Ellen Geer

{{short description|American actress and director}} {{Use American English|date=July 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Ellen Geer | image = Ellen Geer 1975.JPG | caption = Geer in 1975 | birth_name =  | birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date |53|1995|8|12}} | birth_place = | occupation = Actress, professor, director | years_active = 1961–present | spouse = {{marriage|Ed Flanders|1963|1968|end=divorced}}<br>Peter Alsop<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 1975)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Donkin |first1=Annemarie |title=Peter Alsop's Kid Koncerts and Reunion |url=https://messengermountainnews.com/peter-alsop/ |website=M'Online |date=August 24, 2018 |access-date=18 July 2020}}</ref> | children = 3, including Willow Geer | parents = Herta Ware<br>Will Geer }}

'''Ellen Geer''' (born {{Birth based on age as of date |53|1995|8|12|noage=1}}<ref name=lat/>) is an American actress, professor, and theatre director.

==Personal life== Geer is the daughter of actors Herta Ware and Will Geer. Her father was best-known for playing Grandpa Zebulon "Zeb" Walton on ''The Waltons''.<ref name=lat>{{cite news |last1=Breslauer |first1=Jan |title=Ellen Geer's Latest Play Explores the Pain of Her Actor Father's Blacklisting: Not Your Typical Family Affair |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-12-ca-34280-story.html |access-date=December 1, 2025 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=August 12, 1995 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927121855/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-12-ca-34280-story.html |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Career==

In 1963, Geer joined the Minnesota Theatre Company for the opening seasons of the original Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis,<ref>Morris, Steven Leigh. "[https://www.americantheatre.org/2016/08/12/first-and-second-geer-and-beyond-at-theatricum-botanicum/ First and Second Geer (and Beyond) at Theatricum Botanicum]", in ''American Theatre''. New York, New York: Theatre Communications Group, August 12, 2016.</ref> where, among other roles, she played the lead in Douglas Campbell’s production of Bernard Shaw's ''Saint Joan''.

Geer began her film career appearing as a nun in the 1968 Richard Lester drama ''Petulia''. She followed this with an appearance in 1969's ''The Reivers'' with her father, Will Geer.

In 1971, Geer played the deceased wife of the lead character in ''Kotch'', appearing throughout the movie in flashbacks. That same year, she became a regular on ''The Jimmy Stewart Show'' (which aired until the following year) and had a supporting role in the acclaimed comedy ''Harold and Maude''.<ref>Phillips, Michael. "'[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jul-14-ca-52657-story.html Harold and Maude' Takes On Established Cult and Conceits]." Los Angeles, California: ''Los Angeles Times'', July 14, 2000.</ref> In 1974, she starred in two films which she also wrote: ''Silence'' and ''Memory of Us'', both of which featured her father.

The remainder of Geer's 1970s career consisted primarily of guest appearances and made-for-television movies. Television series on which she appeared during this time included ''Police Story'', ''The Streets of San Francisco'', ''Baretta'',<ref>"[https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SCS19771116&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 Sentinel TV Log: Evening: 10:00: Baretta]." Santa Cruz, California: ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', November 16, 1977.</ref> ''Barnaby Jones'', ''Charlie's Angels'', ''CHiPs'', and two episodes of ''Fantasy Island''.

Her television movie credits during this time included ''Babe'' (1975),<ref>"[https://newspaperarchive.com/cambridge-daily-jeffersonian-oct-23-1975-p-27/ TV Best Bets: Thursday: 9 p.m.]" Cambridge, Ohio: ''Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian'', October 23, 1975.</ref> ''The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case'' (1976), ''The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald'' (1977), and ''A Shining Season'' (1979). The only theatrical film on which she worked in the late 1970s was Jonathan Kaplan's ''Over the Edge'' in 1979.

