Frances Bay (née Goffman; January 23, 1919 – September 15, 2011) was a Canadian American character actress, best known for playing quirky, eccentric, albeit usually sweet natured elderly women on film and television. She didn't enter the acting industry of television and film until she was in her late 50s, in which she appeared in many prolific and memorable roles, although she had worked in radio and in theatre, in which she won a Drama-Logue Award, she was also a Gemini Award winner, an honour in her native Canada.
September 15, 2011, Tarzana, Los Angeles, California, United States
Place Of Birth
Mannville, Alberta, Canada
Height
5' (1.52 m)
Profession
Actress
Spouse
Charles Bay (m. 1946–2002)
Children
Josh Bay
Parents
Max Goffman, Ann Goffman
Siblings
Erving Goffman
Awards
Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role Dramatic Series
Movies
Happy Gilmore, Blue Velvet, In the Mouth of Madness, The Karate Kid, The Wedding Planner, Inspector Gadget, Foul Play, Single White Female, Big Top Pee-wee, The Karate Kid Part III, The Pit and the Pendulum, Arachnophobia, Edmond, Critters 3, The Grifters, Finder's Fee, Twins, Private School, Krippe...
Star Sign
Aquarius
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Quote
1
I always wanted to be an actress. And it wasn't ego. I felt so little about myself, considered myself such a sparrow. Not just my size. I thought I was so plain ... I did plays not to show off but because if I did that -- I didn't realize it at the time -- I would be somebody other than this person I didn't really approve of. I think that's true of a lot of actors.
#
Fact
1
Her parents were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants.
2
She began her career as a radio actress but took a long break from the business after marrying and having a son, who died in his 20s.
3
Frances Bay died at Providence Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana (Los Angeles). She had been ill with various infections. In keeping with her Jewish faith, Bay was buried within 24 hours at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, CA.
Her son, Eli Joshua Bay, passed away at the age of 23. Born in Canada on March 14, 1947, he died in Duval County Florida on June 6, 1970.
6
Inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2008.
7
Sister of renowned sociologist, Erving Goffman (1922 - 1982), the author of 'The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.'.
8
Hospitalized as the result of being struck by a car in Glendale, CA, on November 21st, 2002. As a result of the accident, she has had part of her right leg amputated and had to walk with a prosthetic right leg.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Oldest Rookie
1987
TV Series
Mrs. Zimmer
St. Elsewhere
1987
TV Series
Mrs. Renninger
My Sister Sam
1987
TV Series
Lady at Airport
Convicted: A Mother's Story
1987
TV Movie
LBJ: The Early Years
1987
TV Movie
Effie Pattillo
Sidekicks
1986
TV Series
Sarah
The New Mike Hammer
1986
TV Series
Female Patient
Simon & Simon
1986
TV Series
Agnes Rich
Blue Velvet
1986
Aunt Barbara
Riptide
1986
TV Series
Librarian
Hill Street Blues
1986
TV Series
Elizabeth Mies
T.J. Hooker
1986
TV Series
Mrs. Greene
Cheers
1986
TV Series
Mrs. Enid Brubaker
Nomads
1986
Bertril
The Eagle and the Bear
1985
TV Movie
Santa Barbara
1985
TV Series
Mrs. McRae
Amazing Stories
1985
TV Series
Mrs. Santa Claus
Amos
1985
TV Movie
Lydia
Movers & Shakers
1985
Betty Gritz
Fame
1985
TV Series
Grandma George
Cagney & Lacey
1985
TV Series
Edna Kiss
The President of Love
1984
TV Movie
Herbina Plum
E/R
1984
TV Series
Mrs. Gordon
Family Ties
1984
TV Series
Mrs. Menlo
The Karate Kid
1984
Lady with Dog
Alice
1984
TV Series
Granny Annie
Happy Days
1982-1984
TV Series
Grandma Nussbaum
Second Sight: A Love Story
1984
TV Movie
Old Woman
Remington Steele
1983
TV Series
Mother Trust
Faerie Tale Theatre
1983
TV Series
Granny
Lottery!
