Television Personality. She received instant recognition as the spokesperson for Wendy's, a nationally-known fast-food chain. As an eighty-one-year-old, she simply asked the question "Where's the Beef?" and became famous. Born Clara Sverdlov into a large Jewish family, she immigrated as a girl from the Russian Empire with her family. She married William Pellar and the couple had two children before their divorce. A retired long-time Chicago manicurist, Peller would embody Andy Warhol's "15 minutes of fame" adage when she was plucked from obscurity to star in a television commercial for the then struggling Wendy's fast-food chain. In a 1983 commercial spot, she visits the competition and after looking at the rather puny hamburger meat shouts in her raspy voice, "Where's the Beef? The line became an overnight sensation and became an icon of 80s pop culture and made Peller a celebrity. It was so popular in fact that Walter Mondale adopted it for his campaign during the 1984 presidential race. Peller did several more spots for Wendy's before being fired for doing a commercial for a spaghetti sauce. Her firing caused a decline in the Wendy's fast-food business for two to five years. She continued to have some success before her death of congested heart failure.
Television Personality. She received instant recognition as the spokesperson for Wendy's, a nationally-known fast-food chain. As an eighty-one-year-old, she simply asked the question "Where's the Beef?" and became famous. Born Clara Sverdlov into a large Jewish family, she immigrated as a girl from the Russian Empire with her family. She married William Pellar and the couple had two children before their divorce. A retired long-time Chicago manicurist, Peller would embody Andy Warhol's "15 minutes of fame" adage when she was plucked from obscurity to star in a television commercial for the then struggling Wendy's fast-food chain. In a 1983 commercial spot, she visits the competition and after looking at the rather puny hamburger meat shouts in her raspy voice, "Where's the Beef? The line became an overnight sensation and became an icon of 80s pop culture and made Peller a celebrity. It was so popular in fact that Walter Mondale adopted it for his campaign during the 1984 presidential race. Peller did several more spots for Wendy's before being fired for doing a commercial for a spaghetti sauce. Her firing caused a decline in the Wendy's fast-food business for two to five years. She continued to have some success before her death of congested heart failure.
Bio by: Savannah Mason
Inscription
Beloved Wife Mother
Grandmother & Talented Actress
Extraordinary Person, Missed By All
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Peller memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
