Actress. She is best remembered for her portrayal of the savvy Rita Marshall in "Tootsie" (1982). Born into a traditional working-class family, the youngest of two daughters born unto Russian Jewish immigrants, after attaining her degree in theatrical arts from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in her native New York City, New York, she began her career appearing as a leading lady in stock companies appearing in such productions as "Semi-Detached," "The Heroine," "Nathan Weinstein, Mystic, Connecticut," "Bad Habits," "The Ninety Day Mistress," "P.S. 193," and "Letters Home." Upon being introduced to director Fred Coe during a dinner party at the prestigious Russian Tea Room, he was so impressed by her reddish good looks, humble charm, and distinctive voice that he arranged for her to begin a secondary career in the film and television industry beginning with her being under his supervision per a major role in an episode of "The Borden Show." From there, she would go on to flourish as a recognizable character actress appearing in over 80 features; often typecast as wives, mothers, old maids, judges, housekeepers, old maids, snobs, businesswomen, aristocrats, nurses, educators, white-collared workers, retail clerks, managers, doctors, therapists, landladies, curmudgeons, faithful friends, kindly neighbors, eccentrics, historical figures, and, in her later years, matriarchs. She appeared in such feature films as "The Black Marble" (1980), "Hanky Panky" (1982), "Fast Forward" (1985), "Batteries Not Included" (1987), "She-Devil" (1989), "Opportunity Knocks" (1990), "What About Bob?" (1991), "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" (1993), "What's Your Sign?" (1997), "Krippendorf's Tribe" (1998), "Prime" (2005), and "Arranged" (2007). On television, she became an even more familiar face appearing in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Treasury Men in Action," "Lux Video Theatre," "Another World," "East Side, West Side," "Barney Miller," "The Patty Duke Show," "One Life to Live," "One Our Own," "Baker's Dozen," "The Edge of Night," "Family Ties," "The Cosby Show," "Cagney and Lacey," "Remington Steele," "Hometown," "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," "Mr. Belvedere," "The Golden Girls," "Anything But Love," "Mathnet," "Laurie Hill," "Family Album," "Doug," "Sisters," "Picket Fences," "Public Morals," "Ellen," "Chicago Hope," "Guiding Light," "Prince Street," "Touched by an Angel," "New York Undercover," "Madigan Men," "Law & Order," "Everwood," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Now and Again," and "Sex and the City." During her career, she was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, had been an honorary member of Actors Equity, was a narrator for over 20 audiobooks, was a theatrical instructor for the HB Studio, had been a supporter of the New York State Democratic Committee, was a regular parishioner of the Temple Emanu-El, was a chairwoman for her local charters of the American Red Cross and Feeding America, had been a press agent for actor Sidney Poitier and playwright Lorraine Hansberry, and she was married to theatrical producer Philip Rose from 1946 until his death (their union produced no children). Following her retirement in 2008, she spent the final years of her life dividing time between her homes in New York and New Jersey, had been a regular attendee at autograph conventions, and was involved in charitable and religious ventures, until her death.