the eldest of three children of Armenian-American parents Sybil A. (Armenian: Սյբիլ մանօգիան մարտին; née Manoogian) and John Papazian Martin (Armenian: ձոհն պապազիան մարտին; 1917–2010).[5][6] Her paternal grandparents were from Van, present-day Turkey, who had escaped the Armenian Genocide.[7] Her maternal grandmother immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 15.[8] Her paternal grandfather, an amateur thespian, changed the family's name from Papazian to Martin. [9] Her maternal grandparents, who were from Constantinople, started the Armenian School at the Chestnut Street Church in Portland, Maine.[10][11][12][8][13][14][15] Andrea's father owned Martin's Foods, a grocery-store chain.[16] She has mentioned that although her grandparents "did not know what assimilation was," her parents worked very hard to assimilate into the U.S. As such, Martin only started connecting with her ancestral identity later in life.[17]

When she was two years old, her mother's leg had broken, so she would often read to her daughter. She and her mother would often take turns reading Shakespeare, Paul Revere's Ride, and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. She took piano lessons when she was eight, reciting a poem about a kitten at the rotunda of the Portland Art Museum and played the piano there. Martin transferred from Nathan Clifford School to St. Joseph’s Academy before entering high school. She graduated from Deering High School in 1965, where she was a member of the Dramatic Club and won Miss Deering High 1965.[10]

Career

Soon after graduating from Emerson College, Martin won a role in a touring company of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. After frequent visits to Toronto, she relocated from New York City to Toronto in 1970 and immediately found steady work in television, film, and theater.

In 1972, Martin played the character Robin in a Toronto production of Godspell, with a company that included future stars Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, and Victor Garber, and musical director Paul Shaffer.[18] Two of her early film roles were in horror films, 1973's Cannibal Girls, for which she won the Sitges Film Festival Award for Best Actress, and in 1974, as the bookish sorority sister Phyllis in Black Christmas, a Canadian slasher.

In 1976, she joined then-unknowns John Candy, Dave Thomas, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, and Joe Flaherty on the Canadian sketch comedy television series, SCTV, which was set at fictional television station "Second City Television", or SCTV, in Melonville. Martin most notably portrayed leopard print-wearing station manager Edith Prickley, whose dealings with the staff, including president/owner Guy Caballero, clueless newscaster Earl Camembert, and washed-up actor Johnny LaRue, helped to provide much of the show's humor. Other notable characters Martin played included Pirini Scleroso, an immigrant from Eastern Europe, organ saleswoman Edna Boil, feminist TV show host Libby Wolfson, and children's entertainer Mrs. Falbo. Her talent for impersonation was key in her humorous portrayals of Barbra Streisand, Ethel Merman, Arlene Francis, Pauline Kael, Sally Field, Sophia Loren, Beverly Sills, Lynn Redgrave, Linda Lavin, Bernadette Peters, Liza Minnelli, Connie Francis, Mother Teresa, Joni Mitchell, Alice B. Toklas, Patti Smith, Brenda Vaccaro, and Indira Gandhi.[19] In 1981, Martin was Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Variety Show for her work in SCTV.

Her 1970s stage work eventually included the Toronto branch of the improvisational comedy troupe The Second City, a group which produced almost the entire cast of SCTV. In 1992, she made her Broadway debut in the musical My Favorite Year, for which she won the Tony Award, Theatre World Award, and Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.[20]

Her additional Broadway credits include Candide (1997) and Oklahoma! (2002), and the Broadway premiere of Young Frankenstein (2007), all of which brought her Tony Award nominations for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.[21]

Martin starred alongside Geoffrey Rush and Susan Sarandon in the Broadway revival of Exit the King. For her performance as Juliette, she was nominated for a Drama Desk and an Outer Critics Circle Award. She wrote and performed in the critically acclaimed one-woman show Nude, Nude, Totally Nude in Los Angeles and New York City,[22] receiving a 1996 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One Person Show.

Her other theater credits include the leads in The Rose Tattoo and Betty's Summer Vacation, for which she won the Elliot Norton Award for Best Actress, both produced at the Huntington Theatre in Boston. During the winter of 2012–2013, she played Berthe, Pippin's grandmother, in the American Repertory Theater production of Pippin in Cambridge, Massachusetts, singing the classic song "No Time At All".[23] The show transferred to Broadway at the Music Box Theatre and opened in April 2013. For Pippin Martin won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Martin's last performance as Berthe in the Broadway production of Pippin was on September 22, 2013. She appeared on Broadway in the new play written and directed by James Lapine, Act One, for which she received the Outer Critics Circle Award.[24][25]

Martin played Wanda Falbo the Word Fairy in a series of short segments on Sesame Street, debuting in 1989. The character was based on Mrs. Falbo, one of Martin's SCTV characters. She also appeared on Kate & Allie as the executive producer of a low-rated cable channel, which was spun-off into her own CBS series, Roxie. Martin is known to Star Trek fans as one of two actresses to play Ishka, Quark's iconoclastic mother on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. For her role, she was made up to appear as an older woman, although in reality, Martin is less than three years older than Armin Shimerman, who played Quark.