1983
TV Series
A Rose for Emily
1983
Short
Miss Wyatt
American Playhouse
1983
TV Series
Mrs. Timmins
At Ease
1983
TV Series
Assistant Librarian
Private School
1983
Birdie Fallmouth
Double Exposure
1983
Old Woman
Father Murphy
1982
TV Series
Alma Hubbard
Buddy Buddy
1981
Female Patient
Callie & Son
1981
TV Movie
Mabel Simpson
Dream On!
1981
Honky Tonk Freeway
1981
Mrs. Lewenowski
Murder in Texas
1981
TV Movie
Myra Hill
Flamingo Road
1981
TV Series
Amy
1981
Mrs. Lindey
The Dukes of Hazzard
1981
TV Series
Aunt Hortense
The Jeffersons
1981
TV Series
Mrs. Watson
Hart to Hart
1979-1980
TV Series
Cleaning Lady / Flower Vendor
The Attic
1980
Librarian
Topper
1979
TV Movie
Mrs. Quincy
Chilly Scenes of Winter
1979
Mrs. Delillo
ABC Weekend Specials
1979
TV Series
Madame Zarona
Foul Play
1978
Mrs. Russel
Mary Tyler Moore
1977
TV Series
Maid
Kojak
1976
TV Series
Lady at Chapel
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
2014
Mrs. Tremond (Chalfont)
Bare Knuckles
2013
Rosie Mcintyre
The Middle
2009-2011
TV Series
Aunt Ginny
Pickin' & Grinnin'
2010
Grandma Johnson
Medium Rare
2010
TV Series
Gertrude
Short on Time
2010
Short
Edith
Repo Chick
2009
Grandma De La Chasse
Grey's Anatomy
2009
TV Series
Aunt Joyce
Cavemen
2007
TV Series
Mrs. Winston
Hannah Montana
2006
TV Series
Cathy
Ring Around the Rosie
2006
Video
Nanna
The Red Scarf
2006
Short
Vivian Barry
Edmond
2005
Fortune Teller
Oh, Baby
2005
TV Movie
Maggie Winchester
Annie's Point
2005
TV Movie
Older Woman
In the Land of Milk and Money
2004
Grandma Shallot
There Will Come a Day
2004
Short
Mortensen
A Freudian Image
2003
Short
Anna Freud
The Movie Hero
2003
Wise Old Woman
Kiss the Bride
2002
Grandma Julia Sposato
Presidio Med
2002
TV Series
Joan Hart
My Wife and Kids
2002
TV Series
Charmed
2002
TV Series
Old Phoebe
Cookies for Harry
2001
Short
Harry's Wife
Bob Patterson
2001
TV Series
Laurie Evans
Finder's Fee
2001
Mrs. Darmsetter
Passions
2001
TV Series
Evil Old Lady
ER
2001
TV Series
Georgia
The Wedding Planner
2001
Dottie
A Day in a Life
2000
Rosa
The Hughleys
1998-2000
TV Series
Mrs. Fitch
Stranger Than Fiction
2000
Mrs. Steiner
The Operator
2000
Mrs. Sloan
The Storyteller
1999/I
Video short
Storyteller
Da Vinci's Inquest
1999
TV Series
Viola McKnight
Inspector Gadget
1999
Thelma
The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn
1999
TV Movie
Mrs. Lewis
Forever Love
1998
TV Movie
Martha Craddock
Style & Substance
1998
TV Series
Elizabeth
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
1998
TV Series
Mildred Grayson
C-16: FBI
1998
TV Series
Miss Wilson
Seinfeld
1996-1998
TV Series
Mrs. Choate / Mabel
Clueless
1998
TV Series
Opal
Goodbye Lover
1998
Old Woman
Krippendorf's Tribe
1998
Edith Proxmire
Mitzi & Joe
1997
Mitzi
Players
1997
TV Series
Mrs. Davis
Sparkler
1997
Raspy
Changing Habits
1997
Midge
Diagnosis Murder
1997
TV Series
Elderly Swiss Jeweler
Life with Roger
1997
TV Series
Aunt Charlotte
Suddenly Susan
1997
TV Series
Mrs. Tidgely
Rossini's Ghost
