Helen Siff, a character actress known for her memorable roles in a slew of TV shows and films, has died.
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The 88-year-old passed away on December 18 in Los Angeles. Her family told The Hollywood Reporter that her death was due to complications from a surgery following a “long, painful illness.”
“Those who worked with Helen knew her not just as a talented performer, but as someone who brought professionalism, dedication, and genuine kindness to every set,” the family said in a statement to the outlet. “She understood that every role, no matter how large or small, was an opportunity to contribute something meaningful to the story being told.”
Born in Woodmere, New York, Siff had a career spanning five decades with over 70 TV and film roles, per IMDb. Early appearances included a waitress in Lou Grant (1981), a cashier in The Karate Kid (1984), and a nurse in Silver Spoons (1986). In the late ’80s, she played Ruth in Big Top Pee-Wee and a clerk in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989).
Her other notable roles include a two-episode stint on Married… with Children, and she also popped up on Will & Grace, Ellen, Scrubs, Modern Family, and Spin City, among others.
Helen Siff More Recently Appeared in Films with Adam Sandler and George Clooney
More recently, in film, Siff appeared as a woman getting her hair done in 2008’s Adam Sandler comedy, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, and as a maid in 2016’s Hail, Caesar! alongside George Clooney.
Meanwhile, on stage, she debuted as Helga in the 1993 production of Grandma Sylvia’s Funeral and also performed in Lilies of the Field and Lost in Yonkers.
Siff’s daughter, Victoria Russell, shared on Instagram that her mother was a “dynamic, charismatic, one-of-a-kind mom.”
“She loved her craft deeply, but her greatest role was being a mother and grandmother,” she added.
The actress is survived by her identical twin sister, Carol Infield Sender, and her sister, Janet. According to THR, she is also survived by her children, Matt, Susie, Karen, Victoria, and Jenny, as well as her grandchildren, Chelsea, Zach, Robert, Josh, Spencer, Megan, and Dean. Her husband, Marshall, passed away in 2007, and her son, Bruce, in 1999.