Frances Bay
Frances Evelyn Bay (née Goffman; January 23, 1919 – September 15, 2011) was a Canadian-American character actress known for playing a variety of quirky elderly women on film and television. In a career that spanned 35 years, she acted in a variety of roles both in film and television. After initial success in radio and stage plays, she became "The Girlfriend to the Canadian Forces" on CBC Radio during World War II, boosting troops' spirits. Marriage and a move to the U.S. led to a hiatus, during which she studied acting with Uta Hagen in New York. Returning to acting at 60, Bay featured in Foul Play and gained recognition in various TV shows like Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, and films such as The Wedding Planner and Twins. Her versatile career spanned over 50 films and numerous TV series, earning her awards and nominations. Notably, she appeared in the final episodes of sitcoms Seinfeld, Who’s the Boss?, and Happy Days. Bay was inducted in Canada's Walk of Fame in 2008.
Inspector Gadget
(Thelma)
Blue Velvet
(Aunt Barbara)
Ring Around the Rosie
(Nanna)
The Wedding Planner
(Dottie)
In the Mouth of Madness
(Mrs. Pickman)
Finder's Fee
(Mrs. Darmsetter)
Big Top Pee-wee
(Mrs. Haynes)
Amos
(Lydia)
Twins
(Mother Superior)
Happy Gilmore
(Grandma)
Nomads
(Bertril)
Stranger Than Fiction
(Mrs. Steiner)
Bare Knuckles
(Rosie Mcintyre)
Chilly Scenes of Winter
(Mrs. Delillo)
Foul Play
(Mrs. Russel)
The Paperboy
(Mrs. Rosemont)
The Grifters
(Arizona Motel Clerk)
The Pit and the Pendulum
(Esmeralda)
Second Sight: A Love Story
(Old Woman)
Double Exposure
(Old Woman)
Rossini's Ghost
(Rosalie)
Class Cruise
(Grandma)
The Neighbor
(Aunt Sylvia)
Amy
(Mrs. Lindey)
Sparkler
(Raspy)
Pickin' and Grinnin'
(Grandma Johnson)
Topper
(Mrs. Quincy)
Inside Monkey Zetterland
(Grandma)
Blue Velvet: The Lost Footage
(Aunt Barbara)
Callie & Son
(Mabel Simpson)
The Karate Kid Part III
(Mrs. Milo)
A Whale for the Killing
Wild at Heart
(Madam)
The Eagle and The Bear
The Attic
(Librarian)
Critters 3
(Mrs. Menges)
Murder in Texas
(Myra Hill)
Arachnophobia
(Evelyn Metcalf)
Edmond
(Fortune Teller)
Oh, Baby
(Edna Winchester)
Little Red Riding Hood
(Granny)
Annie's Point
(Older Woman)
Repo Chick
(Granma De La Chasse)
Private School
(Birdie Fallmouth)
Single White Female
(Elderly Neighbor)
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
(Mrs. Tremond (Chalfont))
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
(Mrs. Tremond (Chalfont))
The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn
(Mrs. Lewis)
A Rose for Emily
(Miss Wyatt)
Forever Love
(Martha Craddock)
Buddy Buddy
(Female Patient)
Medium Rare
(Gertrude)
The Karate Kid
(Lady with Dog)
Never Too Late
(Elisabeth Kronner)
Goodbye Lover
(Old Woman)
Honky Tonk Freeway
(Mrs. Lewenowski)
Movers & Shakers
(Betty Gritz)
Krippendorf's Tribe
(Edith Proxmire)
The Movie Hero
(Wise Old Woman)
Grave Secrets: The Legacy of Hilltop Drive
(Iva Ruth McKinney)
Changing Habits
(Midge)
Wings
(Mrs. Timmins)
Presidio Med
Family Ties
(Mrs. Florence Menlo)
Cheers
(Mrs. Brubaker)
Seinfeld
(Mabel Choate)
The Middle
(Aunt Ginny)
Remington Steele
(Mother Trust)
Amazing Stories
(Mrs Claus)
T. J. Hooker
L.A. Law
(Marian McConnell)
Fame
The 5 Mrs. Buchanans
The Golden Girls
(Claire)
Simon & Simon
Twin Peaks
(Mrs. Tremond)
Tales from the Crypt
(Witch)
Charmed
(Old Phoebe)
Da Vinci's Inquest
Hill Street Blues
The Commish
Happy Days
Clueless
Quantum Leap
(Millie Reynolds)
Newhart
Hart to Hart
The X-Files
(Dorothy)
Cagney & Lacey
Faerie Tale Theatre
(Granny)
Sidekicks
Alien Nation
ALF
(Louise Beaumont)
Hunter
(Emma Parsons)
The Hughleys
True Colors
(Tante Sylvia)
E/R
Dave's World
(Daisy)
Bob Patterson
(Laurie Evans)
The Oldest Rookie
Hunter
(Mrs. Laskey)
My Wife and Kids
Matlock
(Samantha Bergstrom)
ER
(Georgia)
St. Elsewhere
(Mrs. Renninger)
Hart to Hart
(Flower Vendor)
Suddenly Susan
(Mrs. Tidgely)
Hannah Montana
(Cathy)
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
(Mildred Grayson (segment "The Gift"))
Pacific Station
(Celia Linder)
Style & Substance
(Elizabeth Hadley)
Murder, She Wrote
(Sarah McCoy)
Happy Days
(Grandma Nussbaum)