1996
TV Movie
Elder Rosalie
Never Too Late
1996
Elisabeth Kronner
Avonlea
1996
TV Series
Winifred Ward
Happy Gilmore
1996
Grandma
Courthouse
1995
TV Series
Kate Downey
Murder, She Wrote
1995
TV Series
Sarah McCoy
The Crew
1995
TV Series
Mrs. Henderson
The Commish
1995
TV Series
Ardith Cannon
The Marshal
1995
TV Series
Granny
Platypus Man
1995
TV Series
Bella
The X-Files
1994
TV Series
Dorothy
In the Mouth of Madness
1994
Mrs. Pickman
The Paper Boy
1994
Mrs. Rosemont
The 5 Mrs. Buchanans
1994
TV Series
Vivian's Aunt Francine
Dave's World
1994
TV Series
Daisy
Phenom
1994
TV Series
Mrs. Long
The Neighbor
1993
Aunt Sylvia
Empty Nest
1992-1993
TV Series
Agnes / Sylvia
Street Legal
1993
TV Series
Patricia Peters
By Way of the Stars
1992-1993
TV Mini-Series
Annie Pyle
Life Goes On
1991-1992
TV Series
Sarah / Eleanor
The Ben Stiller Show
1992
TV Series
Gertrude
Down the Shore
1992
TV Series
Miss Suzette
Inside Monkey Zetterland
1992
Grandma
Middle Ages
1992
TV Series
Single White Female
1992
Elderly Neighbor
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
1992
Mrs. Tremond (Chalfont)
L.A. Law
1992
TV Series
Marian McConnell
Who's the Boss?
1992
TV Series
Candy
Baby Talk
1992
TV Series
Quantum Leap
1992
TV Series
Millie Reynolds
Grave Secrets: The Legacy of Hilltop Drive
1992
TV Movie
Iva Ruth McKinney
Critters 3
1991
Mrs. Menges
Matlock
1991
TV Series
Rose Hayes / Samantha Bergstrom
Pacific Station
1991
TV Series
Celia Linder
The Pit and the Pendulum
1991
Esmeralda
Hunter
1988-1991
TV Series
Mrs. Laskey / Miss Emma Parsons
Father Dowling Mysteries
1990
TV Series
Victoria's Grandmother
True Colors
1990
TV Series
Aunt Sylvia
Over My Dead Body
1990
TV Series
Sister Dempsey
Twin Peaks
1990
TV Series
Mrs. Tremond
The Grifters
1990
Arizona Motel Clerk
Arachnophobia
1990
Evelyn Metcalf
Tales from the Crypt
1990
TV Series
Witch
Equal Justice
1990
TV Series
Florence Evans
Wild at Heart
1990
Madam
Normal Life
1990
TV Series
Mrs. Schnabel
ALF
1990
TV Series
Virginia Russell
Alien Nation
1990
TV Series
Mrs. Gillirue
Dragnet
1989
TV Series
Sadie McGuire
Newhart
1989
TV Series
Mrs. Henderson
The Cavanaughs
1989
TV Series
Widow Kelsey
The Karate Kid Part III
1989
Mrs. Milo
Twins
1988
Mother Superior
Police Story: Monster Manor
1988
TV Movie
Mary
The Golden Girls
1988
TV Series
Claire
Big Top Pee-wee
1988
Mrs. Haynes
Houston Knights
1988
TV Series
Medium Rare
1987
Gertrude
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Futurestates
2012
TV Series dedicatee - 1 episode
The Middle
2012
TV Series in loving memory of - 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Christmastime with Mister Rogers
1977
TV Special
Mrs. Hamilton
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
2012
TV Special
Herself - Memorial Tribute
Seinfeld: Inside Look
2006
TV Series documentary short
Herself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1997
Gemini
Gemini Awards
Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series