Margaret Virginia "Bibi" Osterwald (February 3, 1920 – January 2, 2002) was an American actress.
Life and career
Osterwald was born in
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. the daughter of Dagmar (Kvastad) and Rudolf August Osterwald, a hotel owner.''An Interview With Bibi Osterwald'', Skip E. Lowe, 1992
As a student, Osterwald appeared in the Catholic University semi-pro revue in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, in August 1942. She gained acting experience in five years of work in
summer stock theatre
In American theater, summer-stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock the ...
in
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...
. She starred in ''Ten Nights in a Barroom'' at the
Willard Hotel
The Willard InterContinental Washington, commonly known as the Willard Hotel, is a historic luxury Beaux-Arts hotel located at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Downtown Washington, D.C. It is currently a member oHistoric Hotels of America the offi ...
for 8 weeks starting in mid-August 1943. She then pursued a career on the New York stage. The Central Opera House YC seating 2000, introduced Osterwald leading in ''Broken Hearts of Broadway'' in June 1944. "Miss Osterwald is on Broadway as one of the outstanding participants in 'Sing Out, Sweet Land.' What is more, next to stars Alfred Drake and Burl Ives, she has received the loudest praise of those critics who saw the play out of town. Its road tour Included Hartford, Boston and Philadelphia." -December 28, 1944.
Osterwald went on to appear in such Broadway shows as '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'', ''
Bus Stop
A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...
in 1953.
Starting in the late 1940s, Osterwald began appearing on television, continuing to do so through the end of 2001. She was best known for her television role of Stella O'Brien, the cranky housekeeper for the Hathaway family on the soap opera, '' Where the Heart Is'' in the 1970s and also as Mrs. Sophie Steinberg, the mother of
David Birney
David Edwin Birney (April 23, 1939 – April 27, 2022) was an American actor and director whose career included performances in both contemporary and classical roles in theatre, film, and television. He is noted for having played the title role ...
and mother-in-law of
Meredith Baxter
Meredith Ann Baxter (born June 21, 1947) is an American actress and Film producer, producer. She is known for her roles on the CBS sitcom ''Bridget Loves Bernie'' (1972–73), American Broadcasting Company, ABC drama series ''Family (1976 TV ser ...
on the comedy series, ''
Bridget Loves Bernie
''Bridget Loves Bernie'' is an American sitcom created by Bernard Slade. Depicting an interfaith marriage between a Catholic woman and a Jewish man, ''Bridget Loves Bernie'' was based loosely on the premise of the 1920s Broadway play and 1940s r ...
''. In 1982, she originated the role of Nanny McTavish, Holly Sutton's long-time confidante, on ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
''. Her other roles included Mrs. Nakamura on ''The Absent-Minded Professor'' (1988). She was also a regular on ''The S.S. Holiday'' (1950), '' The Imogene Coca Show'' (1954), ''Captain Billy's Showboat'' (1948) and ''
Front Row Center
''Front Row Center'' is an American variety show that aired on the DuMont Television Network Sundays at 7pm ET from March 25, 1949, to April 2, 1950.
The show was originally 30 minutes then expanded to 60 minutes. This was one of several DuMont n ...
'' (1949).
In the years just prior to her death in 2002, she was a voice actress for the cartoon series ''
Rugrats
''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, ...
''. She also appeared in several films, including '' Parrish'' (1961), ''
The World of Henry Orient
''The World of Henry Orient'' is a 1964 American comedy film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Peter Sellers, Paula Prentiss, Angela Lansbury, Tippy Walker, Merrie Spaeth, Phyllis Thaxter, Bibi Osterwald and Tom Bosley. It is based o ...
'' (1964) (in which she had the role of Erica "Boothy" Booth), ''
A Fine Madness
''A Fine Madness'' is a 1966 American Technicolor comedy film based on the 1964 novel by Elliott Baker that tells the story of Samson Shillitoe, a frustrated poet unable to finish a grand tome. It stars Sean Connery (in the midst of his James Bo ...
'' (1966), ''
Bank Shot
''Bank Shot'' is a 1974 heist film directed by Gower Champion and written by Wendell Mayes. It was loosely based upon Donald E. Westlake's 1972 novel of the same name, which was the second book of his " Dortmunder" series. The film stars Geor ...
'' (1974), ''
Caddyshack II
''Caddyshack II'' is a 1988 American sports comedy film and a sequel to the 1980 film ''Caddyshack''. Directed by Allan Arkush and written by Harold Ramis (who co-wrote and directed the original ''Caddyshack'') and PJ Torokvei, it stars Jackie ...
'' (1988) and ''
As Good as It Gets
''As Good as It Gets'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by James L. Brooks, who co-wrote it with Mark Andrus. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, bigoted, and obsessive–compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt ...
'' (1997).
Outside of acting, she was a frequent participant on the Ben Bagley's Revisited series of famous pop composers including albums of rarities by Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart Vol.2 and Frank Loesser. Osterwald was a practicing
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and a registered
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
.
On January 2, 2002, Osterwald died of a lung ailment in
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...