Estelle Harris

Estelle Harris, who died Saturday at 93, played Estelle Costanza, George's blaring mother on “Seinfeld,” for six seasons, from 1992 to 1998. When the audience ...

Serenity now and always.” When the audience spotted her signature red globe of carefully coiffed hair, hilarity was not far behind. “The joy of playing with her and relishing her glorious laughter was a treat,” Alexander said. In 2020, Alexander lost another “Seinfeld” co-star, Jerry Stiller, who played his father, Frank Costanza, husband to Estelle. Stiller was 92, and also died of natural causes. Harris, who had a long line of TV and film credits, including the role of Mrs. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” movies, was born Estelle Nussbaum in New York. She died of natural causes in Palm Desert, California. To legions of “Seinfeld” fans, she was the ear-piercing sound that filled George Costanza with dread.

Harris hollered her way into TV history as George Costanza's short-fused mother on "Seinfeld" and voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" franchise.

You may click on “Your Choices” below to learn about and use cookie management tools to limit use of cookies when you visit NPR’s sites. If you click “Agree and Continue” below, you acknowledge that your cookie choices in those tools will be respected and that you otherwise agree to the use of cookies on NPR’s sites. NPR’s sites use cookies, similar tracking and storage technologies, and information about the device you use to access our sites (together, “cookies”) to enhance your viewing, listening and user experience, personalize content, personalize messages from NPR’s sponsors, provide social media features, and analyze NPR’s traffic.

Actress Estelle Harris has died at the age of 93 of natural causes. “It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed ...

Serenity now and always. One of my favorite people has passed – my tv mama, Estelle Harris. The joy of playing with her and relishing her glorious laughter was a treat. “One of my favorite people has passed – my tv mama, Estelle Harris,” he wrote on Twitter. “The joy of playing with her and relishing her glorious laughter was a treat.

Best known as George Costanza's mother on "Seinfeld," she also voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" movies.

She started tapping her comedic talents in high school productions, where she realized she “could make the audience get hysterical,” as she told People magazine in 1995.After the nine-season run of “Seinfeld” ended in 1998, Ms. Harris continued to appear on stage and screen. “I just go with what I got, and she goes back at me the same way.”Still, Ms. Harris saw a sympathetic undertone to her character, often saying Estelle fumed out frustration at her bumbling mate and scheming slacker of a son.Viewers, she told an interviewer in 1998, “just look at her as being funny, cute and a loudmouth. Estelle Harris, who played cranky mother on ‘Seinfeld,’ dies at 93Estelle Harris, best known for her role as George Costanza's mother in “Seinfeld,” also voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” films. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Estelle Harris, who hollered her way into TV history as George Costanza’s short-fused mother on “Seinfeld” and voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” franchise, died April 2 in Palm Desert, Calif. She was 93. Born April 22, 1928, in New York City as Estelle Nussbaum, Ms. Harris grew up in the city and later in the Pittsburgh suburb of Tarentum, Pa., where her father owned a candy store. With her high-pitched voice and humorously overbearing attitude, she was an archetype of maternal indignation.Trading insults and absurdities with her on-screen husband, played by Jerry Stiller, Ms. Harris helped create a parental pair that would leave even a psychiatrist helpless to do anything but hope they’d move to Florida — as their son, played by Jason Alexander, fruitlessly encouraged them to do.Jerry Stiller, comedian who played crotchety Frank Costanza on ‘Seinfeld,’ dies at 92Viewers of all backgrounds would tell her she was just like their own mothers, Ms. Harris often said.“She is the mother that everybody loves, even though she’s a pain in the neck,” she told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1998.The career-defining role came after decades on stage and screen.

Estelle Harris, best known for her role as Estelle Costanza on 'Seinfeld,' has died at the age of 93 — read her obituary.

She appeared in a total of 27 episodes and became beloved for her character’s constant screaming at her family and hilariously overbearing nature. Other voice work included Kim Possible, Dave the Barbarian, Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse. She also voiced one-off characters on Family Guy, American Dad! and Futurama. In 1992, she began her most famous role as George Costanza’s mom on the hit sitcom Seinfeld, first appearing in the Season 4 episode “The Contest” and recurring on the series through the end of its run.

Estelle Harris, the actress known for playing Mrs. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" franchise and George Costanza's mom on "Seinfeld," has died at 93.

On Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," she played apathetic hotel housekeeper Muriel, whose catchphrase was "I'm not cleaning that up." "In the last year or two, all of a sudden these youngsters recognize me as Mrs. Costanza, Estelle Costanza," Harris told The Canadian Press in 2012. We all have to face death, so the easier we can make it for one another the better." I think 'Seinfeld,' because of the writing and the right cast, will go on for years and years." The actress' son Glen Harris told Deadline and Forbes she died Saturday evening. With a nasally, high-pitched voice that was instantly recognizable, Harris had more than 100 acting credits across her 45-year film and TV career.

