Priscilla Alden Morrill (June 4, 1927 – November 9, 1994) was an American actress who appeared twice in Mork & Mindy in two different roles over the course of Seasons 2 & 3.
Biography[]
Born June 4, 1927, and raised in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. Morrill attended the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh.
She was married to Paul Bryson up until her death.
She died, November 9, 1994, of complications of a kidney infection at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 67. She was cremated and her ashes scattered at sea.
Career[]
Priscilla Morrill enjoyed a 30-year career in television, and was perhaps best known for playing Edie Grant, wife of Lou Grant, on the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1973 and 1975.
She made her stage debut with the Brattle Theater Company in Cambridge, Mass., in "Julius Caesar," with John Carradine, and first appeared on Broadway in the company's revival of "The Relapse," with Cyril Ritchard. She later appeared Off Broadway in "The Duchess of Malfi," "Love's Labour's Lost" and "A Touch of the Poet."
Morrill's first television performance was on the Outer Limits episode "The Man with the Power" in 1963. She went on to guest star on numerous television series, such as Barnaby Jones in the episode titled, and television movies. Morrill had recurring roles on Family, Bret Maverick, Santa Barbara, and Newhart.
In addition to guest-starring roles, she also co-starred in two short-lived series: In the Beginning starring McLean Stevenson, and Baby Makes Five starring Peter Scolari. Morrill made a guest appearance in MacGyver, in the season two episode "D.O.A.: MacGyver" as Helen Wilson.
She made her last onscreen appearance on an episode of Coach in 1992.
Selected Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Outer Limits | Vera Finley | Episode: "The Man With the Power" |
| 1966 | The F.B.I. | Ann King | 1 episode |
| 1967 | Felony Squad | Liz McCready | 1 episode |
| 1968 | The Wild Wild West | Phalah | Episode: "The Night of the Undead" |
| 1968 | Mannix | Janet Paulson | Season 2 Episode 07: "Edge of the Knife" |
| 1973-75 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Edie Grant | 5 episodes |
| 1975 | Kolchak: The Night Stalker | Griselda | Episode: "The Trevi Collection" |
| 1976-77 | Family | Elaine Hogan | 8 episodes |
| 1977 | Father Knows Best(reunion) | Louise | Episode: "Home for Christmas" |
| 1977 | Three's Company | Mrs. Snow | Episode: "And Mother Makes Four" |
| 1977 | The Jeffersons | Mrs. Fletcher | Episode: "The Costume Party" |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Ida Snead | Episode: "Taking Sides/A Friendly Little Game/Going by the Book" |
| 1979 | Welcome Back, Kotter | Mrs. Gladstone Trevors-Smythe | Episode: "The Breadwinners" |
| 1980-1981 | Mork & Mindy | Miss Kalinowski
Mrs Fowler |
Little Orphan Morkie
Dueling Skates |
| 1981 | It's a Living | Dean Pressman | Episode: "Making the Grade" |
| 1982 | One Day at a Time | Grandma Cooper | Episode: "Gift Horses" |
| 1982-84 | Family Ties | Kate Donnelly | 2 episodes |
| 1983 | The Powers of Matthew Star | Mrs. Aldridge | Episode: "Starr Knight" |
| 1984 | St. Elsewhere | Sister Teresa | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Margaret Brock | Episode: "Spiderweb" |
| 1985 | Three's a Crowd | Judge Hancock | Episode: "September Song" |
| 1985-86 | Santa Barbara | Mother Isabel | 16 episodes |
| 1985-89 | Newhart | Marian "Mary" Vanderkellen | 7 episodes |
| 1986 | The Golden Girls | Lucille Beatty | Episode: "In a Bed of Rose's" |
| 1987 | MacGyver | Helen Wilson | Episode: "D. O. A.: MacGyver" |
| 1989 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Miss Gordon | Episode: "Shivers" |
| 1989-92 | Coach | Mrs. Rizzendough | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Blossom | Mrs. Whiting | Episode: "School Daze" |
Mork & Mindy[]
Patricia Morrill appeared twice in the show:
In Season 2s Little Orphan Morkie as Miss Kalinowski, the woman in charge of adjudicating on Exidor's application to adopt Mork in a plan to keep them in country who is moved by Exidor's unexpectedly eloquent plea for paternal love at any age.
In Season 3's Dueling Skates as Mrs Fowler, Mork's boss and the manager of the Pine Tree Day Care Center, who informs Mork & Mindy of the peril the Center is in from Paul Simpson and his son 'Wheels'. Mrs Fowler is also referenced again later in the Season in Mindy & Mork