Renée Adorée Taylor (née Wexler; born March 19, 1933) is an American actress, screenwriter, playwright, producer and director.Taylor was nominated for an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for co-writing the screenplay for the film ''
Lovers and Other Strangers
''Lovers and Other Strangers'' is a 1970 American romantic comedy film directed by Cy Howard, adapted from the 1968 Broadway play of the same name by Renée Taylor and Joseph Bologna. The cast includes Richard S. Castellano, Gig Young, Cloris Lea ...
'' (1970). She also played
Sylvia Fine on the television sitcom ''
The Nanny
''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens, New York, who becomes the nanny of three chi ...
'' (1993–1999).
Early years
Taylor was born on March 19, 1933, in
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, New York City, to Charles and Frieda (née Silverstein) Wexler, an aspiring actress. Her mother named her after silent film actress
Renée Adorée
Renée Adorée (born Jeanne de la Fonte; 30 September 1898 – 5 October 1933) was a French stage and film actress who appeared in Hollywood silent movies during the 1920s. She is best known for portraying the role of Melisande, the love intere ...
. She graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Career
Taylor acted with improv groups in the 1950s.
She worked as a comedian in the early 1960s at the
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
nightclub Bon Soir. Her opening act was a then-unknown
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
. In 1967, Taylor played an actress portraying
Eva Braun
Eva Anna Paula Hitler (; 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was a German photographer who was the longtime companion and briefly the wife of Adolf Hitler. Braun met Hitler in Munich when she was a 17-year-old assistant and model for his ...
in
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began h ...
' feature film ''
The Producers'', a role she got while performing the play ''
Luv'' with
Gene Wilder
Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...
, whom Brooks cast as protagonist Leo Bloom.
Taylor and husband
Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna (December 30, 1934 – August 13, 2017) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter notable for his roles in the comedy films ''My Favorite Year'', ''Blame It on Rio'' and ''Transylvania 6-5000 (1985 film), Transylvania ...
co-wrote the Broadway hit comedy ''
Lovers and Other Strangers
''Lovers and Other Strangers'' is a 1970 American romantic comedy film directed by Cy Howard, adapted from the 1968 Broadway play of the same name by Renée Taylor and Joseph Bologna. The cast includes Richard S. Castellano, Gig Young, Cloris Lea ...
'', and received
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominations for writing the 1970 film adaptation. In 1971, the couple co-wrote and starred in the film ''
Made for Each Other''. Their screenplay received a nomination for the
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949.
Eligibility
Th ...
for Best Comedy. Taylor played Arlene Sherwood, co-producer of a television show along with
Jerry Orbach
Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last'' bona fide'' leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a " ...
and
John Candy
John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian known mainly for his work in Hollywood films. Candy rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the Toronto branch of the Second City and its '' SCTV'' ser ...
in the 1991 film ''
Delirious
Delirious may refer to:
* A state of delirium
Film and television
* Delirious (1991 film), ''Delirious'' (1991 film), an American comedy directed by Tom Mankiewicz, starring John Candy
* Delirious (2006 film), ''Delirious'' (2006 film), an Americ ...
''.
From 1992 to 1994, Taylor played the overbearing
Jewish mother of
Brian Benben
Brian Edward Benben (born June 18, 1956) is an American actor, best known for his role as Martin Tupper in the HBO comedy television series '' Dream On'' (1990–1996), and also known as Sheldon Wallace on ABC medical drama '' Private Practice'' ...
's lead character on the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series ''
Dream On''. In 1993, she was cast as the mother of
Richard Lewis Richard, Rich, Richie, Rick, Ricky or Dick Lewis may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Richard Field Lewis Jr. (1907–1957), American radio network owner
* Dick "Rocko" Lewis (Richard Henry Lewis III, 1908–1966), American entertainer
* Rich ...
, and the ex-wife of
Don Rickles
Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958) with Clark Gable, Carl Reiner's '' Enter La ...
, in the Fox sitcom ''
Daddy Dearest
''Daddy Dearest'' is an American television sitcom that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, on Sunday nights from September 5 to December 5, 1993.
Synopsis
The series revolved around Dr. Steven Mitchell, a psychologist who lived in Manhatta ...
'', which was cancelled after a two-month run in the fall.
Also in 1993, Taylor was slated for sporadic guest appearances on the new
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
sitcom ''
The Nanny
''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens, New York, who becomes the nanny of three chi ...
'', playing
Sylvia Fine, the mother of
Fran Drescher
Francine Joy Drescher (born September 30, 1957) is an American actress, comedian, writer, activist, and trade union leader. She is known for her role as Fran Fine in the television sitcom ''The Nanny'' (1993–1999), which she created and produ ...
's title character. After the cancellation of ''Daddy Dearest'', Taylor was upgraded to a recurring cast member during the first season of ''The Nanny'' and eventually a full-time cast member by the third season. Her roles on the two broadcast network series in 1993 were concurrent with her work on ''Dream On''.
Taylor is most often recognized for her role in ''The Nanny''. Her character was intent on helping daughter Fran find a husband and had a passionate love for food. Taylor's husband, Joseph Bologna, made two guest appearances on ''The Nanny''—first, as an egomaniacal actor named Allan Beck, who tormented Maxwell Sheffield (
Charles Shaughnessy
Charles George Patrick Shaughnessy, 5th Baron Shaughnessy (born 9 February 1955) is a French actor. He is known for his roles on American television, including Shane Donovan on the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', and Maxwell Sheffield on th ...
) and second, in the final season, as a doctor and admirer of Sylvia in the episode, "Maternal Affairs".
