Estelle Harris (; April 22, 1928 – April 2, 2022) was an American actress and comedian, known for her exaggeratedly shrill voice. She was best known for her role as Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld. Her other roles included the voice of Mrs. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise, Muriel in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Mama Gunda in Tarzan II. During her career, Harris starred in various television commercials.
Early life and education Harris was born Estelle Nussbaum in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, New York on April 22, 1928, the younger of two daughters of Isaac ('Ira') and Anna Nussbaum, Polish-Jewish immigrants who owned a candy store and soda shop. In 1935, when Harris was seven years old, the family relocated to Tarentum, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Tarentum High School. For many years, her date of birth was mistakenly cited as April 4, 1928. The correct date was not revealed until after her death.
Career Harris began her career in amateur productions and in dinner theater before moving on to regional theaters and summer stock productions across the country.
After her children were grown, she found success on Madison Avenue, appearing in 25 national television commercials. In one commercial, she energetically sang the praises of Handi-Wrap II.
In 1977, Harris began her long format acting career in the film Looking Up about three generations of a working-class Jewish family in New York City. She became widely known for her supporting role as Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld. "She is the mother that everybody loves, even though she's a pain in the neck," Harris told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1998. Despite her iconic role, she was highly reclusive.
In Star Trek: Voyager, she appeared in the third-season episode "Sacred Ground", which aired on October 20, 1996. She played a small role as Bridget in Out to Sea (1997).
In Toy Story 2 (1999), she provided the voice of Mrs. Potato Head and would continue to reprise the role for the franchise. In 2005, she lent her voice to Mama Gunda in Tarzan II. In The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Harris had a recurring role as Muriel. In 2007, she appeared in Brad Paisley's music video for the song "Online." Harris reprised her role of Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 3 (2010) and Toy Story 4 (2019), the latter of which was her final film role. She portrayed Bertha Kristal, the mother of CBGB founder Hilly Kristal, in CBGB (2013).
Her other voice work included Lula in Dave the Barbarian, Mama Lipsky in Kim Possible, Thelma in The Proud Family, Mrs. Turtle in Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse, Death's mother in Family Guy, the Old Lady Bear in Brother Bear (2003), and Audrey in Home on the Range (2004). She also provided the voice of Marty's wife in the American Dad! episode "In Country...Club." She appeared in Promoted (2015) as Sylvia Silver.
She retired from acting in 2015, only briefly returning to reprise the role of Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 4 (2019), which was her final film role.
Personal life and death In 1952, after moving back to New York, Harris met window treatment salesman Sy Harris at a dance. They married six months later. They had two sons, Eric (b. 1957) and Glen (b. 1962), and a daughter Taryn (b. 1964). Eric is a social worker, Glen is a music promoter who doubled as his mother's unofficial manager, and Taryn is a former Nassau County police officer retired on disability. Harris also had three grandsons and one great-grandson. Once her children started school, Harris pursued acting roles, first in amateur productions, then dinner theatre and commercials.
On September 20, 2001, Sy and Estelle were in a traffic accident when their car blew a tire and flipped twice, but they managed to escape serious injuries. Sy Harris died on January 11, 2021, predeceasing his wife by one year.
On April 2, 2022, Harris died of natural causes at her home in Palm Desert, California, at the age of 93 twenty days before her 94th birthday.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes 1984 Once Upon a Time in America Thelma 1988 Stand and Deliver Jackie Harris 1992 This Is My Life Aunt Harriet1995 Perfect Alibi Aunt Dorothy The West Side Waltz Estelle 1997 Out to Sea Bridget1998 Chairman of the Board Ms. Dawn Krubavitch The Odd Couple II Peaches My Giant Aunt Pearl1999 Lost & Found Mrs. Donna Stubblefield Toy Story 2 Mrs. Potato Head Voice A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.2000 What's Cooking? Aunt Bea Dancing in September Sally Playing Mona Lisa Aunt Velva 2001 Good Advice Iris 2003 Brother Bear Old Lady Bear Voice2004 Home on the Range Audrey Teacher's Pet June Boogin 2005 Tarzan II Mama Gunda Voice, direct-to-video 2006 Queer Duck: The Movie Catherina Duckstein Voice 2007 The Grand Ruth Melvin 2010 Toy Story 3 Mrs. Potato Head Voice Movin' In Arlene Taylor 2011 Hawaiian Vacation Mrs. Potato Head Voice, short film Small Fry 2012 Partysaurus Rex 2013 CBGB Bertha Kristal 2015 Promoted Sylvia Silver 2019 Toy Story 4 Mrs. Potato Head Voice, final film role
