Carol Ann Susi (February 2, 1952 – November 11, 2014) was an American actress whose career spanned 40 years. Her best known roles were probably her first and last; she debuted as the recurring character of semi-competent but likable intern Monique Marmelstein on Kolchak: The Night Stalker. More than three decades and countless supporting roles later, her level of celebrity was elevated for having provided the voice of recurring off-screen character Mrs. Wolowitz, mother of Howard Wolowitz, on the television series The Big Bang Theory.[3][4][5]

Carol Ann Susi
Publicity Photo of Carol Ann Susi
Born(1952-02-02)February 2, 1952
DiedNovember 11, 2014(2014-11-11) (aged 62)
Resting placeSaint Charles Cemetery
OccupationActress
Years active1974–2014

Career

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Susi made her first on-screen appearance in Kolchak: The Night Stalker, where she played the recurring role of news service intern Monique Marmelstein. Other television and film credits included: McMillan & Wife, Coyote Ugly, Just Go with It, The Big Bang Theory, Cheers, Becker, Something So Right, Generations, the 1990 biker comedy Masters of Menace, Grey's Anatomy, That '70s Show, Out of Practice, Cats & Dogs, Just Shoot Me, Married... with Children, Night Court, The King of Queens, Death Becomes Her, NYPD Blue, Seinfeld, The Secret of My Success, My Blue Heaven, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.[6] She also had extensive experience in live theatre[7][8] and voiced a character on the video game adaptation of CSI: NY.

Personal life

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Susi was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1952 to an Italian-American family.[1][9] She graduated from Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School in Brooklyn in 1970.[10] She studied acting at HB Studio in New York City before moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s.[1]

Death

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Susi died of cancer on November 11, 2014, in Los Angeles, California, at age 62. She had been diagnosed a week before her death.[11][2][12] She is interred at the Saint Charles Cemetery in East Farmingdale, New York.[13] Her character on The Big Bang Theory, Mrs. Wolowitz, was mourned after the character died in the series' eighth-season episode "The Comic Book Store Regeneration" broadcast on February 19, 2015.[14]

Filmography

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Film

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1984 Love Scenes Susan
1987 Outrageous Fortune Receptionist
The Secret of My Success Jean Credited as Carol-Ann Susi
1989 Blood Red Segestra Daughter #1
Wedding Band Angela
Sea of Love Additional voice
1990 My Blue Heaven Filomena
Masters of Menace Candy Colletti
1992 Death Becomes Her Psychiatric Patient
1993 Under Investigation Neighbor
1996 Qiana Waitress Short film
Edie & Pen Irma
Wedding Bell Blues Aunt Anash
The Cottonwood
1997 Eat Your Heart Out Cynthia
1998 Mafia! Clamato's Wife
Waiting for Woody Short film
2000 The Amati Girls Ticket Seller
Tempest Eye Monique
2001 Cats & Dogs Sophie's Sister
2002 Duty Dating Seminar Woman
2006 Coffee Date Diana's Assistant
2008 Red Velvet Mother
2011 Just Go with It Mrs. Maccabee
2014 A Life, Taken Ms. Mancuso Short film
Final film role

