The Emmy and Tony winner starred opposite Sid Caesar, was delightful in ‘The Band Wagon’ and played Bonnie Franklin’s mom on ‘One Day at a Time.’
Nanette Fabray, the effervescent comedienne who won three Emmy Awards for playing opposite Sid Caesar on Caesar’s Hour, only to leave the classic NBC sketch series because of a misunderstanding, has died. She was 97.
Fabray, who later portrayed the mother of Bonnie Franklin’s character on the CBS sitcom One Day at a Time, died Thursday at her home in Palos Verdes, California, her son, Jamie MacDougall, toldThe New York Times.
Fabray also appeared as moms (of Mary Tyler Moore’s character) on CBS’ The Mary Tyler Moore Show and (of real-life niece Shelley Fabares’ character) on ABC’s Coach. And on a 1977 episode of CBS’ Maude, she was memorable as a high-school friend of Bea Arthur’s character who had a stroke.
An excellent singer and tap dancer — she received a lesson or two from Mr. Bojangles (Bill Robinson) — Fabray won a Tony Award for best actress in a musical for starring in Love Life (1949), directed by Elia Kazan and choreographed by Michael Kidd.
She also was delightful on Broadway in High Button Shoes and received another Tony nom in 1963 for playing the wife of the commander-in-chief (Robert Ryan) in Mr. President.
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