Frances Bay
ActingAlso Known As
Frances Evelyn Bay , Frances Evelyn Goffman
Biography
Frances Evelyn Bay (née Goffman; January 23, 1919 – September 15, 2011) was a Canadian-American character actress known for playing a variety of quirky elderly women on film and television. In a career that spanned 35 years, she acted in a variety of roles both in film and television. After initial success in radio and stage plays, she became "The Girlfriend to the Canadian Forces" on CBC Radio during World War II, boosting troops' spirits. Marriage and a move to the U.S. led to a hiatus, during which she studied acting with Uta Hagen in New York. Returning to acting at 60, Bay featured in Foul Play and gained recognition in various TV shows like Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, and films such as The Wedding Planner and Twins. Her versatile career spanned over 50 films and numerous TV series, earning her awards and nominations. Notably, she appeared in the final episodes of sitcoms Seinfeld, Who’s the Boss?, and Happy Days. Bay was inducted in Canada's Walk of Fame in 2008.
Movies
(64 total)
The Karate Kid
as Lady with Dog
Blue Velvet
as Aunt Barbara
Happy Gilmore
as Grandma
Twins
as Mother Superior
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
as Mrs. Tremond (Chalfont)
Wild at Heart
as Madam
In the Mouth of Madness
as Mrs. Pickman
The Wedding Planner
as Dottie
The Karate Kid Part III
as Mrs. Milo
Arachnophobia
as Evelyn Metcalf
Inspector Gadget
as Thelma
Single White Female
as Elderly Neighbor
The Grifters
as Arizona Motel Clerk
Critters 3
as Mrs. Menges
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
as Mrs. Tremond (Chalfont)
Foul Play
as Mrs. Russel
Edmond
as Fortune Teller
Private School
as Birdie Fallmouth
Big Top Pee-wee
as Mrs. Haynes
The Pit and the Pendulum
as Esmeralda
TV Shows
(52 total)
The X-Files
as Dorothy
Twin Peaks
as Mrs. Tremond
Charmed
as Old Phoebe
Seinfeld
as Mabel Choate
ALF
as Louise Beaumont
Tales from the Crypt
as Witch
ER
as Georgia
Quantum Leap
as Millie Reynolds
The Middle
as Aunt Ginny
Hannah Montana
as Cathy
Cheers
as Mrs. Brubaker
Murder, She Wrote
as Sarah McCoy
The Golden Girls
as Claire
Happy Days
as Grandma Nussbaum
Family Ties
as Mrs. Florence Menlo
Amazing Stories
as Mrs Claus
Remington Steele
as Mother Trust
Alien Nation
as Mrs. Gillirue