Ellen Ware Geer is an American actress, professor, and theatre director.

Personal life

Geer was born in New York City, the daughter of actors Herta Ware and Will Geer. Her father was best-known for playing Grandpa Zebulon "Zeb" Walton on ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...

''. She is married to children's musician Peter Alsop, and was previously married to actor Ed Flanders. She and Flanders had a son, Ian Geer Flanders. She and Alsop have two daughters, Megan and

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist ...

Career

In 1963, Geer joined the Minnesota Theatre Company for the opening seasons of the original Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, where, among other roles, she played the lead in Guthrie's production of Bernard Shaw's '' Saint Joan''. Geer began her film career appearing as a nun in the 1968 Richard Lester drama '' Petulia''. She followed this with an appearance in 1969's ''

The Reivers ''The Reivers: A Reminiscence'', published in 1962, is the last novel by the American author William Faulkner. The bestselling novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1963. Faulkner previously won this award for his book ''A Fable'', ...

'' with her father, Will Geer. In 1971, Geer played the deceased wife of the lead character in '' Kotch'', appearing throughout the movie in flashbacks. That same year, she became a regular on '' The Jimmy Stewart Show'' (which aired until the following year) and had a supporting role in the acclaimed comedy ''

Harold and Maude ''Harold and Maude'' is a 1971 American romantic black comedy–drama film directed by Hal Ashby and released by Paramount Pictures. It incorporates elements of dark humor and existentialist drama. The plot follows the exploits of Harold Chase ...

''. In 1974, she starred in two films which she also wrote: ''Silence'' and ''Memory of Us'', both of which featured her father. The remainder of Geer's 1970s career consisted primarily of guest appearances and made-for-television movies. Television series on which she appeared