Frances Sternhagen

Frances Hussey Sternhagen, raised in Washington, D.C. and the great-granddaughter (on her father's side) of German immigrants, taught acting, singing, and dancing to young schoolchildren before beginning her own performance career with the Arena Stage Group. She went on to appear in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. She was nominated for a Tony Award seven times, winning twice—once for her performance in *The Good Doctor* and once for *The Heiress*. Other Broadway shows in which she appeared include *Equus*, *On Golden Pond*, *Angel*, and *You Can't Take It with You*. Off-Broadway, she appeared in the original production of *On Golden Pond* and delighted audiences with her portrayal of the title character in *Driving Miss Daisy*, a role she played for over two years. Her film debut was in *Up the Down Staircase* (1967), followed by roles in *Fedora* (1978), *Starting Over* (1979), *Outland* (1981), and *Communion* (1989). On television, she appeared on the long-running series *Cheers* (1982) as Esther Clavin, the mother of Cliff Clavin, played by John Ratzenberger. She also portrayed wealthy philanthropist Millicent Carter, the grandmother of John Carter (Noah Wyle), on *ER* (1994), and appeared in episodes of *Sex and the City* (1998) and *Becker* (1998).