In this country, it is generally assumed that mothers are egregiously under-appreciated. No one really knows how much good work they do and how tirelessly they do it—not the fathers of their children and certainly not the children themselves. No one but fellow mothers know the heartache, worry, sacrifice, and exhaustion they continuously grin and bear.
Stage actors fall into a similar category. They put in as much blood, sweat, and tears as their movie star counterparts, yet get none of the fame or fortune. They toil for years, crafting history-making performances, and then—when they take some small television role in order to qualify for union health insurance—viewers assume they’re just some bit-part actor who never really made it.
And so, with the Tonys on the horizon and Mother’s Day just behind us, I’m killing two birds with one stone. Here is a list of four wildly accomplished stage actresses who are, despite their glorious theatrical careers, most famous for their roles on Sex and the City. They also all played mothers on the show.
1. Big’s Mom. Big’s Mom, who appeared in only one episode and had all of two lines, was played by Marian Seldes, one of the greatest stage actresses of our time. She made her debut on Broadway in 1948 and has been nominated for five Tony Awards. In 2010, she was given a Special Lifetime Achievement Tony for her contributions to American Theatre.
2. Bunny MacDougal. Mother-in-Law MacDougal’s delivery is so spot-on because actress Frances Sternhagen has had over 60 years of experience. She did her first Broadway show in 1955, and has been nominated for seven Tony Awards, most recently in 2002 for Morning’s at Seven, which was running at the same time as SATC.
3. Bitsy Von Muffling. Remember Bitsy, the woman in her 50s who marries a gay cabaret singer (played by Nathan Lane) and then gets pregnant after seeing acupuncturist Dr. Mao? Bitsy was played by Julie Halston, a veteran of six Broadway productions and countless Off-Broadway and solo comedy shows. She has won two Drama Desk Awards for Best Featured Actress and four MAC Awards (which honor achievement in comedy and cabaret).
4. Miranda. Cynthia Nixon’s turn on SATC was a departure from a thriving theatrical career. In 1984, she famously starred in two Broadway shows at once—Hurlyburly and The Real Thing—running back and forth between theaters to make her entrances in time. She has been nominated for three Tony Awards, including one this year for her performance in Wit. The ceremony will be held on June 10th.
My mother (in turquoise). She played a Pick-a-Little Lady in the Belfast, ME production of "The Music Man."
Emily Sproch is a writer and a Sex and the City tour guide. Each Friday, she chronicles the fine line between reality and fiction in her column “Almost Carrie.”