Martin has won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program in 1982 and 1983. She has done considerable voice work in animated film and television productions such as Anastasia, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Rugrats as Aunt Miriam, The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue as Muriel - Floyd's wife, The Simpsons (as Apu's mother), Recess as Lunchlady Harriet, the 1999 version of The Woody Woodpecker Show, Earthworm Jim, Kim Possible, The Buzz On Maggie, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Brother Bear 2. She also appeared in the 1993 television adaptation of Gypsy starring Bette Midler.[26]

In 1997, Martin starred in the television series Life... and Stuff.[27]

Her screen credits include All Over the Guy, in which she played Dr. Ellen Wyckoff—Dan Bucatinsky's therapist mother, Club Paradise, Wag the Dog, All I Want for Christmas, Worth Winning, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Stepping Out, The Producers, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, in which she portrayed Aunt Voula, a role she reprised in the small-screen adaptation, My Big Fat Greek Life, the 2016 sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023).

In 2006, she played a major role in the remake of Black Christmas. She played Helaine in the 2009 breakout independent film Breaking Upwards. In the episode titled Pupil, she played an emergency room patient on the Showtime series, Nurse Jackie, which was aired July 27, 2009. In 2012, she provided the voice of Penny in the American Dad! episode "Stan's Best Friend" and appeared in an episode of 30 Rock titled "My Whole Life Is Thunder." Martin appeared in Night at the Museum 3 and Hulu's original series, Difficult People, starring Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner, and produced by Amy Poehler. It premiered August 5, 2015. She played Prudy Pingleton on Hairspray Live!, which aired on December 7, 2016.

She appears in the NBC sitcom Working the Engels.

In late 2015 to early 2016, Martin performed as Dotty Otley in the limited-run Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Noises Off, directed by Jeremy Herrin. Martin was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance.

Martin tours throughout Canada and the United States in her one-woman show, Andrea Martin: Final Days, Everything Must Go! with her musical director Seth Rudetsky.

In 2018, Martin, along with fellow Canadians Seth Rogen and Leonard Cohen, was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.[28]

Martin was set to perform on Broadway opposite Nathan Lane beginning March 2019 in the world premiere of Taylor Mac's new comedy Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, directed by George C. Wolfe. On March 4, 2019, Martin withdrew from the production, having broken four ribs in an accident during rehearsal.[29]

Personal life

Martin divides her time between Los Angeles and Toronto. On December 8, 2017, on The Marilyn Denis Show, Martin announced that after 47 years in Canada, she had become a Canadian citizen. She was previously married to Bob Dolman and had two sons with him, Joe and Jack. She has a grandchild via her eldest son.[30] Through her marriage to Dolman, she was the sister-in-law of actor/comedian Martin Short, who married Dolman’s sister Nancy.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971Foxy LadyGirl Next Door
1973Cannibal GirlsGloria Wellaby
1974Black ChristmasPhyllis "Phyl" Carlson
1980Wholly Moses!Zipporah
1982Soup for OneConcord Seductress
1986Club ParadiseLinda White
1987InnerspaceWaiting Room Patient
1988Martha, Ruth and EdieRuth
Kid Safe: The VideoKathy TudorEducational video
1989Rude AwakeningApril Stool
Worth WinningClaire Broudy
1990Too Much SunBitsy
1991Stepping OutDorothy
All I Want for ChristmasOlivia
Ted & VenusBag Lady
1992Itsy Bitsy SpiderMusic TeacherShort
The Trial of Red Riding HoodGrandmaDirect-to-video
1993GypsyMiss Cratchitt
1996BogusPenny
1997AnastasiaPhlegmenkoff, Old WomanVoice[31]
Wag the DogLiz Butsky
1998The Rugrats MovieAunt Miriam PicklesVoice[31]
The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the RescueMurielVoice, direct-to-video[31]
1999Bartok the MagnificentBaba YagaVoice, direct-to-video[31]
2000BelieveMuriel Twyman
LoserProfessor
2001Hedwig and the Angry InchPhyllis Stein
Recess: School's OutLunchlady HarrietVoice[31]
All Over the GuyDr. Ellen Wyckoff
Jimmy Neutron: Boy GeniusMs. FowlVoice[31]
2002My Big Fat Greek WeddingAunt Voula
2004New York MinuteSenator Anne Lipton
2005The ProducersKiss Me-Feel Me
2006The TV SetBecky
Brother Bear 2AndaVoice, direct-to-video[31]
How to Eat Fried WormsMrs. Bommley
Young TriffieMrs. Grace Melrose
Black ChristmasBarbara 'Ms. Mac' MacHenry
2007Barbie as the Island PrincessQueen ArianaVoice, direct-to-video[31]
2008The Toe TacticHoney
2009Breaking UpwardsHelaine
2012BuzzKillLil Albright
Girl Most LikelyStage Zelda
Delivering the GoodsAnna
2014Night at the Museum: Secret of the TombRose (Archivist)
2016My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2Aunt Voula
Tom and Jerry: Back to OzHungry TigerVoice, direct-to-video[31]
2017They Shall Not PerishBaidzar Bakalian
2018DianeBobbie
Little ItalyFranca
2023My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3Aunt Voula