Television Year(s)TitleRoleNotes 1985–1986 Night Court Easy Mary 3 episodes 1987 Married... with Children Delilah Episode: "Al Loses His Cherry" 1990 Mathnet Agnes Episode: "The Case of the Swami Scam" 1991 Brooklyn Bridge Esther Shapiro Episode: "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" 1992 Law & Order Mrs. Lynn Rachlin Episode: "Intolerance" Mad About You Mother Thelma Episode: "Sofa's Choice" 1992–1998 Seinfeld Estelle Costanza 27 episodes 1993 Good Advice Ronnie Cohen 5 episodes1995 Chicago Hope Thelma Johnson (uncredited) Episode: "Heartbreak" Aladdin Additional voices Episode: "While the City Snoozes" Timon & Pumbaa Timon's Mother Voice, episode: "Mombasa-In-Law" In the House Mrs. Claus Episode: "Christmas Story"1996 Night Stand with Dick Dietrick Mary the Real Mother Episode: "Dick Goes Home" The Mask: Animated Series Lt. Kellaway's Mother Voice, episode: "The Mother of All Hoods" The Tick Ruth Voice, episode: "The Tick vs. Dot and Neil's Wedding" Star Trek: Voyager Old Woman Episode: "Sacred Ground"1997 Moesha Frances Howie Episode: "Break a Leg" Living Single Esther Brooks Episode: "Back in the Day" Cybill Woman Episode: "From Boca, with Love"1998 Addams Family Reunion Great-grandmother Delilah Addams Television film Hercules Phil's Mother Voice, episode: "Hercules and the King for a Day" The Wild Thornberrys Iguana/Turtle Voice, episode: "Eliza-cology" Godzilla: The Series Old Lady/Receptionist Voice, episode: "What Dreams May Come" The Rosie O'Donnell Show Herself1999 The Brothers Flub Additional voices 16 episodes Sunset Beach Margaret Raynor 3 episodes The Parkers Miss Agnes Episode: "Scammed Straight" 1999–2000 Mickey Mouse Works Mrs. Tammy Turtle Voice, 4 episodes2000 Providence Darlene Episode: "Syd in Wonderland" 72nd Academy Awards Mrs. Potato Head Voice, television special Queer Duck Mrs. Catherina Duckstein Voice, 5 episodes2001 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Dora Episode: "Sabrina, the Muse" The Kids from Room 402 Aunt Cookie Voice, episode: "Uncle Bonehead" Family Guy Death's Mother Voice, episode: "Death Lives"2002 House of Mouse Mrs. Tammy Turtle Voice, 4 episodes Weakest Link Herself 1 episode Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck2003 Half & Half Grandma Sophie Episode: "The Big Phat Mouth Episode: Part 2" Regular Joe Aunt Mickie Episode: "Boobysitting" The Proud Family Helga Voice, episode: "Thelma and Luis" Test the Nation Herself 1 episode2004 Kim Possible Mama Lipsky Voice, 3 episodesAs Told by GingerMyrnaVoice, episode: "The Wedding Frame" Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo Herself 2004–2005 Dave the Barbarian Lula Voice, 21 episodes2005 Tripping the Rift Estelle Voice, episode: "Roswell" Phil of the Future Older Pim Episode: "Maybe-Sitting" 2005–2008 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Muriel 14 episodes2006 Mind of Mencia Herself 1 episode ER Dawn Markovic Episode: "Bloodline"2007 iCarly Lydia Halberstadt Episode: "iScream on Halloween" The Emperor's New School Irma Mudka Voice, episode: "Mudka's Secret Recipe" Case Closed Madame Television film 2008 Can You Teach My Alligator Manners? Nana Voice, episode: "Nana's Visit"2009 American Dad! Marty's Wife Voice, episode: "In Country... Club" Curb Your Enthusiasm Estelle Costanza / Herself Episode: "The Table Read" 2009–2010 Made in Hollywood Herself 2 episodes 2009–2014 Fanboy & Chum Chum Oz's Mother Voice, 11 episodes2010 Sonny with a Chance Grace Gallagher Episode: "Random Acts of Disrespect" The Bonnie Hunt Show Herself 1 episode KTLA Morning News Totally Tracked Down 2011 The Looney Tunes Show Sylvester's Mother Voice, episode: "Point, Laser Point" 2012 Futurama Velma Farnsworth Voice, episode: "Near-Death Wish" 2013 The Exes Mother Episode: "Zero Dark Forties" 2014–2015 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Peg-Leg Peg Voice, 3 episodes
Video game YearTitleVoiceNotes1999Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the RescueMrs. Potato HeadFilm Cutscene Footage
Theatre YearTitleRoleNotes 1976, 1979 Funny Girl Mrs. Strakosh Dayton Memorial Hall 1977 Fiddler on the Roof Yente 1979 Funny Girl Mrs. Strakosh An Evening Dinner Theatre 1982–1983 The Desert Song Susan Darien Dinner Theatre 1995 Annie Warbucks Commissioner Harriet Doyle Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts
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