Anne Haney

Anne Haney (March 4, 1934 – May 26, 2001) was an American character actress renowned for her distinctive, gravelly voice and memorable supporting roles in late-20th-century films and television, including the social worker Mrs. Sellner in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), the President's secretary in The American President (1995), and the judge's secretary Greta in Liar Liar (1997).^[1][2] Born Anne Ryan Thomas in Memphis, Tennessee, Haney studied drama, radio, and television at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she met her future husband, television director John Haney.^[2] They married in 1957 and had one daughter. Following Haney's death in 1980, she relocated to Los Angeles and began her professional acting career in her mid-40s.^[2] By the 1980s, Haney had built a prolific screen career in Los Angeles, appearing in approximately 50 films and television programs over two decades.^[2] Her television credits included guest spots on series such as L.A. Law, Designing Women, and The West Wing, as well as the role of Rishon Uxbridge in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Survivors" (1989).^[2][1] Haney's film work often featured her in authoritative or eccentric older women, contributing to her recognition as a versatile character performer in Hollywood.^[2] She passed away from congestive heart failure at her home in Studio City, Los Angeles, at the age of 67.^[2][1]

Early life

Birth and family background

Anne Haney was born Anne Ryan Thomas on March 4, 1934, in Memphis, Tennessee.^[2] She was the daughter of Robert Lee Thomas and Dorothy Margaret Ryan Thomas.^[3][4] The family resided at 3607 Cowden Avenue in midtown Memphis, where Haney spent her childhood.^[5]

Education and early interests

Haney, raised in Memphis, Tennessee, transitioned to a more structured academic environment upon enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the early 1950s. There, she studied drama, radio, and television, which ignited her early interest in the performing arts.^[6][7] During her university years, Haney engaged with the fundamentals of broadcasting and stage performance through her studies, laying the groundwork for her later career. It was also at Chapel Hill that she met John Haney, a fellow student who would become a public television executive; the two soon developed a romantic relationship.^[2][7] Upon completing her studies, Haney opted to focus on her impending marriage to John and starting a family rather than launching an acting career immediately, leading the couple to settle in Atlanta.^[2]

Career

Beginnings in acting

Following her studies in drama at the University of North Carolina, which provided foundational inspiration for her later career, Haney began pursuing acting in the 1970s while balancing family responsibilities, performing in local productions and commercials in the American South.^[2] The death of her husband, John Haney, from kidney disease in 1980 acted as the key catalyst, prompting the 46-year-old widow to renew her interest in acting and relocate to Los Angeles.^[2][8] In reflecting on the timing, Haney later quipped, "My husband died, my daughter went to college, the dog got fleas, and the maid quit, so I had to come to Hollywood."^[2] Her first professional steps in Los Angeles came in 1980, soon after which she secured an agent and appeared in local theater productions and television commercials, marking the start of her committed entry into the industry.^[5] From there, Haney took on small supporting roles, steadily building practical experience in the field.^[9]

Theater and stage work

Haney's initial forays into theater occurred in the 1970s, when she performed in local productions in the American South after studying drama at the University of North Carolina. She soon transitioned to a touring dinner theater company, taking on the role of the maid in Noël Coward's Fallen Angels for two years, which allowed her to hone her craft in character parts amid family responsibilities.^[2][8] Following her husband's death in 1980, Haney moved to Los Angeles with her daughter and dedicated herself more fully to the stage, joining the renowned Theatre West ensemble and participating in its regional performances. This period marked a renewed focus on live theater, where she excelled in supporting and lead roles that showcased her talent for portraying resilient, multifaceted women.^[2] A pivotal moment came in 1985 with her starring role as the salty-tongued widow Margaret Fielding in Jim Beaver's Verdigris, a Theatre West production set in 1970s Oklahoma. Haney's nuanced performance as a no-nonsense mentor to a young widow garnered widespread praise and contributed to the play's success, with the production receiving five Drama-Logue Critics Awards, including Best Play.^[2][10][11]

