MERCER, Marian 1935–

PERSONAL

Born November 26, 1935, in Akron, OH; daughter of Samuel Lewis and Nelle (maiden name, Leggatt) Mercer; married Martin Joseph Cassidy (an actor), November 9, 1964. Education: University of Michigan, B.Mus., 1957; studied singing with Frances Greer. Avocational Interests: Music, reading, antiques, and art collecting.

Addresses:

Agent—The Gage Group, 1474 Ventura Blvd., Suite 505, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403–3505.

Career:

Actress and singer. Worked as a nightclub performer, Prickly Pair, the Showplace, New York City, 1961.

Awards, Honors:

Variety New York Drama Critics Poll, best supporting actress, Drama Desk Award, outstanding performance, Theatre World Award, and Antoinette Perry Award, best supporting actress in a musical, 1969, all for Promises, Promises.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

(Stage debut) The Happiest Millionaire, Palmtree Playhouse, Sarasota, FL, 1957.

Holiday for Lovers, Palmtree Playhouse, 1958.

A Hole in the Head, Palmtree Playhouse, 1958.

The Ballad of Baby Doe, Musicarnival, Cleveland, OH, 1958.

Show Boat, Musicarnival, 1958.

The Most Happy Fella, Musicarnival, 1958.

The Waltz of the Toreadors, Rickaway Theatre, Newark, NJ, 1958.

Guys and Dolls, The Pajama Game, and The Student Prince, all Musicarnival, Palm Beach, FL, 1958.

(Off–Broadway debut) Marcelle, Hotel Paradiso, Equity Library Theatre, Lenox Hill Playhouse, 1959.

Title role, Little Mary Sunshine, Orpheum Theatre, New York City, 1959.

Chorus, Greenwillow, Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1960.

Fiorello!, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1960.

The Tunnel of Love, Totem Pole Playhouse, Fayetteville, PA, 1960.

Odd Man In, Totem Pole Playhouse, 1960.

Lady Be Good, Totem Pole Playhouse, 1960.

Mrs. Peterson, Bye Bye Birdie, Musicarnival, 1962.

Ensemble, New Faces of '62, Alvin Theatre, 1962.

Tessie Tura, Gypsy, Kenley Players, Warren, OH, 1962.

Beatrice, Much Ado about Nothing, Shakespeare Summer Festival, Washington, DC, 1963 and 1964.

Come to the Palace of Sin, American National Theatre and Academy Matinee Theatre Series, Theatre De Lys, New York City, 1963.

And in This Corner, Upstairs at the Downstairs, New York City, 1964.

The Game Is Up, Upstairs at the Downstairs, 1964.

Helena, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare Summer Festival, 1964.

Marcelle Paillardin, Hotel Passionato, East 74th Street Theatre, New York City, 1965.

Helena, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Loretto–Hilton Center, St. Louis, MO, 1966.

Blanche Du Bois, A Streetcar Named Desire, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Loretto–Hilton Center, 1966.

Twelfth Night, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Loretto–Hilton Center, 1966.

Oh, What a Lovely War!, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Loretto–Hilton Center, 1966.

The Hostage, Loretto–Hilton Center, 1967.

Olivia, Your Own Thing, Orpheum Theatre, 1968.

Marge MacDougall, Promises, Promises, Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1968.

Desdemona, Othello, Loretto–Hilton Center, 1970.

Polly, A Place for Polly, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1970.

Myra Arundel, Hay Fever, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, 1970 Katherina, The Taming of the Shrew, Trinity Square Repertory Company, Providence, RI, 1970.

Woman and Dinah Darling, The Good and Bad Times of Cady Francis McCullum and Friends, Trinity Square Repertory Company, 1971.

The Wanderers (series of short plays), Orpheum Theatre, 1971.

And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle, WA, 1972.

Colomba, Volpone, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1972.

Colleen, Tadpole, New Theatre for Now, Stage B, Twentieth Century–Fox, Los Angeles, 1973.

Gwendolen Fairfax, Nobody's Earnest, Williamstown Festival Theatre, Williamstown, MA, 1973.

Three Men on a Horse, Seattle Repertory Theatre, 1973.

Lillian, Travellers, Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati, OH, 1974.

Petrified Man, Theatre Vanguard, Los Angeles, 1974.

Masha, The Seagull, Williamstown Festival Theatre, 1974.

The Waltz of the Toreadors, Seattle Repertory Theatre, 1975.

Lorene, Ilse, and Evie, Stop the World—I Want to Get Off, State Theatre, New York City, 1978.

Deidre, Bosoms and Neglect, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1978, then Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1979.

Masha Chekhov, Chekhov in Yalta, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, 1981.

Olivia, Twelfth Night, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, 1981.

Female Parts (one–woman play), Los Angeles Actors Theatre, Los Angeles, 1982.

The Gin Game, Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, CA, 1999.

Major Tours:

Bells Are Ringing, U.S. cities, 1959.

Mrs. Peterson, Bye Bye Birdie, U.S. cities, 1962–63.

Gypsy, U.S. cities, 1962–63.

Title role, Little Mary Sunshine, U.S. cities, 1962–63.

