Meagen Fay

Meagen Fay
Born
Joliet, Illinois, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1979–present

Meagen Fay is an American actress known for her work in television. Best known as Roxy in Ohara (1987–1988), Principal Halloron in Life with Louie (1995–1998), Gretchen Mannkusser in Malcolm in the Middle (2002–2004) and Rhonda in Loot (2022).

Career

Born and raised in Joliet, Illinois,[1][2] Fay was a featured cast member with Chicago's The Second City in the early 1980s.[3]

Fay's first television role was in the 1987 television series Ohara.[4]

She has guest-starred on numerous shows including Thirtysomething, Roseanne, Mad About You, Seinfeld, Dharma & Greg, Gilmore Girls, Suddenly Susan, Charmed and Freaks and Geeks. She starred in Carol & Company, The Home Court, Tales of the City, and Woops!, as well as appearing in Magnolia (1999). In 2004, she starred in Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital.

She has also had recurring roles on Malcolm in the Middle and The Bernie Mac Show, and has guest starred on Six Feet Under, Nip/Tuck, Desperate Housewives, The Big Bang Theory, and as Chelsea's mother on several episodes of Two and a Half Men.[citation needed]

She made her directorial debut with playwright Jeffrey Sweet's play Kunstler at the 59 East 59 Theaters in Manhattan.[1]

Personal life

Fay married William Gunther, a camera operator, in January 1993.[4]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Lady from Oklahoma
1991 Barton Fink Poppy Carnahan
1992 Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even Mom
1993 Rising Sun Hamaguri receptionist
1994 Love Affair SSA flight attendant
1997 Fathers' Day Megan
1999 Magnolia Dr. Diane
2002 Full Frontal Diane
2002 The Country Bears Mrs. Barrington
2004 Catch That Kid Doctor
2004 Home of Phobia Mrs. Paul
2005 Extreme Dating Detective Branson
2007 Evan Almighty Neighbor
2008 Mad Money Mindy Arbogast
2008 Extreme Movie Len's Mom
2009 Wake Mrs. Williams
2009 Halloween II Deputy Lyons
2009 I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell Mrs. Jorgens
2012 That's My Boy Helen Martin
2013 The Pretty One Mrs. Matthews
2014 Authors Anonymous Maureen
2015 Entourage Larsen's Secretary
2015 To Keep the Light Mrs. Williams
2016 La La Land Mia's Mom

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1983 The Yesterday Show[5]
1984 The Imposter TV movie
1987–1988 Ohara Roxy Baldwin
1989 Your Mother Wears Combat Boots Edie Winchell TV movie
1989 Alien Nation Coroner Barkley 2 episodes
1990–1991 Carol & Company
1991 The Carol Burnett Show
1991–1992 Roseanne Kathy Bowman 4 episodes
1992 Woops! Alice McConnell
1992 Mad About You Connie 2 episodes
1994 Tales of the City Binky Gruen
1994 Locals Rita Levine[5]
1994 The First Gentleman Rosie Duff[5]
1995–1996 The Home Court Greer
1995–1998 Life with Louie Principal Halloran Voice
1996 Love and Marriage Trudy Begg
1996 Seinfeld Mrs. Burns Episode: "The Abstinence"
1997 Over the Top Mrs. Hampstead Episode: "The Bee Story"
2000 Diagnosis: Murder Connie Carmichael Episode: "Too Many Cooks"
2000 Freaks and Geeks Mrs. Kentner Episode: "Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers"
2000 Gilmore Girls Mrs. Shales Episode; "Kill Me Now"
2001 3rd Rock from the Sun Annabet Episode: "Mary Loves Scoochie: (Part 1)"
2002–2004 Malcolm in the Middle Gretchen Mannkusser 11 episodes
2004 Kingdom Hospital Dr. Brenda Abelson 7 episodes
2005 Desperate Housewives Norma Harper Episode: "Color and Light"
2006 Charmed Nanta Episode: "Mr. and Mrs Witch"
2006 Hollis & Rae Winnie TV movie
2007–2008 According to Jim Susan Karp Episode: "Coach Jim"
2007 How I Met Your Mother Janice Aldrin 2 episodes
2007 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Rochelle Dorley Episode: "Living Doll"
2007 Big Love Laura Tuttle 2 episodes
2007 State of Mind Bonnie Cheuse Episode: "Lost & Found"
2007 Species: The Awakening Celeste Television film
2008 Single with Parents Nancy Unaired pilot[5]
2009–2010 Two and a Half Men Martha 2 episodes
2010 Party Down Nora Doyle Episode: "Precious Lights Pre-School Auction"
2010 Chase Mrs. McGraw Episode: "The Posse"
2011 Good Luck Charlie Claire Episode: "Snow Show: Part 1"
2011 Happy Endings Barbara Episode: "Why Can't You Read Me?"
2011 Free Agents Dorothy Potter Episode: "Rebranding"
2012 Franklin & Bash Sharon Wright Episode: "Last Dance"
2012 Retired at 35 Joanne Episode: "The Apartment"
2012 The Neighbors Principal Birker Episode: "Bathroom Etiquette"
2012 The Big Bang Theory Mrs. Rostenkowski Episode: "The Fish Guts Displacement"
2012 Strawberry Summer (Hallmark name) Easy Heart (Pixl name) Mimi Henderson
2013 The Mentalist Joanne Parsons Episode: "Red and Itchy"
2013 Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 Katherine Episode: "The Original B----"
2014 Murder in the First Joanna Gibbs 2 episodes
2014 Friends with Better Lives Frances Bowmont Episode: "The Deceivers"
2015 Agent Carter Miriam Fry 4 episodes
2015–2016 Transparent Blossie 3 episodes
2015 Mad Men Sharon Hill Episode: "The Milk and Honey Route"
2015 The Muppets Holly 2 episodes
2016 The Ranch Priscilla Episode: "There Goes My Life"
2016 Good Girls Revolt Bea Burkhart 3 episodes
2017 Salem Mrs. Stoughton Episode: "Night's Black Agents"
2017 Shrink Renetta 8 episodes
2017 Bones Judge Celia Stockwell Episode: "The Day in the Life"
2017 Dr. Ken Virginia 2 episodes
2017 Criminal Minds Irene Jacobs Episode: "The Bunker"
2018, 2020 Superstore Marilyn Simms 2 episodes
2018 Titans Nun 2 episodes
2019 The Conners Austin's grandmother Episode: "A Kiss is Just a Kiss"
2020 Supernatural Mrs. Butters Episode: "Last Holiday"
2021 Hightown Linda Murphy 2 episodes
2021 Dopesick Sister Beth Davies 2 episodes
2022–present Loot Rhonda Series regular (season 2)
Recurring cast (season 1)
2022 Ghosts Debbie Episode: "Spies"