Television roles

Haney's television career commenced in the late 1970s with supporting roles in made-for-TV movies, marking her transition from stage work and commercials to on-screen appearances. Her debut came in 1978 as Mrs. Benn in the NBC television film Summer of My German Soldier, a drama based on Bette Greene's novel about antisemitism during World War II. This early work was followed by small parts in commercials and episodic series, building toward more prominent guest spots in the 1980s, where she showcased her ability to portray sharp, no-nonsense characters. Her theater background as preparation for on-screen timing proved invaluable in these initial forays into broadcast television. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Haney established herself as a versatile character actress with over 30 television credits, specializing in authoritative or eccentric women in guest and recurring capacities. A standout role was her portrayal of Rishon Uxbridge, a resilient widow facing alien invasion, in the 1989 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Survivors," which highlighted her dramatic range in science fiction. She also had a recurring role as Judge Marilyn Travelini on L.A. Law from 1986 to 1994, appearing in multiple episodes as a stern yet fair judicial figure amid the show's legal dramas. Additional notable guest appearances included Aunt Phoebe Stillfield, a meddlesome relative, in the 1989 Designing Women episode "Come on and Marry Me, Bill," contributing to the series' comedic ensemble dynamics. Haney's career peaked in the 1990s, when she leveraged her persona for a variety of memorable supporting turns in both episodic series and TV films, often embodying maternal or institutional authority with subtle humor. She recurred as the rival busybody Alberta Meechum on Mama's Family from 1986 to 1989, clashing with the Harper family in the sitcom's Southern gothic style. In TV movies, she played Ethel Brock, a protective grandmother, in the 1998 Lifetime drama Little Girl Fly Away, addressing child abuse themes. These roles, spanning genres from legal procedurals to family comedies, underscored her adaptability and contributed to her steady presence in prime-time television during this era.^[2]

Film roles

Haney made her film debut in the early 1980s with minor supporting roles, beginning with the part of Mrs. Myerson in the spy comedy Hopscotch (1980), opposite Walter Matthau.^[12] Her early film work was sporadic, featuring small appearances in films such as The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) as a waitress and Making Love (1982) as Lila, often in uncredited or brief capacities that highlighted her distinctive, high-pitched voice and expressive face. These initial roles built on her growing television presence, serving as a stepping stone to more substantial cinematic opportunities. Haney's film career accelerated in the 1990s, where she amassed approximately 20 credits, frequently portraying stern or quirky authority figures that became her signature as a character actress.^[2] Her breakthrough came with the role of Mrs. Sellner, the no-nonsense social worker overseeing the custody battle in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), a performance that showcased her ability to blend humor with bureaucratic rigidity and earned her wider recognition in Hollywood. This success led to key supporting parts, including the White House secretary Mrs. Chapil in The American President (1995), where she provided comic relief amid political intrigue; Greta, the exasperated legal secretary in Liar Liar (1997); Mrs. Eliza Chambers in Gus Van Sant's Psycho remake (1998); and Emma, a family friend in the romantic comedy Forces of Nature (1999). Throughout her filmography, Haney's contributions as a versatile supporting player added depth to ensemble casts in major productions, often embodying officious or eccentric older women that underscored the leads' journeys, cementing her status as a reliable Hollywood character actress until her final roles in the late 1990s.^[8]

Personal life

Marriage and family

Anne Haney married John Haney, a Georgia Public Television executive, on November 30, 1957, after meeting him while studying at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.^[6] The couple settled into family life, welcoming one daughter, Melissa Hacker, born in 1962.^[2] In the 1960s and 1970s, Haney embraced the role of a faculty wife in academia-adjacent circles, where her husband's work in public television intersected with educational institutions. She hosted social events for university and community groups, participated in volunteer service, and enjoyed playing bridge with friends. Reflecting on this period, Haney described it as, "I was a lovely faculty wife. We made ambrosia salad. We did good works. We played a lot of bridge."^[2] John Haney's death from kidney disease in 1980 left Anne a widow at age 46, significantly altering the family dynamic as she navigated life with her 18-year-old daughter.^[2]

Community involvement and later pursuits

During her marriage and time living in Atlanta as a faculty wife, Haney engaged in various good works and community activities alongside her family responsibilities.^[2] Her family life provided a foundation for these community ties, fostering a sense of involvement in local social efforts.^[2] A notable personal hobby during this period was playing bridge, which she enjoyed frequently with friends and family.^[2] Following her husband's death in 1980, Haney relocated to California and led a notably private personal life, with no records of public scandals or prominent romantic relationships in her later years.^[2] She continued to value quiet, introspective activities, maintaining a low public profile outside her professional commitments.^[6]

