Priscilla Alden Morrill (June 4, 1927 – November 9, 1994) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

actress. She is best known for playing Edie Grant on the sitcom ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moor ...

'' in 1973 and 1975.

Career

Born and raised in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, Morrill attended the Carnegie Institute before making her stage debut opposite John Carradine in ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

''. She made her Broadway debut in '' The Relapse'' with

Cyril Ritchard Cyril Joseph Trimnell-Ritchard (1 December 1898 – 18 December 1977), known professionally as Cyril Ritchard, was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook in ...

. Morrill's first television performance was on the '' Outer Limits'' episode "

The Man with the Power "The Man with the Power" is an episode of the original '' The Outer Limits'' television show. It first aired on 7 October 1963, during the first season. Introduction An experiment endows a college professor with powerful telekinetic Psychok ...

" in 1963. She was a frequent guest star on numerous television series and in television movies. Morrill had recurring roles on ''

Family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

'', '' Bret Maverick'', '' Santa Barbara'', “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and '' Newhart''. Jean Stapleton stated in an interview for the ''

Archive of American Television The Interviews: An Oral History of Television (formerly titled the Archive of American Television) is a project of the nonprofit Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, that records interviews with notable ...

'' that Morrill was the stand-in for her in the ninth-season episode of '' All in the Family'', "A Girl Like Edith", in which Stapleton had a dual role. In addition to guest-starring roles, she also co-starred in two short-lived series: '' In the Beginning'' starring

McLean Stevenson Edgar "Mac" McLean Stevenson Jr. (November 14, 1927 – February 15, 1996) was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake in the television series ''M*A*S*H'', which earned him a Golden Glob ...

, and ''

Baby Makes Five ''Baby Makes Five'' is an American sitcom television series starring Peter Scolari. The series premiered April 1, 1983 on ABC. Plot Eddie (Scolari)is an accountant who married to Jennie (Louise Williams) and the father of three children, with twin ...

'' starring

Peter Scolari Peter Thomas Scolari (September 12, 1955 – October 22, 2021) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Michael Harris on ''Newhart'' (1984–1990), Henry Desmond on ''Bosom Buddies'' (1980–1982) and Wayne Szalinski on ''Hone ...

. Morrill made a guest appearance in '' MacGyver'', in the season two episode "D.O.A.: MacGyver" as Helen Wilson. She made her final onscreen appearance on an episode of ''

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'' in 1992.

Death

On November 9, 1994, Morrill died of complications of a kidney infection at

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

at the age of 67. She was survived by her husband, Paul Bryson, to whom she had been married since 1954. The union was childless. The couple had lived in Port Hueneme, California. She was

cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...

and her ashes scattered at sea.

Selected filmography

References

External links

* * * 1927 births 1994 deaths American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Actresses from Boston Deaths from kidney disease Infectious disease deaths in California 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers {{US-screen-actor-1920s-stub