The remainder of her television credits include guest appearances in the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "Silicon Avatar"; ''The Waltons'';<ref>Person, James E., Jr. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=QHMXZ9C0QxIC&dq=%22Ellen+Geer%22&pg=PA243 Earl Hamner: From Walton's Mountain to Tomorrow]'', pp. 87, 243. Nashville, Tennessee: Cumberland House, 2005.</ref> ''Quincy, M.E.''; ''Dallas''; ''The Practice''; ''Stingray''; ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''; ''ER''; ''NYPD Blue'' and ''Cold Case''. She also had recurring roles on ''Falcon Crest'' and ''Beauty and the Beast''. She played elderly Piper Halliwell on the WB series ''Charmed'' in the series finale. In October 2007, the actress returned briefly to ''Desperate Housewives'', in which she briefly appeared before. She appeared in the fourth season of ''Castle'' in the episode called "The Blue Butterfly".

Geer has served since 1978 as artistic director of the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, a professional repertory, open-air theater in Topanga Canyon, California.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://theatricum.com/index.html |title=Theatricum Botanicum |access-date=2008-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526203508/http://www.theatricum.com/index.html |archive-date=2008-05-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Geer has also served as a visiting associate professor, teaching acting, at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Theater for 12 years.<ref>[http://beta.tft.ucla.edu/faculty/ellen-geer/ UCLA School of Theater] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720072953/http://beta.tft.ucla.edu/faculty/ellen-geer/ |date=2011-07-20 }}, accessed on June 6, 2008.</ref>

== Filmography ==

===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1968 |''Petulia'' |Nun | |- |1969 |''{{sortname|The|Reivers|The Reivers (film)}}'' |Sally | |- |rowspan=2|1971 |''Kotch'' |Vera Kotcher | |- |''Harold and Maude'' |Sunshine Doré | |- |rowspan=2|1974 |''Silence'' |Barbara | |- |''{{sortname|The|Memory of Us|nolink=1}}'' |Betty | |- |1979 |''Over the Edge'' |Sandra Willat | |- |1980 |''On the Nickel'' |Louise | |- |1981 |''Bloody Birthday'' |Madge | |- |rowspan=2|1983 |''Heart Like a Wheel'' |Marianne Kalitta | |- |''Something Wicked This Way Comes'' |Mrs. Halloway | |- |1985 |''Creator'' |Mrs. Spencer | |- |1986 |''Hard Traveling'' |Norah Sloan | |- |rowspan=2|1987 |''The Wild Pair'' |Fern Willis | |- |''Big Shots'' |Bar Waitress | |- |1989 |''Satan's Princess'' |Mary Kulik | |- |1991 |''Lonely Hearts'' |Martha | |- |1992 |''Patriot Games'' |Rose | |- |1993 |''Midnight Witness'' |Valerie | |- |1994 |''Clear and Present Danger'' |Rose | |- |1996 |''Phenomenon'' |Bonnie | |- |rowspan=2|1998 |''Practical Magic'' |Pharmacist | |- |''{{sortname|The|Odd Couple II}}'' |Frances Unger Melnick | |- |2005 |''Me and You and Everyone We Know'' |Ellen | |- |rowspan=2|2006 |''{{sortname|The|Visitation|The Visitation (film)}}'' |Mrs. Macon | |- |''The Gold Bracelet'' |Miss Hanson | |- |2007 |''Man in the Chair'' |Mrs. Erskine | |- |2012 |''{{sortname|The|Misadventures of the Dunderheads}}'' |Vernice | |- |2014 |''House at the End of the Drive'' |Eunice Sequoia | |- |2018 |''Unlovable'' |Nana | |}