Death and legacy

Final years and death

In the final years of her career, Anne Haney remained active in film and television, with her last major roles including the elderly woman in the comedy The Out-of-Towners (1999) and appearances on series such as ER and NYPD Blue.^[2][13] Haney died on May 26, 2001, at the age of 67 from congestive heart failure at her home in Studio City, Los Angeles.^[2][13] A memorial service was held on June 8, 2001, at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, California, with burial arrangements kept private.^[2]

Posthumous recognition

Following her death in 2001, Anne Haney was honored through obituaries in prominent newspapers that celebrated her as a versatile character actress whose career flourished later in life. The Los Angeles Times described her as a "late-in-life character actress" who delivered memorable performances in films such as Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), where she played the stern family court supervisor Mrs. Sellner, and The American President (1995), as the president's loyal secretary, noting her appearances in approximately 50 motion pictures and television programs over two decades.^[2] Similarly, the Chicago Tribune praised her extensive body of work across more than 50 films and TV shows, emphasizing her ability to bring depth to supporting roles in productions like Liar Liar (1997).^[13] These mentions position her as an influential figure for subsequent generations of character actresses, who draw on her model of injecting warmth and wit into authoritative roles. In fan communities dedicated to science fiction television, Haney's guest appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine—particularly as the poignant Rishon Uxbridge in the 1989 episode "The Survivors"—continue to garner appreciation for her emotional range in ensemble storytelling.^[14] While she received no major industry awards during her lifetime, her legacy persists through such niche tributes and compilations of overlooked talents in Hollywood's supporting casts.

Filmography

Selected film credits

Anne Haney appeared in approximately 20 films over the course of her acting career. The following table presents a selected chronological list of 12 key theatrical film credits, highlighting her character names and brief roles (1-2 words describing function).^[1][9]

Selected television credits

Anne Haney amassed around 30 television appearances over her career, primarily consisting of guest spots and recurring roles in popular series and made-for-TV films. Her television work spanned from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, showcasing her versatility in character parts.^[1] The following is a selective chronological list of 18 notable credits:

• Cheers (1982) – Miss Gilder ("Endless Slumper," Season 1, Episode 10)^[20]
• The Golden Girls (1986) – Bonnie ("The Operation," Season 1, Episode 18)^[21]
• Newhart (1984) – Pearl Reskoff ("Vermont Today," Season 2, Episode 20)^[22]
• Family Ties (1985) – Aunt Trudy ("The Real Thing," Season 4, Episode 6)^[1]
• L.A. Law (1986–1994) – Judge Marilyn Travelini (recurring role, 12 episodes)^[1]
• Designing Women (1989) – Aunt Phoebe Stillfield (recurring in Season 3, Episodes 17-18)^[23]
• Mama's Family (1986–1989) – Aunt Fran (regular role, multiple episodes)^[1]
• Beauty and the Beast (1987) – Anna ("No Way Down," Season 1, Episode 3)^[1]
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – Rishon Uxbridge ("The Survivors," Season 3, Episode 5)^[1]
• Columbo (1990) – Mrs. Brill ("Columbo Cries Wolf," Season 10, Episode 1)^[1]
• Murder, She Wrote (1991) – Cora Felton ("The Fixer-Upper," Season 8, Episode 8)^[1]
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) – Opaka Sulan ("Emissary," Season 1, Episodes 1–2)^[1]
• Boy Meets World (1993) – Mrs. Franklin ("Cory's Alternative Friends," Season 1, Episode 9)^[1]
• ER (1994) – Mrs. Packer ("Sandgropers," Season 1, Episode 5)^[1]
• Ellen (1995) – Dorrie ("The Movie Show," Season 3, Episode 8)^[1]
• Dharma & Greg (1997) – Mrs. Kirby ("The First Thanksgiving," Season 1, Episode 10)^[1]
• Ally McBeal (1997) – Dr. Shirley Flannigan ("The Playing Field," Season 1, Episode 3)^[1]
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000) – Mary ("Ted and Mary," Season 1, Episode 2)^[1]