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TV Actress Liz Sheridan of 'Seinfeld' and 'ALF' Fame Dies at 93

TV Actress Liz Sheridan of 'Seinfeld' and 'ALF' Fame Dies at 93
Actors Barney Martin and Liz Sheridan, best known as the parents of Jerry Seinfeld from the "Seinfeld" sitcom, appearing in a television commercial for Denny's. (Getty Images)

By    |   Friday, 15 April 2022 05:08 PM EDT

Liz Sheridan, the actress who famously played Jerry Seinfeld's mother Helen on "Seinfeld" and also dated iconic actor James Dean during the 1950s, has died at the age of 93.

Sheridan's death, which reportedly occurred Friday morning, came just five days after her birthday.

And in a bit of irony, Sheridan's death comes 13 days after Estelle Harris — George Costanza's mom on "Seinfeld" — also passed away at age 93.

With the deaths of Sheridan and Harris, all four TV parents of "George" and "Jerry" — including Barney Martin ("Morty Seinfeld") and Jerry Stiller ("Frank Costanza") — have now passed on.

Sheridan's time on "Seinfeld" represented a milestone accomplishment, since she was the only outsider — minus the Jerry Seinfeld-Jason Alexander-Michael Richards-Julia Louis-Dreyfus starring quartet — to appear in all nine seasons of the show (1989-98).

The "Seinfeld" series finale drew nearly 80 million viewers on May 14, 1998.

Before "Seinfeld" fame, Sheridan was a regular character on NBC's "ALF," the groundbreaking 1980s show about an alien (from the planet Melmac) that takes up residence with a protective family.

Sheridan played "Mrs. Ochmonek," the TV-typical nosy neighbor who always suspected something afoul about ALF's existence.

Sheridan was also an accomplished Broadway actress, appearing in 12 productions, including "Happy End" with Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep. 

Coincidentally, Streep's name was central to a "Seinfeld" plot from Season 5 ("The Mango"), where Jerry accused Elaine of faking her romantic performances when the TV couple briefly dated (predating the run of the show, minus one episode).

According to reports, Sheridan, a go-go dancer in the 1950s, also capitalized on her love of dancing and "Seinfeld" prominence to perform in a one-woman show, entitled "Mrs. Seinfeld Sings."

Sheridan's dancing ability also helped her meet James Dean in the 1950s, prior to the actor starring in "East of Eden" (1955) and "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955) — earning "Best Actor" Oscar nominations for both films.

Sheridan discussed her relationship with Dean while narrating a short documentary, entitled "James Dean and Dizzy Sheridan: Their Love Story."

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Liz Sheridan, the actress who famously played Jerry Seinfeld's mother Helen on "Seinfeld," and also dated iconic actor James Dean during the 1950s, has died at the age of 93.
liz sheridan, seinfeld, alf, television
336
2022-08-15
Friday, 15 April 2022 05:08 PM
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