===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1961 |''Play of the Week'' |Susan |Episode: "The Wooden Dish" |- |1970 |''{{sortname|The|Name of the Game|The Name of the Game (TV series)}}'' |Sally Henderson |Episode: "The King of Denmark" |- |1971–1972 |''{{sortname|The|Jimmy Stewart Show}}'' |Wendy Howard |Regular role |- |1972 |''Ghost Story'' |Marian |Episode: "Bad Connection" |- |1972, 1980 |''{{sortname|The|Waltons}}'' |Eva Mann, Ronie Cotter |Episodes: "The Ceremony", "The Pledge" |- |rowspan=2|1973 |''Medical Center'' |Rose Sachs |Episode: "No Margin for Error" |- |''{{sortname|The|New Perry Mason}}'' |Maria Findley |Episode: "The Case of the Deadly Deeds" |- |1974, 1980–1982 |''Insight'' |Mary Louise, Sally Carlin, Cathy, Iris |Episodes: "Eddie", "God in the Dock", "A Decision to Love", "A Gun for Mandy" |- |rowspan=2|1975 |''Archer'' |Marsha |Episode: "The Arsonist" |- |''Babe'' |Lilly Didrikson |TV film |- |1975, 1979 |''Barnaby Jones'' |Mary Wiley, Ruth Parks |Episodes: "Beware the Dog", "Man on Fire" |- |rowspan=4|1976 |''Police Story'' |Jenny Benson |Episode: "The Other Side of the Fence" |- |''{{sortname|The|Lindbergh Kidnapping Case}}'' |Myra Condon |TV film |- |''Delvecchio'' |Edie Parker |Episode: "The Silent Prey" |- |''{{sortname|The|Bionic Woman}}'' |Sister Barbara |Episode: "Sister Jaime" |- |rowspan=4|1977 |''{{sortname|The|Streets of San Francisco}}'' |Betty Rollins |Episode: "Who Killed Helen French?" |- |''Westside Medical'' |Susan MacAllister |Episode: "Pressure Cook" |- |''Baretta'' |Susan Foster |Episode: "Buddy" |- |''The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald'' | |TV film |- |1978 |''Night Cries'' |Mrs. Whitney |TV film |- |1978, 1980, 1982 |''CHiPs'' |Martha, Margo Adams, Julie Barris, Mrs. Williams |Episodes: "Vintage '54", "E.M.T.", "The Great 5K Star Race & Boulder Wrap Party", "Return to Death's Door" |- |1978, 1979 |''Fantasy Island'' |Doris Greer, Sylvia |Episodes: "Carnival", "Nobody's There" |- |rowspan=3|1979 |''Charlie's Angels'' |Hutton |Episode: "Caged Angel" |- |''Paris'' |Marie Castle |Episode: "Burnout" |- |''{{sortname|A|Shining Season|John_Baker_(runner)#A_Shining_Season}}'' |Veta Mercer |TV film |- |1979, 1989 |''Dallas'' |Anita Krane, Mrs. Bouleris |Episodes: "John Ewing III: Parts 1 & 2", "Hell's Fury" |- |1980 |''My Kidnapper, My Love'' |Paula Stanley |TV film |- |rowspan=3|1981 |''Dynasty'' |Charlotte |Episode: "Oil: Part 1" |- |''{{sortname|The|Princess and the Cabbie}}'' |Nellie |TV film |- |''Strike Force'' |Mrs. Wilcox |Episode: "Magic Man" |- |rowspan=3|1982 |''Code Red'' |Mrs. Meyers |Episode: "No Escape" |- |''Quincy, M.E.'' |Dr. Solomon, Sarah Markham |Episodes: "For Love of Joshua", "Ghost of a Chance" |- |''Trapper John, M.D.'' |Roberta |Episode: "You Pays Your Money" |- |rowspan=4|1983 |''Deadly Lessons'' |Mrs. Grant |TV film |- |''Voyagers!'' |Eleanor Roosevelt |Episode: "Destiny's Choice" |- |''I Want to Live'' |Mrs. Cooley |TV film |- |''Tales of the Unexpected'' |Stella Archer |Episode: "Youth from Vienna" |- |rowspan=2|1984 |''Call to Glory'' |Natalie |Episode: "Call It Courage" |- |''Buchanan High'' |Mrs. Dolen |Episode: "The Loyal Opposition" |- |rowspan=2|1985 |''Stingray'' |Sybil Rosenberg |TV film |- |''Too Close for Comfort'' |Loraine Dockery |Episode: "The