Susan Gaye Tolsky (born April 6, 1943) is an American former actress
and voice actress. Her career began in the late 1960s, when she had a
main role as Biddie Cloom on the ABC comedy Western series Here Come
the Brides (1968â€"70). She was also a series regular on the variety
series The New Bill Cosby Show (1972â€"73). Following guest
appearances on several sitcoms throughout the decade, Tolsky was part
of the main cast as Bernadette Van Gilder on the syndicated sitcom
Madame's Place (1982â€"83).Beginning in the early 1990s, Tolsky worked
exclusively as a voice actress in animated television. She had
recurring roles as Binkie Muddlefoot on Darkwing Duck (1991â€"92) and
Aunt Janie on Pepper Ann (1997â€"2000), in addition to other episodic
voice roles on several other animated series. Her most recent credit
is The Buzz on Maggie (2005â€"06), where she voiced Mrs. Pesky, the
mother of the titular character, throughout the series' one-season run
on Disney Channel.Susan Gaye Tolsky was born on April 6, 1943, in
Houston, Texas, to shop owners Sarah (née Hartstein) and Abe Tolsky.
She is of Russian descent. She has one sister, Noel Foreman. Tolsky
attended Bellaire High School, where she grew fond of acting. At age
15, she started working in hospitals. When her father advised her not
to pursue a career in acting, she enrolled at the University of Texas
in Austin to major in nursing. During this time, she worked as a
nurse's aide at the Houston Medical Center after school and on
weekends. Initially planning to acquire a degree in medicine, she
switched to drama two years later. At university, she regularly
appeared in school plays. In her senior year, talent scout Eddie Foy
III visited on behalf of Screen Gems, and Tolsky auditioned in a scene
from Barefoot in the Park. Foy advised her to try acting in Hollywood,
where she later moved after graduating with a degree in the fine arts
in 1967. She shared an apartment in Hollywood, California, with
actress Susan Howard.When in Hollywood, Foy was unable to grant Tolsky
a contract with Screen Gems, and instead introduced her to people who
worked in casting and helped her get an agent. In 1968, Tolsky made
her television debut on an episode of The Second Hundred Years, where
she had one line, followed by a small role on an episode of Bewitched,
both on ABC. During this time, she worked with the Columbia Pictures
Workshop and the Los Angeles Repertory Company. Howard, a contract
actress at Screen Gems, brought home a script for the pilot episode of
the comedy Western series Here Come the Brides. Howard believed Tolsky
was "perfect" for the role of Biddie Cloom, but Foy was less enthused
of her chances of securing the part, believing she could not play a
character from Massachusetts due to her Southern accent. Tolsky
ultimately read the part, and recalled that the audition was "awful",
stating that she was a "nervous wreck". Two weeks later, she landed
the role. Originally written as a minor character, the crew were so
impressed with Tolsky's performance as Biddie that she was made a
series regular. The series aired for two seasons from September 1968
to April 1970 on ABC.
and voice actress. Her career began in the late 1960s, when she had a
main role as Biddie Cloom on the ABC comedy Western series Here Come
the Brides (1968â€"70). She was also a series regular on the variety
series The New Bill Cosby Show (1972â€"73). Following guest
appearances on several sitcoms throughout the decade, Tolsky was part
of the main cast as Bernadette Van Gilder on the syndicated sitcom
Madame's Place (1982â€"83).Beginning in the early 1990s, Tolsky worked
exclusively as a voice actress in animated television. She had
recurring roles as Binkie Muddlefoot on Darkwing Duck (1991â€"92) and
Aunt Janie on Pepper Ann (1997â€"2000), in addition to other episodic
voice roles on several other animated series. Her most recent credit
is The Buzz on Maggie (2005â€"06), where she voiced Mrs. Pesky, the
mother of the titular character, throughout the series' one-season run
on Disney Channel.Susan Gaye Tolsky was born on April 6, 1943, in
Houston, Texas, to shop owners Sarah (née Hartstein) and Abe Tolsky.
She is of Russian descent. She has one sister, Noel Foreman. Tolsky
attended Bellaire High School, where she grew fond of acting. At age
15, she started working in hospitals. When her father advised her not
to pursue a career in acting, she enrolled at the University of Texas
in Austin to major in nursing. During this time, she worked as a
nurse's aide at the Houston Medical Center after school and on
weekends. Initially planning to acquire a degree in medicine, she
switched to drama two years later. At university, she regularly
appeared in school plays. In her senior year, talent scout Eddie Foy
III visited on behalf of Screen Gems, and Tolsky auditioned in a scene
from Barefoot in the Park. Foy advised her to try acting in Hollywood,
where she later moved after graduating with a degree in the fine arts
in 1967. She shared an apartment in Hollywood, California, with
actress Susan Howard.When in Hollywood, Foy was unable to grant Tolsky
a contract with Screen Gems, and instead introduced her to people who
worked in casting and helped her get an agent. In 1968, Tolsky made
her television debut on an episode of The Second Hundred Years, where
she had one line, followed by a small role on an episode of Bewitched,
both on ABC. During this time, she worked with the Columbia Pictures
Workshop and the Los Angeles Repertory Company. Howard, a contract
actress at Screen Gems, brought home a script for the pilot episode of
the comedy Western series Here Come the Brides. Howard believed Tolsky
was "perfect" for the role of Biddie Cloom, but Foy was less enthused
of her chances of securing the part, believing she could not play a
character from Massachusetts due to her Southern accent. Tolsky
ultimately read the part, and recalled that the audition was "awful",
stating that she was a "nervous wreck". Two weeks later, she landed
the role. Originally written as a minor character, the crew were so
impressed with Tolsky's performance as Biddie that she was made a
series regular. The series aired for two seasons from September 1968
to April 1970 on ABC.
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