Stage

Year Title Role Venue Notes
1980–81 Well, I'm Off to the Thirty Years War or Swing Your Partner to the Right[6] Chicago Mainstage
1981–82 Miro, Miro on the Wall[6] Chicago Mainstage
1982 Glenna Loved It or If You Knew Sushi[6] Chicago Mainstage
1982–83 Exit Pursued by a Bear[6] Chicago Mainstage
1983 Also Available in Paperback – A Retrospective[6] Chicago Mainstage
1983–85 Orwell That Ends Well[7] Chicago Mainstage, The Village Gate Second City production
1986 Twelfth Night; or, What You Will[8] Maria New York Shakespeare Festival, The Public Theater, Delacorte Theater
1987 Stepping Out[9] Vera John Golden Theatre
1995 I Sent a Letter to My Love[10] Miss Morgan Primary Stages Theatre
1999 Merton of the Movies[11] Casting director Geffen Playhouse
2000 Bluff Coronet Theatre Staged reading
2003 To Be Young, Gifted and Black[12] Mavis

References

  1. ^ a b "My Career Choice: Meagen Fay – From Actor to Director of Kunstler". WomanAroundTown.com. February 28, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  2. ^ Bennetts, Leslie (April 20, 1984). "Broadway". The New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  3. ^ Rich, Frank (March 3, 1984). "Second City Company offers biting humor in latest revue". The Day. p. 16. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Steele, Jeffrey (October 4, 1992). "'Woops!' Goes The Actress". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d Terrace, Vincent (February 26, 2013). Encyclopedia of Television Pilots, 1937–2012. McFarland. pp. 94, 170, 270, 331. ISBN 978-0-7864-7445-5. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Meagen Fay". The Second City. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  7. ^ Rich, Frank (March 2, 1984). "Second City Comes to First City". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  8. ^ Gussow, Meg (July 3, 1986). "Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' in Central Park". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  9. ^ Rich, Frank (January 12, 1987). "'Stepping Out,' Staged by Tommy Tune". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  10. ^ Holden, Stephen (February 11, 1995). "An Upbeat Musical with Darker Inflections". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  11. ^ Phillips, Michael (July 9, 1999). "'Merton's' Flickering Dreams Evaporate in the Light of Day". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  12. ^ Bihm, Jennifer (February 26, 2003). "'To Be Young, Gifted and Black' Continues at Fountain Theater Through Feb. 23". Los Angeles Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015 – via HighBeam Research.