Frances Sternhagen dies at 93; award-winning actress had roles in TV’s ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Cheers’
Frances Sternhagen, a veteran stage and screen performer known for her work in films like “Misery” and on the TV series “Cheers” and “Sex and the City,” has died, a representative for Sternhagen told CNN on Wednesday.
She was 93. Sarah Fargo, a representative for Sternhagen, sent a statement from the late actor’s family:
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear mother, actress Frances Sternhagen, died peacefully of natural causes in New Rochelle, NY, on November 27th, 2023 at the age of 93. She is survived by her 6 children, 9 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. A celebration of her remarkable career and life is planned for mid January, near her 94th birthday. We continue to be inspired by her love and life.”
Sternhagen’s son John Carlin shared a tribute on his Instagram page Wednesday, saying his mother “was beloved by many. I’m very lucky I was able to call her my mom, my friend, my song and dance partner.”
A celebrated stage and screen actress, Sternhagen’s career spans nearly seven decades. In addition to her work in “Misery,” Sternhagen appeared in additional Stephen King adaptations, including the chilling 2007 movie “The Mist” co-starring Thomas Jane.
Sternhagen’s other notable film appearances included “Outland,” “Raising Cain” and “Julie & Julia.”
Her most lasting impression came through her television work.
Sternhagen was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for the role, which was her third – she was also nominated twice in the early 1990s for playing Cliff Clavin’s mother, Esther, on “Cheers.”
She also had a recurring role on “Sex and the City” where she played Bunny MacDougal, the entitled and extremely overbearing mother to Trey, Charlotte’s first husband. (“Sex and the City” is an HBO production. HBO and CNN are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.)
In addition to her work on screen, Sternhagen was a decorated stage performer.
She began her career as a performer by teaching acting, singing and dancing at the Milton Academy in Massachusetts, according to a Broadway World biography.
She went on to make her Broadway debut in 1955 playing Miss T. Muse in the stage play “The Skin of Our Teeth.”
Sternhagen appeared in many award-winning plays throughout the ’70s, including Neil Simon’s “The Good Doctor,” “Equus,” “On Golden Pond” and “Angel,” among others.
She earned seven total Tony Award nominations and won three, and earned a best actress Drama Desk nomination for her performance in the 1998 adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” in which she starred alongside her son Carlin.
“We were together last week, and we spoke Monday afternoon, said how much we loved and missed one another,” Carlin wrote on his Instagram Wednesday. “She always encouraged my writing, and enjoyed my singing.”
“Fly on, Frannie. The curtain goes down on a life so richly, passionately, humbly and generously lived,” he added.