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971The Hart and Lorne Terrific HourBaffin Islander, Anthem Singer #2Episode dated September 18
1975King of KensingtonWilma WilloughbyEpisode: "The Joy of Kensington"
1976The Sunshine HourRegular
The RimshotsTelevision film
1976–1977The David Steinberg ShowJulie Liverfoot3 episodes
1976–1984Second City TelevisionVariousMain role
1981TitansGeorge SandEpisode: "George Sand"
1986Kate & AllieEddie Gordon2 episodes
1987RoxieRoxie Brinkerhoff6 episodes
1987–2009Sesame StreetWanda Falbo, Various8 episodes
1988The Elephant ShowHerselfEpisode: "Unicef"
PoisonMelissa
The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed GrimleyDeidre FreebusMain role
1989The Tracey Ullman ShowTherapy PatientEpisode #3.20
1991The Carol Burnett ShowSkit characters
1992Camp CandyMrs. WoodenhouseEpisode: "Lucky Dog"
Maniac MansionDr. Fontana BlueEpisode: "Idella's Breakdown"
Darkwing DuckSplatter PhoenixVoice, episode: "Paint Misbehavin'"
Goof TroopMrs. WilloughbyVoice, episode: "Goofin' Up the Social Ladder"
Frosty ReturnsMiss CarbuncleVoice, TV special[31]
Boris and Natasha: The MovieTootsTelevision film
1992–2002RugratsAunt Miriam PicklesVoice, 7 episodes[31]
1992–1995Bobby's WorldNafoodjia/ConstanceVoice, 3 episodes
1994Aaahh!!! Real MonstersGromble's MomVoice, episode: "Mother, May I"[31]
The Martin Short ShowAlice Manoogan3 episodes
Batman: The Animated SeriesMighty Mom/Lisa LorraineVoice, episode: "Make 'Em Laugh"[31]
DuckmanMadame RosebudVoice, episode: "A Civil War"
1995Star Trek: Deep Space NineIshkaEpisode: "Family Business"
1995–1996Earthworm JimQueen Slug-For-A-ButtVoice, 12 episodes
1996DuckmanMayor GallagherVoice, episode: "The Longest Weekend"
1996Freakazoid!Jeepers' NeighborVoice, episode: "Statuesque"[31]
1996–1997WayneheadMs. NeggleoffVoice, 2 episodes[31]
1997Life... and StuffChristineEpisode: "Life... and Fisticuffs"
RecessLunchlady HarrietVoice
MeegoConnieEpisode: "The Truth About Cars and Dogs"
The SimpsonsMrs. NahasapeemapetilonVoice, episode: "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons"
1998DamonCarol Czynencko7 episodes
The LionheartsAdditional voicesEpisode: "But Some of My Best Friends Are Clowns"
CatDogTalluhla, IndianVoice, episode: "All About Cat/Trespassing"[31]
The Wild ThornberrysMother CondorVoice, episode: "Flight of the Donnie"[31]
Pinky, Elmyra & the BrainMs. EntebeeVoice, 3 episodes[31]
1998–1999HerculesAdditional voices5 episodes
1998–2000Superman: The Animated SeriesMad HarrietVoice, 4 episodes[31]
1999Timon & PumbaaQueen BeeVoice, episode: "To Be Bee or Not to Be Bee"
The Outer LimitsLil VaughnEpisode: "Joyride"
The Norm ShowMillieEpisode: "Norm vs. Death"
1999–2000George and MarthaMarthaVoice, 26 episodes[31]
1999–2002The New Woody Woodpecker ShowMs. MeanyVoice, main role
2001CommittedFrances Wilder2 episodes
DAGBetty WinnEpisode: "Basketball Jones"
Primetime GlickAnne Heche2 episodes
2002Just for LaughsEdith Prickley
EdKaye PazzutiEpisode: "Two Days of Freedom"
Crossing JordanNora KaminskiEpisode: "Miracles & Wonders"
2002–2006The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy GeniusMs. Winifred FowlVoice, main role (37 episodes)[31]
2003My Big Fat Greek LifeVoula7 episodes
Ozzy & DrixAunti HistamineVoice, episode: "Aunti Histamine"[31]
2003–2007Kim PossibleMrs. StoppableVoice, recurring role
2005Chilly BeachLucretia MarinaraEpisode: "You've Got Meat"
Hope & FaithMadame ElizabethEpisode: "Season Finale"
2006Kitchen ConfidentialMargieEpisode: "The Robbery"
Cracking UpCarol BaxterEpisode: "The Fixer"
The Grim Adventures of Billy & MandyMonster WifeVoice, episode: "Be A-Fred, Be Very A-Fred"
2007St. Urbain's HorsemanSarah HershEpisode: "Part 1 & 2"
Insatiable
SpongeBob SquarePantsMiss GristlepussVoice, episode: "Banned in Bikini Bottom"
2009Nurse JackieMrs. GreenfieldEpisode: "Pupil"
2010Little Mosque on the PrairieDr. Lois KettlebaumEpisode: "The Letter"
Dino DanMrs. Hahn3 episodes
2010–2011The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!VariousVoice, 3 episodes
201230 RockBonnieEpisode: "My Whole Life Is Thunder"
2012–2013Fugget About ItThe Virgin Mary, NonnaVoice, 3 episodes[31]
2013Crash & BernsteinMother GreenEpisode: "Crash on the Run"
2014Working the EngelsCeil Engel12 episodes
American Dad!Sri Lankan WorkerVoice, episode: "Now and Gwen"
2015The Jack and Triumph ShowElena EkalakavarakovaEpisode: "The Commercial"
Modern FamilyFig WilsonEpisode: "White Christmas"
2015–2017Difficult PeopleMarilyn Kessler26 episodes
2016Hairspray Live!Prudy PingletonTV special
2017Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtLinda P.Episode: "Kimmy Googles the Internet!"
2017–2018Great NewsCarol WendelsonMain role
2017–2019The Good FightFrancesa Lovatelli6 episodes
2019Will & GraceZusanna ZogginEpisode: "The Pursuit of Happiness"
Elena of AvalorQueen AbigailVoice, 2 episodes
2019–2021Mickey and the Roadster RacersMrs. BigbyVoice, 5 episodes
2020Corner Gas AnimatedHerselfVoice, episode: "The Fat and The Furious"[31]
2021–presentEvilSister Andrea20 episodes
2021HarlemRobin Goodman3 episodes
2022Would I Lie to You?HerselfEpisode: "Child Toy Model"
2022–presentOnly Murders in the BuildingJoyRecurring role
2023The Patrick Star ShowAgnes SteelheadVoice, episode: "Which Witch is Which?"

