Alice Ghostley

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Alice Ghostley (born August 14, 1926 in Vernon County, Missouri), is an American actress best known for playing the character of Bernice Clifton on Designing Women (Emmy Nomination, Best Supporting Actress 1992), Esmerelda on Bewitched and Cousin Alice on Mayberry R.F.D. after Frances Bavier left the show, and her character Aunt Bee was written out.

A veteran of early television, she appeared as one of the ugly step-sisters in the landmark 1957 musical television production of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's Cinderella, which starred Julie Andrews in the title role.

On Broadway, Ghostley appeared in the 1960 revue A Thurber Carnival and in several plays, including Shangri-La and The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, for which she won the 1965 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. She also replaced Dorothy Loudon as the evil Miss Hannigan in the original run of the musical Annie.

During her few forays into motion pictures she found herself in a supporting role in the classic To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), playing Dill's Aunt Stephanie Crawford. She also appeared in the hit movie version of Grease where she played shop teacher Mrs. Murdock.

She was married to Felice Orlandi, an actor, from 1953 until his death from lung cancer on May 21, 2003.

[edit] Trivia

Ghostley had a small role in 1967's The Graduate in a scene with Marion Lorne. Ghostley's character in Bewitched was essentially created to replace Lorne's character when the latter actress died in 1968.

[edit] External link

• Alice Ghostley at the Internet Movie Database
• Alice Ghostley in the Internet Broadway Database (IBDB