Estelle Harris, who played George Costanza's mother Estelle on 'Seinfeld,' died today, aged 93.

One of my favorite people has passed – my tv mama, Estelle Harris. The joy of playing with her and relishing her glorious laughter was a treat. Boasting comedic gifts and a unique voice, Harris was at one point known on Madison Avenue as the “Queen of Commercials,” having been known to book as many as 25 national TV spots in a single year. Harris is also known for voicing Mrs. Potato Head in three installments of Pixar’s Toy Story franchise (2, 3 and 4) and a number of additional shorts.

Estelle Harris, known as George Costanza's mom on Seinfeld, also voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise.

Living on Long Island with her husband, Sy Harris, she raised three children before determining to make a living as an actor. (She said she once did 27 national commercials in one year alone.) Having never watched the show before her tryout, Harris first appeared as Mrs. Costanza on the infamous fourth-season Seinfeld episode “The Contest.” She ends up in the hospital after catching George masturbating, which leads the four main characters to make a bet as to who can go without the longest. Though she held a lifelong interest in performing, Harris did not begin her professional career until later in life, making her screen debut in a small role in Looking Up (1977) when she was approaching 50. (She noted that the character was named Estelle before she auditioned.) I mean, she had everything bad!

Estelle Harris, the actress known for playing George Costanza's mother on "Seinfeld," died Saturday, her agent told CNN. She was 93.

She later found success on Madison Avenue as she appeared in as many as 25 national television commercials in a single year, earning her the nickname "Queen of Commercials," the statement said.Harris voiced the role of Mrs. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" franchise as well as other animated characters, including in "Tarzan II," "Brother Bear," and "Teacher's Pet.""She always adored meeting and greeting children of all ages everywhere she went -- and of course making them laugh. Estelle Harris, known for role on 'Seinfeld,' has died at 93 Estelle Harris, the actress known for playing George Costanza's mother on "Seinfeld," died Saturday, her agent told CNN. She was 93. She married and had three children after moving back to New York. Harris began acting in community theaters before moving on to regional theaters and summer stock productions across the country.

Estelle Harris has died due to natural causes in Palm Desert, Calif., PEOPLE confirms. She was 93. The actress' family announced her death in a statement to ...

"It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25 p.m.," her son Glen Harris shared. Harris was famous for playing Jason Alexander's character's mother Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld, as well as Mrs. Potato Head in the latter three Toy Story films. Estelle Harris most recently reprised her role of Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 4 in 2019 Estelle Harris has died due to natural causes in Palm Desert, Calif., PEOPLE confirms.

As middle-class matron Estelle Costanza, Harris put a memorable stamp on her recurring role in the smash 1990s sitcom. With her high-pitched voice and ...

“Estelle is a born performer,” Stiller told The Record of Bergen County, N. J., in 1998. After the nine-season run of “Seinfeld” ended in 1998, Harris continued to appear on stage and screen. She started tapping her comedic talents in high school productions where she realized she “could make the audience get hysterical,” as she told People magazine in 1995. I play her with misery underneath.” But it’s not how I play her. The career-defining role came after decades on stage and screen.

Harris was best known for her distinctive voice and comedic timing, forever cemented by her role as the mother of George (Jason Alexander) in “Seinfeld,” where ...

She also had a robust voice career, anchored by her work as Mrs. Potato Head in the second, third and fourth chapters of the “Toy Story” series. Her foil was Jerry Stiller, who played Frank Costanza, and the three characters engaged in countless scenes of lovable bickering. Channelling the verve of her “Seinfeld” role, she had a loving and nagging relationship with Mr. Potato Head, perfectly voiced by Don Rickles. From there, she popped up in many animated projects large and small, including films such as “Brother Bear” (2003) and “Tarzan II” (2005) and series like “Hercules,” “The Wild Thornberrys” and “Godzilla: The Series” (all from 1998).

'Seinfeld' actress Estelle Harris died weeks before her 94th birthday, her son confirmed Saturday.

She began her acting career in dinner theater before ascending to film and TV in supporting roles beginning in the mid 1980s. “I don’t like any of these holidays,” the famous TV mom said. He would probably do it the wrong way – he’d be breaking the dishes, inviting the wrong people, ruining everything.”

Employing a high-powered screech, she took maternal exasperation and paranoia to comedic heights as one of the show's most frequently recurring characters.

Her comedic style summoned paranoia and outrage in response to transgressions like her son continuing to wear the same button-down shirt five years after he bought it. During her character’s meltdowns, often in response to slights and offenses to propriety, Ms. Harris deployed a screech that had the urgency of a hyena in its death throes. Her son Glen Harris announced the death in a statement sent by Ms. Harris’s agent.