Television

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Television
Year Title Role Notes
1974 Kolchak: The Night Stalker Monique Marmelstein 3 episodes
Crackle of Death Monique Marmelstein TV movie
Segment: "Firefall"
1975 McCoy Episode 1: "The Big Ripoff
McMillan & Wife Luana / Waitress not Laura 2 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode
1976 Rich Man, Poor Man Waitress Episode: "Part V: Chapter 7"
1981 Leave 'em Laughing Gina TV movie
1987 My Sister Sam Marsha Hammer Season 1 episode 14: "Go Crazy"
Simon & Simon Doreen Carol-Ann Susi
Season 7 episode 1: "New Cop in Town"
Jake and the Fatman Sally Credited as Carolann Susi
Season 1 episode 11: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
1989 Married to the Mob Marilyn TV short
Who's the Boss? Ginger Season 6 episode 3: "In Your Dreams"
1989-1990 Generations Thelma 8 episodes
Credit only - 5 episodes
1990 Growing Pains Norma Season 5 episode 16: "The Home Show"
Night Court Mara Bernstein Season 7 episode 21: "My Three Dads"
Head of the Class Nurse Lemas Season 5 episode 7: "Billy's Big One"
Adam-12 Vicki Also known as The New Adam-12
Season 1 episode 6: "Vigilante"
Married People Gloria Episode 9: "Term Paper"
Doner Berlinetti TV movie
1990–1993 Murphy Brown Woman Checker / Secretary #37 2 episodes
1991 Cheers Angeline Season 9 episode 13: "Honor Thy Mother
Doogie Howser, M.D. Psychic Season 2 episode 23: "Doogie's Wager"
1992 Seinfeld Carrie Episode: "The Boyfriend"
Bob Debra Season 1 episode 6: "P.C. or Not P.C."
A Different World Desk Sergeant Season 6 episode 10: "Faith, Hope, and Charity: Part 2"
Mad About You Female Passenger 2 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode (clip show)
1993 Blossom Nun Season 3 episode 19: "The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men"
Good Advice Patient Season 1 episode 4: "The Kiss"
1994 NYPD Blue Connie Season 1 episode 14: "Jumpin' Jack Fleishman"
Big Daddy's Barbeque Deirdre TV movie
1995 Pointman Pageant Director Miss Sloane Season 2 episode 7: "Here She Comes, Miss Murder"
1995–1996 Married... with Children Frannie 3 episodes
1996 The Home Court Connie Episode 11: "Touched by an Anger"
ER Pregnant Alien-Abductee Season 2 episode 15: "Baby Shower"
1996–1997 Something So Right Gracie/Grace 8 episodes
1997 Fired Up Meat Selling Woman Season 1 episode 1: "Pilot"
1998 Just Shoot Me! Mrs. Boukidis Season 2 episode 13: "Pass the Salt"
Oh Baby Felicia Season 1 episode 2: "Picking a Donor"
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Doris Season 3 episode 1: "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad Season Opener"
Becker Mrs. Marino Season 1 episode 2: "Take These Pills and Shove 'Em"
USA High Mrs. Lazzarini Season 1 episode 75: "Goodbye Lazz"
1999 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Third Pigeon Voice
Season 3 episode 5: "The Happy Prince"
2000 City Guys Surly Woman Season 4 episode 18: "Who Da Man?"
2000-2005 The King of Queens Service Counter Manager / Ms. Deluca 2 episodes
2001 Rude Awakening Brandy Season 3 episode 19: "Dawg Daze Afternoon"
That's Life Tessie Dalton Season 1 episode 18: "Miracle at the Cucina"
Six Feet Under Pauline Romano Season 1 episode 3: "The Foot"
2004 Just Desserts Mrs. Guzzi TV movie
The Drew Carey Show Doris Season 9 episode 20: "Liar Liar House on Fire"
2005 McBride: It's Murder, Madam Helen TV movie
Out of Practice Susy 2 episodes
2006 Love, Inc. Gwen Episode 13: "Grace Under Fire"
That '70s Show Receptionist 2 episodes
2007 Journeyman Episode 7: "Double Down"
2007–2014; 2017 The Big Bang Theory Debbie Wolowitz 40 episodes
2008 Ugly Betty Mrs. Galeano
Grey's Anatomy Mrs. Borsokowski Season 5 episode 4: "Brave New World"
2010 'Til Death Marjorie Putnam Season 4 episode 12: "Snore Loser"
2012 Robot and Monster Katie Season 2 episode 3: "How to Train Your Marf/Blinking Light"
2019 Young Sheldon Debbie Wolowitz Voice
Archived recording
Season 2 episode 22: "A Swedish Science Thing and the Equation for Toast"

Video games

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Video games
Year Title Role Notes
2008 CSI: NY Doris Brown / Pamela Ross Voice
2010 Mafia II Cleaning Lady / Maria Agnello Voice

References

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  1. ^ a b c Hughes, Jason (November 11, 2014). "Carol Ann Susi, 'Big Bang Theory's' Mrs. Wolowitz, Dead at 62". The Wrap. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Big Bang Theory actress dies at 62". The Globe and Mail. November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  3. ^ Morris, Joan (March 14, 2009). "Who's the Voice of 'Big Bang' Mother?". Contra Costa Times. p. 2A. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  4. ^ Salem, Rob (January 24, 2009). "Nerd herd doing a bang-up job". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  5. ^ Owen, Rob (March 16, 2012). "TV Q&A with Rob Owen". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  6. ^ Robinson, Johnny (September 27, 1974). "Radio and TV plus Video Versions". Lewiston Evening Journal. p. 21. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  7. ^ Drake, Sylvie (September 16, 1988). "'Ladies' Room' Lives Up to Expectations of Racy Domain". Los Angeles Times. p. C6. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  8. ^ Collins, Scott (December 19, 1995). "Ollstein's 'Pot Roast' Is Rich in Flavor". Los Angeles Times. p. F8. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 11, 2014). "Carol Ann Susi, 'Big Bang Theory's Mrs. Wolowitz, Dead". Deadline. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  10. ^ "FDR High School is Turning 50! Here Are Some Alumni You Should Know About". May 15, 2015.
  11. ^ "Carol Ann Susi, 'Big Bang Theory's MRS. Wolowitz, Dead". November 12, 2014.
  12. ^ Swift, Andy (November 11, 2014). "Carol Ann Susi, Voice Behind Big Bang Theory's Mrs. Wolowitz, Dead at 62". TV Line. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  13. ^ Wilson, Scott (August 22, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. (2 volume set). McFarland. ISBN 9780786479924. Retrieved November 2, 2018 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ Fowle, Kyle (February 19, 2015). "The Big Bang Theory: "The Comic Book Store Regeneration"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
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