Lovers and Other Strangers, U.S. cities, 1973.

Ilse, Lorene, and Evie, Stop the World—I Want to Get Off, U.S. cities, 1978.

Film Appearances:

Mags Elliot, John and Mary, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1969.

Herself/waitress, Money Talks, United Artists, 1972.

Evie, Sammy Stops the World (also known as Stop the World—I Want to Get Off), Special Entertainment, 1978.

Missy Hart, Nine to Five (also known as 9to5), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1980.

Harriet Manley, Oh God! Book II, Warner Bros., 1980.

Ann Van Der Haven, Out on a Limb, MCA/Universal, 1992.

Television Appearances; Series:

Regular, The Andy Williams Show, NBC, 1962–63.

Regular, The Dom DeLuise Show, CBS, 1968.

Regular, The Dean Martin Show (also known as The Dean Martin Comedy Hour), NBC, 1971–72.

Kay Fox, The Sandy Duncan Show, CBS, 1972.

Regular, The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters, syndicated, 1972–74.

Myra Bradley, A Touch of Grace, ABC, 1973.

Wanda Jeeter, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, syndicated, 1976–77, retitled Forever Fernwood, syndicated, 1977–78.

Nancy Beebe, It's a Living (also known as Making a Living), ABC, 1980–82, then syndicated, 1985–89.

Mrs. Griffin, Foot in the Door, CBS, 1983.

Nurse Eve Leighton, a recurring role, St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1983.

Martha Benedict, Sunday Dinner, CBS, 1991.

Grace Bailey, Home Free, NBC, 1993.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Zero Hour, ABC, 1967.

Eleanor, The Cracker Factory, ABC, 1979.

Rita, Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice, CBS, 1982.

Daisy Eastman, Agatha Christie's "Murder in Three Acts" (also known as Murder in Three Acts), CBS, 1986.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Johnny Carson's Repertory Company in an Evening of Comedy, NBC, 1969.

What's Up, America?, NBC, 1971.

Masha, "The Seagull," Great Performances, PBS, 1975.

Ladies and Gentlemen … Bob Newhart, CBS, 1980.

Ladies and Gentlemen … Bob Newhart, Part II, CBS, 1981.

Dom DeLuise and Friends, Part II, ABC, 1984.

Mrs. Ruffner, Booker (short film), PBS and The Disney Channel, 1984.

Dom DeLuise and Friends, Part III, ABC, 1985.

Sister Regina, "Are You My Mother?," ABC Afterschool Special, ABC, 1986.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

What's Up?, NBC, 1971.

Reporter, Comedy News, ABC, 1972.

Reporter, Comedy News II, ABC, 1973.

Maggie Barbour, Calling Dr. Storm, M.D., NBC, 1977.

Mildred Braffman, King of the Road, CBS, 1978.

Nancy Beebe, Making a Living, ABC, 1982.

Mildred, Oh Henry!, NBC, 1989.

Jane, The Julie Show, NBC, 1991.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

(Television debut) The Dave Garroway Show, NBC, 1961.

The Mike Wallace Show, 1961.

"Alan King … Public Consumer Number One," Kraft Music Hall, 1969.

"Alan King: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to September," Kraft Music Hall, 1969.

"Broadway's Best," Kraft Music Hall, 1969.

Herself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1970.

"Love and the Itchy Condition," Love, American Style, ABC, 1974.

Jo Enders, "Fish," Police Woman, NBC, 1974.

Sister Margaret, "The Traitor in Our Midst," Serpico, NBC, 1976.

"Kaz and the Kid," Kaz, CBS, 1978.

Miss Bradshaw, "Bosom Partners," Archie Bunker's Place, CBS, 1979.

Phyl & Mikhy, 1980.

Frances, "The Loverwear Party," 9to5, 1982.

Felicia, Mayor's secretary, "Mama for Mayor: Parts 1 & 2," Mama's Family, NBC, 1984.

"Ace's Valet/Mother Comes First/Hit or Miss America," The Love Boat, ABC, 1984.

Ursula, "Made in Hong Kong: Parts 1 & 2," Benson, ABC, 1984.

Dr. Woods, You Again?, NBC, 1986.

Eve Leighton, "After Life," St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1986.

Magda, "Sister and Other Strangers," The Golden Girls, NBC, 1990.

Penelope Hope Daniels, "The Witch's Curse," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1992.

Ursual Dietz, "The Unimportance of Being Charley," Empty Nest, NBC, 1992.

Monica, "Born Again," Harry and the Hendersons, 1992.

Ursula Dietz, "My Mother, My Self," Empty Nest, NBC, 1993.

Ursula Dietz, "Love a la Mode," Empty Nest, NBC, 1994.

Eric, Jr.'s girlfriend, "Catch of the Day," Dave's World, CBS, 1995.

Bunny, "In the Matter of John's Fifteen Minutes," Common Law, 1996.

Mrs. Richards, "The Closer," Working, NBC, 1998.

Flo, "Lady of the Lake," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 1998.

Mrs. Richmond, "The Thanksgiving Episode," Suddenly Susan, NBC, 1998.

"Paradise Inn," Providence, NBC, 2000.