Estelle Harris, who played George Costanza’s (Jason Alexander) mother Estelle on the legendary NBC sitcom Seinfeld, died Saturday night of natural causes in Palm Desert, California, just weeks before her 94th birthday.
“It is with the utmost regret and sadness that I have to report that Estelle Harris passed away at 6:25pm this evening,” her son Glen Harris, who held her as she breathed her last, told Deadline. “Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were virtually unrivaled and she will be terribly missed by all who knew her.”
Born Estelle Nussbaum on April 22, 1928 in New York City, Harris appeared on her children in 27 episodes of Seinfeld between 1992 and 1998 and had incredible success on both stage and screen, including in series such as Futurama, The Looney Tunes Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, iCarly, ER, Mind of Mencia, Phil of the Future, Dave the Barbarian, Kim Possible, The Proud Family, House of Mouse, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Godzilla : The Series, The Wild Thornberrys, Hercules, Cybill, Living Single, Moesha, The Mask, Night Stand, Star Trek: Voyager, The Tick, Aladdin, Good Advice, Mad About You, Married… with Children and Night Court.
Harris is also known for voicing Mrs. Potato Head in three episodes of Pixar’s Toy Story franchise (2, 3 and 4) and a number of additional shorts. Other films have included Promoted, CBGB, Playing Mona Lisa, Dancing in September, What’s Cooking?, Lost & Found, My Giant, The Odd Couple II, Chairman of the Board, Out to Sea, Downhill Willie, Perfect Alibi, This Is My Life, Stand and Deliver, Once Upon a Time in America, Summerdog and Looking Up.
With comedic gifts and a one-of-a-kind voice, Harris was once known on Madison Avenue as the “Queen of Commercials” for having been known to book up to 25 national television spots in a single year. “Her passion was her work,” said Glen Harris, “and her work was her passion.”
Harris is survived by three children, three grandchildren and one great-grandson. Plans for a memorial have not been announced.