[
Between 2008 and 2012, Taylor guest-starred as ]Ted Mosby
Theodore Evelyn Mosby is a fictional character and the protagonist in the American sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', portrayed by Josh Radnor. He serves as the show's narrator from the future, voiced by Bob Saget, as he tells his children the " ...
's neighbor, Mrs. Matsen, on ''How I Met Your Mother
''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005 to March 31, 2014, follows the main character, Ted Mosby, and his ...
''. She also had a guest-starring role on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
series ''Shake It Up Shake It Up may refer to:
* ''Shake It Up'' (Boney James & Rick Braun album), 2000
* ''Shake It Up'' (The Cars album), 1981
** "Shake It Up" (The Cars song), the title song
* "Shake It Up" (Divine song), 1983
* "Shake It Up" (Koda Kumi song), ...
'', portraying a cranky elderly woman, Mrs. Lacasio, in a retirement home. She also had a guest-starring role on the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
series ''Victorious
''Victorious'' (stylized as ''VICTORiOUS'') is an American sitcom created by Dan Schneider (TV producer), Dan Schneider that originally aired on Nickelodeon, debuting on March 27, 2010, and concluding on February 2, 2013 after four seasons. Th ...
'', as Robbie's cranky grandmother who wants to learn how to use the Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
. Like Sylvia Fine, Taylor's character on ''Victorious'' also has a husband named Morty.
In addition to her numerous guest-starring appearances, Taylor has worked as a voice-actor as the character Mrs. Start in the animated feature film '' Ice Age: The Meltdown'', and in a recurring role as Linda's mother Gloria in the animated Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
series ''Bob's Burgers
''Bob's Burgers'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard that premiered on Fox on January 9, 2011. The show centers on the Belcher family—parents Bob and Linda and their three children, Tina, Gene, and Louise—who r ...
''. Taylor also played Martha Benson in the film ''Opposite Day
Opposite Day is a make believe game usually played by children. Conceptually, Opposite Day is a holiday where things are said and done in an opposite manner. It is not a holiday on any calendar and therefore one can declare that any day of the ...
'', released in 2009.
Taylor also appeared on Fran Drescher's latest show ''Happily Divorced
''Happily Divorced'' is an American sitcom created by Fran Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson. Inspired by their own experiences as a formerly married couple, the series, which became TV Land's third original scripted series following ''Hot in Clev ...
'' as the best friend of Fran's mother. In 2011, Taylor was cast in the short-lived Fox cartoon ''Allen Gregory
''Allen Gregory'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Jonah Hill, Jarrad Paul, and Andrew Mogul for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows pretentious seven-year-old Allen Gregory De Longpre, who is raised by his two rich h ...
'', in which she voiced the character of Principal Gottlieb. In 2013, she starred in the ''Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmak ...
'' film '' Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor'' as Ms. Waco Chapman, the owner of Chapman Drug Company.
In 2016, Taylor starred in the Netflix movie ''The Do-Over
''The Do-Over'' is a 2016 American buddy action comedy film directed by Steven Brill, and written by Kevin Barnett and Chris Pappas. The movie follows Charlie (David Spade) and Max (Adam Sandler) after Max fakes their deaths in order to start th ...
'' with Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1995, before going on to star in numerous Hollywood films, those of wh ...
as the role of Mrs. Kessler and in the TV show ''Rock in a Hard Place
''Rock in a Hard Place'' is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released on August 27, 1982 by Columbia Records. It was certified gold on November 10, 1989. It is the only Aerosmith album not to feature lead guitarist ...
''. Taylor followed that with an appearance in the 2017 film ''How to Be a Latin Lover
''How to Be a Latin Lover'' is a 2017 American comedy film directed by Ken Marino, written by Chris Spain and Jon Zack and stars Eugenio Derbez, Salma Hayek, Raphael Alejandro, Raquel Welch, Rob Riggle, Rob Huebel, Rob Corddry, Renée Taylor, Li ...
''.
Taylor had a role in ''Tango Shalom
''Tango Shalom'' is a 2021 American dance comedy film directed by Gabriel Bologna and starring Jos Laniado, Judi Beecher, Renée Taylor, Lainie Kazan and Karina Smirnoff. It was produced by Joel Zwick who directed My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The mo ...
'', which she acted alongside her husband, Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna (December 30, 1934 – August 13, 2017) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter notable for his roles in the comedy films ''My Favorite Year'', ''Blame It on Rio'' and ''Transylvania 6-5000 (1985 film), Transylvania ...
in his final film role before his death. The film was released theatrically in North America on September 3, 2021, and on VOD,DVD in North America on October 29, 2021.
Beginning July 25, 2018, Taylor appeared in ''My Life on a Diet'' at the Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
Theatre at St. Clement's, written with Bologna.
After two extensions, she took the production on tour across the U.S.
Personal life
Taylor married actor Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna (December 30, 1934 – August 13, 2017) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter notable for his roles in the comedy films ''My Favorite Year'', ''Blame It on Rio'' and ''Transylvania 6-5000 (1985 film), Transylvania ...
on August 7, 1965, in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford () is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, outside of Manhattan. It is Connecticut's second-most populous city, behind Bridgeport. With a population of 135,470, Stamford passed Hartford and New Haven in population as of the 2020 ...
. They had a son, filmmaker, Gabriel who directed his parents in the last film they starred in together, "Tango Shalom." They were married until Bologna's death in August 2017.
Taylor is Jewish.
Filmography
Film
Television
Accolades
The following is a list of awards and nominations received by Renee Taylor:
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Renee
1933 births
Actresses from New York City
Writers from the Bronx
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Living people
Jewish American actresses
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
20th-century American writers
21st-century American Jews