Awards and nominations

Film and TV

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
1973Sitges Film Festival AwardBest ActressCannibal GirlsWon
1982Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music SeriesSecond City TelevisionNominated
Outstanding Writing for a Variety SeriesWon
Nominated
Nominated
Nominated
1983Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Variety SeriesWon
Nominated
Nominated
Nominated
Nominated
2003Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion PictureMy Big Fat Greek WeddingNominated
2022Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesEvilNominated

Theatre

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
1993Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalMy Favorite YearWon
Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalWon
Theatre World AwardHonoree
1996Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Solo PerformanceNude Nude Totally NudeNominated
1997Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalCandideNominated
Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalNominated
2002Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalOklahoma!Nominated
Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalNominated
Outer Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalNominated
Elliot Norton AwardOutstanding Actress, Large CompanyBetty's Summer VacationWon
2008Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalYoung FrankensteinNominated
Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalNominated
2009Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a PlayExit the KingNominated
Outer Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a PlayNominated
2013Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalPippinWon
Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalWon
Drama League AwardDistinguished PerformanceNominated
Outer Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalWon
Astaire AwardOutstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway ShowNominated
Elliot Norton AwardOutstanding Musical Performance by an ActressWon
2014IRNE AwardBest Supporting Actress in a MusicalWon
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle AwardFeatured PerformanceNominated
Outer Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a PlayAct OneWon
2016Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a PlayNoises OffNominated

Published works

  • Martin, Andrea (2014). Andrea Martin's Lady Parts. Harper. ISBN 978-0062387288.

References

External links