Carole Cook
Encyclopedia
Carole Cook is an American
actress. She has appeared in many theatrical productions, in films and on television.
Born as Mildred Frances Cook, she was a protege of Lucille Ball
. Ball gave her the stage name of "Carole", after her friend Carole Lombard
because, Ball reportedly told Cook, "you have the same healthy disrespect for everything in general". Cook appeared regularly on two of her shows, The Lucy Show
and Here's Lucy
. Ball was matron of honor at Cook's wedding in 1964 to actor Tom Troupe
.
Cook starred in the animated Disney
film Home on the Range, as the voice of Pearl Gesner, the farmer of Patch of Heaven. She appeared in such feature films as The Incredible Mr. Limpet
, Sixteen Candles
, Grandview, U.S.A.
, American Gigolo
and Summer Lovers
. Her first film role was in Palm Springs Weekend
.
She made guest appearances on such TV shows as The Lucy Show
, Here's Lucy
, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I.
, Murder, She Wrote
, Dynasty
, Charlie's Angels
, on a fourth season 1985 episode of The A-Team
called "Members Only", and, more recently, on Grey's Anatomy
. In 1974, Cook played Marta, the money-grubbing former wife of Walter Findlay (Bill Macy
) on the series Maude. In 1976, she appeared as a bullying nurse in an episode of Emergency!
in which Johnny Gage is injured by a hit-and-run driver. In 2006, she appeared as an elderly patient on the ABC
drama Grey's Anatomy
(episode 14 "Tell Me Sweet Little Lies", season two).
In addition to her film and television work, Cook appeared in the original Broadway
productions of 42nd Street
and Romantic Comedy
and was the second actress (after Carol Channing
) to star as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!
. Cook also appeared as Mrs. Peacham in the 1956 off-Broadway
production of The Three Penny Opera starring Lotte Lenya
and is the only actress to star in major productions of both Mame and Auntie Mame
.
organizations and regularly appears as a featured performer in the annual Los Angeles
S.T.A.G.E. benefit.
Cook, along with her actor husband, Tom Troupe
, was a recipient of the 2002 Theatre Ovation Award for Lifetime Career Achievement, the first husband and wife to be so honored. She has also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Baylor University
, the S.T.A.G.E. Producers Award and the Hero in the Fight Against AIDS Award from the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation as well as eight Drama-Logue and Robby Awards.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress. She has appeared in many theatrical productions, in films and on television.
Born as Mildred Frances Cook, she was a protege of Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
. Ball gave her the stage name of "Carole", after her friend Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
because, Ball reportedly told Cook, "you have the same healthy disrespect for everything in general". Cook appeared regularly on two of her shows, The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program...
and Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
. Ball was matron of honor at Cook's wedding in 1964 to actor Tom Troupe
Tom Troupe
Tom Troupe is an American actor and writer.Tom Troupe was born in North Kansas City Missouri and studied with Uta Hagen at Herbert Berghof Studios in Manhattan during the early 1950s...
.
Cook starred in the animated Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
film Home on the Range, as the voice of Pearl Gesner, the farmer of Patch of Heaven. She appeared in such feature films as The Incredible Mr. Limpet
The Incredible Mr. Limpet
The Incredible Mr. Limpet is a 1964 American live-action/animated film from Warner Bros. It is about a man named Henry Limpet who turns into a talking fish resembling a tilefish and helps the U.S. Navy locate and destroy Nazi submarines. Don Knotts plays the title character. The live action was...
, Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
, Grandview, U.S.A.
Grandview, U.S.A.
Grandview, U.S.A. is a 1984 American comedy-drama film directed by Randal Kleiser. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Carole Cook, Ramon Bieri, John Cusack, Joan Cusack, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Winslow, Troy Donahue, and Steve Dahl. The original music...
, American Gigolo
American Gigolo
American Gigolo is a 1980 crime drama film, written and directed by Paul Schrader. It is informally considered the second installment in his "lonely man" trilogy, following the Martin Scorsese directed Taxi Driver and preceding Light Sleeper .-Plot:Julian Kaye is a male prostitute in Los Angeles...
and Summer Lovers
Summer Lovers
Summer Lovers is a 1982 film written and directed by Randal Kleiser, starring Peter Gallagher, Daryl Hannah and Valerie Quennessen, and filmed on location on the island of Santorini, Greece. The original music score is composed by Basil Poledouris...
. Her first film role was in Palm Springs Weekend
Palm Springs Weekend
Palm Springs Weekend is a 1963 Warner Bros. bedroom comedy film directed by Norman Taurog. It has elements of the beach party genre and has been called “a sort of Westernized version of Where the Boys Are" by Billboard Magazine...
.
She made guest appearances on such TV shows as The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program...
, Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
, Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
, Dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
, Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
, on a fourth season 1985 episode of The A-Team
The A-Team
The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
called "Members Only", and, more recently, on Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. In 1974, Cook played Marta, the money-grubbing former wife of Walter Findlay (Bill Macy
Bill Macy
Bill Macy is an American television and stage actor.Macy was born in Revere, Massachusetts, to Mollie and Michael Garber, a manufacturer...
) on the series Maude. In 1976, she appeared as a bullying nurse in an episode of Emergency!
Emergency!
Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios...
in which Johnny Gage is injured by a hit-and-run driver. In 2006, she appeared as an elderly patient on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
drama Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
(episode 14 "Tell Me Sweet Little Lies", season two).
In addition to her film and television work, Cook appeared in the original Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions of 42nd Street
42nd Street (musical)
42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
and Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy (play)
Romantic Comedy is a play by Bernard Slade, author of Same Time, Next Year.The plot focuses on Phoebe Craddock and Jason Carmichael, playwrights who meet and decide to collaborate just as he is getting married...
and was the second actress (after Carol Channing
Carol Channing
Carol Elaine Channing is an American singer, actress, and comedienne. She is the recipient of three Tony Awards , a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination...
) to star as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
. Cook also appeared as Mrs. Peacham in the 1956 off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production of The Three Penny Opera starring Lotte Lenya
Lotte Lenya
Lotte Lenya was an Austrian singer, diseuse, and actress. In the German-speaking and classical music world she is best remembered for her performances of the songs of her husband, Kurt Weill. In English-language film she is remembered for her Academy Award-nominated role in The Roman Spring of Mrs...
and is the only actress to star in major productions of both Mame and Auntie Mame
Auntie Mame
Auntie Mame is a 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis that chronicles the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his deceased father's eccentric sister, Mame Dennis. The book is a work of fiction inspired by the author's eccentric aunt, Marion Tanner, whose life and outlook in many...
.
Personal life
Carole Cook is a longtime supporter of various AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
organizations and regularly appears as a featured performer in the annual Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
S.T.A.G.E. benefit.
Cook, along with her actor husband, Tom Troupe
Tom Troupe
Tom Troupe is an American actor and writer.Tom Troupe was born in North Kansas City Missouri and studied with Uta Hagen at Herbert Berghof Studios in Manhattan during the early 1950s...
, was a recipient of the 2002 Theatre Ovation Award for Lifetime Career Achievement, the first husband and wife to be so honored. She has also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
, the S.T.A.G.E. Producers Award and the Hero in the Fight Against AIDS Award from the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation as well as eight Drama-Logue and Robby Awards.
Selected filmography
- Palm Springs WeekendPalm Springs WeekendPalm Springs Weekend is a 1963 Warner Bros. bedroom comedy film directed by Norman Taurog. It has elements of the beach party genre and has been called “a sort of Westernized version of Where the Boys Are" by Billboard Magazine...
(1963) - The Incredible Mr. LimpetThe Incredible Mr. LimpetThe Incredible Mr. Limpet is a 1964 American live-action/animated film from Warner Bros. It is about a man named Henry Limpet who turns into a talking fish resembling a tilefish and helps the U.S. Navy locate and destroy Nazi submarines. Don Knotts plays the title character. The live action was...
(1964) - The Gauntlet (1977)
- American GigoloAmerican GigoloAmerican Gigolo is a 1980 crime drama film, written and directed by Paul Schrader. It is informally considered the second installment in his "lonely man" trilogy, following the Martin Scorsese directed Taxi Driver and preceding Light Sleeper .-Plot:Julian Kaye is a male prostitute in Los Angeles...
(1980) - The Zertigo Diamond Caper (1982) (TV)
- Summer LoversSummer LoversSummer Lovers is a 1982 film written and directed by Randal Kleiser, starring Peter Gallagher, Daryl Hannah and Valerie Quennessen, and filmed on location on the island of Santorini, Greece. The original music score is composed by Basil Poledouris...
(1982) - Something So RightSomething So RightSomething So Right is an American television situation comedy which ran on two different networks during its time on the air, and in reruns on the USA Network for a number of years after its cancellation....
(1982) (TV) - Sixteen CandlesSixteen CandlesSixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
(1984) - Grandview, U.S.A.Grandview, U.S.A.Grandview, U.S.A. is a 1984 American comedy-drama film directed by Randal Kleiser. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Carole Cook, Ramon Bieri, John Cusack, Joan Cusack, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Winslow, Troy Donahue, and Steve Dahl. The original music...
(1984) - Carly's Web (1987) (TV)
- Fast Money (1995)
- Lost & Found (1999)
- Home on the Range (2004)
- Bentley and Max (2007)