British Are Coming, the British Are Coming" |- |1985–1987 |''Falcon Crest'' |Doris |Recurring role (seasons 5–6) |- |rowspan=2|1986 |''Hunter'' |Mrs. Dudleigh |Episode: "Scrap Metal" |- |''Moonlighting'' |Amy Everette |Episode: "Witness for the Execution" |- |1986, 1990 |''Santa Barbara'' |Dorothy, Norma Flannery |Episodes: "1.470", "1.1603" |- |1988 |''{{sortname|The|Town Bully|nolink=1}}'' |Bea King |TV film |- |1988–1990 |''Beauty and the Beast'' |Mary |Recurring role |- |1991 |''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' |Kila Marr |Episode: "Silicon Avatar" |- |1993 |''Sirens'' |Mrs. Croft |Episode: "Looks Like Christmas" |- |1994 |''Diagnosis: Murder'' |Lily |Episode: "Lily" |- |rowspan=2|1997 |''JAG'' |Gail Sanders |Episode: "The Guardian" |- |''{{sortname|The|Practice}}'' |G. Warner |Episode: "Search and Seizure" |- |1999–2000 |''Once and Again'' |Celeste |Episodes: "The Past Is Prologue", "Strangers and Brothers" |- |2001 |''Philly'' |Carol Vaughn |Episode: "Light My Fire" |- |2002 |''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' |Ruth Elliott |Episode: "Cats in the Cradle..." |- |rowspan=2|2003 |''ER'' |Mrs. Ferguson |Episode: "Now What?" |- |''Nip/Tuck'' |Annalise Anderson |Episode: "Adelle Coffin" |- |2003–2004 |''Girlfriends'' |Elizabeth Bickle |Episodes: "The Fast Track & the Furious", "New York Unbound" |- |rowspan=3|2004 |''NYPD Blue'' |Veronica Lewis |Episode: "Old Yeller" |- |''Cold Case'' |Kay Lang |Episode: "Red Glare" |- |''June'' |Grandma P. |TV film |- |rowspan=2|2005 |''American Dreams'' |Dorothy Day |Episode: "Home Again" |- |''Carnivàle'' |The Crone |Episode: "Old Cherry Blossom Road" |- |rowspan=3|2006 |''Charmed'' |Piper (elderly) |Episode: "Forever Charmed" |- |''Our House'' |Rose |TV film |- |''7th Heaven'' |Joyce |Episode: "You Don't Know What You've Got 'Til He's Gone" |- |2006, 2010 |''Medium'' |Grandma Benoit |Episodes: "Twice Upon a Time", "Allison Rolen Got Married" |- |2007 |''Supernatural'' |Gert Case |Episode: "Red Sky at Morning" |- |2007–08, 2012 |''Desperate Housewives'' |Lillian Sims |Episodes: "What Would We Do Without You?", "If There's Anything I Can't Stand", "Free", "Finishing the Hat" |- |2009 |''Bones'' |Anne Reilly |Episode: "The Double Death of the Dearly Departed" |- |2011 |''Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior'' |Mary Ellen Stahl |Episode: "Death by a Thousand Cuts" |- |2012 |''Castle'' |Viola Maddox |Episode: "The Blue Butterfly" |- |2015 |''{{sortname|The|Middle|The Middle (TV series)}}'' |Cynthia |Episode: "Halloween VI: Tick Tock Death" |- |2017 |''Room 104'' |Lorraine |Episode: "My Love" |- |2019 |''NCIS'' |Esther Daniels |Episode: "Going Mobile" |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|311619|Ellen Geer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geer, Ellen}} Category:20th-century American actresses Category:21st-century American actresses Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:American theatre directors Category:American women theatre directors Category:Living people Category:American women educators Category:American women film directors Category:American women screenwriters Category:UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television faculty Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:1940s births