Ellen Albertini Dow


Actor

About

Also Known As
Ellen Albertini, Ellen Dow
Birth Place
Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, USA
Born
November 16, 1918

Biography

When audiences saw the trailer for the romantic comedy film "The Wedding Singer" (1998), many took note of the petite elderly woman performing "Rapper's Delight" and asked "Who is she?" The answer is Ellen Albertini Dow, a veteran of NYC's Yiddish theater and a former drama teacher in L.A. Although coy about her age, Dow has been playing feisty old women since she resumed her acting care...

Family & Companions

Eugene Dow
Husband
Married in 1951.

Biography

When audiences saw the trailer for the romantic comedy film "The Wedding Singer" (1998), many took note of the petite elderly woman performing "Rapper's Delight" and asked "Who is she?" The answer is Ellen Albertini Dow, a veteran of NYC's Yiddish theater and a former drama teacher in L.A. Although coy about her age, Dow has been playing feisty old women since she resumed her acting career in the mid-1980s with a chilling turn as a mass murderer on an episode of "The Twilight Zone" (CBS, 1985). Since then, she played small roles in numerous TV shows (e.g., "Family Matters," "The Golden Girls," "Murphy Brown") and a handful of films ("Tough Guys" 1986; "Sister Act" 1992). Dow offered a memorable guest turn on a 1995 episode of "Seinfeld" as J Peterman's elderly mother. But it was her performance as a woman celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary who surprises her guests with a hip-hop number that made people take notice. Director Frank Coraci had cast Dow primarily on the strength of her rendition of the 1959 classic "Til There Was You" which she also performed in the film. Audiences were primed for her appearance as a cocaine-snorting oldster in the disco-flavored "54" (also 1998).

Life Events

1938

Worked in theater in NYC, including appearances in Yiddish theater

1952

Moved to Los Angeles with her husband

1985

Resumed acting career with appearance as a mass murderer on an episode of "The Twilight Zone" (CBS)

1986

Had bit role in "Tough Guys"

1988

Appeared in the TV-movie "Wedding Day Blues"

1990

First played a nun in "My Blue Heaven"

1992

Appeared as one of the nuns in the choir in "Sister Act"

1993

Reprised role as a choir nun in "Sister Act 2"

1995

Made memorable guest appearance on NBC's "Seinfeld" as thee dying mother of J Peterman

1998

Played a cocaine-snorting senior citizen in "54"

1998

Garnered attention for her supporting performance in "The Wedding Singer"

2001

Had regular role as a grandmother on the fall sitcom "Maybe It's Me" (The WB)

Family

Ellen Albertini
Mother

Companions

Eugene Dow
Husband
Married in 1951.

Bibliography