Dena Dietrich (born December 4, 1928) is an American actress.Born in Pittsburgh, her television credits include recurring roles on The Practice (a 1976-1977 situation comedy starring Danny Thomas), The Ropers, Life with Lucy, Santa Barbara, and Philly. She made guest appearances on Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers, Life Goes On, NYPD Blue, Murphy Brown, and The Golden Girls (as Dorothy's sister Gloria). She appeared in such films as The Wild Party and History of the World: Part I. She appeared on Broadway in The Rimers of Eldritch, Here's Where I Belong, and The Prisoner of Second Avenue.Dietrich is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Mother Nature in Chiffon margarine 30-second commercials in the early 1970s (1971–79). Dressed in a gown of white and adorned with a crown of daisies, Mother nature addresses an unseen narrator who informs her "That's Chiffon Margarine, not butter." A perplexed Mother Nature replies "Margarine, oh, no, it's too sweet, too creamy." When the narrator tells her "Chiffon's so delicious, I guess it fooled even you, Mother Nature," Her character, Mother Nature, mistakes the margarine for real butter, and when she learns otherwise, she ominously replies, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!", which became Dietrich's trademark catchphrase. The melodic tagline for the ad reads: "If you think it's butter and it's not...it's Chiffon."
She studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.
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This theater-based character player appeared in a number of musicals over the years including "The Threepenny Opera" (as Lucy Brown), "Funny Girl" (understudy for Mrs. Brice), and "Here's Where I Belong," based on the novel "East of Eden".
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For several years she resided in the Fairfield County town of Newtown, Connecticut. There she lived on a tranquil, naturalistic property replete with ponds and streams surrounding a modern, Japanese-esque house befitting the domicile of TV's beloved "Mother Nature".
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Best known for her TV margarine commercial in which she utters the famous line: "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!"