Sylvia Sidney (born Sophia Kosow; August 8, 1910 – July 1, 1999) was an American actress from the Bronx, with a career spanning over 70 years.
She first rose to prominence in dozens of leading roles in the 1930s, generally as a long-suffering heroine who has to overcome adversity. In later years, she focused more on character roles and stage acting, even getting a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams in 1973. At age 78, she made a memorable appearance in Tim Burton's film Beetlejuice as "afterlife caseworker" Juno, a role that earned her a Supporting Actress Saturn Award. Burton cast her again in Mars Attacks! eight years later.
Her extensive television work included playing Mama Carlson in the pilot episode of WKRP in Cincinnati, a role taken by Carol Bruce in the series proper. She was also an avid needlepoint enthusiast, and wrote two books on the subject.
Films with pages on TV Tropes:
- An American Tragedy (1931) as Roberta Alden
- Street Scene (1931) as Rose Maurrant
- Madame Butterfly (1932) as Cho-Cho San
- Merrily We Go to Hell (1932) as Joan Prentice
- Fury (1936) as Katherine Grant
- Sabotage (1936) as Mrs. Verloc
- Dead End (1937) as Drina Gordon
- Les Misérables (1952) as Fantine
- Violent Saturday (1955) as Elsie Braden
- God Told Me To (1976) as Elizabeth Mullen
- I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977) as Miss Coral
- Damien: Omen II (1978) as Aunt Marion
- The Shadow Box (1980) as Felicity
- Hammett (1982) as Donaldina Cameron
- Beetlejuice (1988) as Juno
- Mars Attacks! (1996) as Grandma Florence Norris
