Veteran actress Alice Hirson, known to ’90s kids for her turns on sitcoms like Full House and Ellen, has died. She was 95.
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The actress passed away on Feb. 14, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, with the news going public via The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday. Her son, David Hirson, shared that she had been residing at the facility for a year before her death, which was attributed to natural causes.
Hirson’s breakout role was as Mavis Anderson on Dallas, appearing in 26 episodes from 1982 to 1988. She played the loyal best friend of Barbara Bel Geddes’ Ellie and the wife of Morgan Woodward’s Punk Anderson. Her husband, Stephen Elliott, also appeared on the show as Scotty Demarest, a sharp-witted lawyer.
Many TV fans remember her role on the ABC sitcom Ellen, alongside series lead Ellen DeGeneres. From 1994 to 1998, she appeared in 28 episodes as Lois Morgan, Ellen’s on-screen mother. Her character’s journey took a poignant turn in a 1997 episode when she learned that her daughter was gay—mirroring DeGeneres’ own real-life coming out as a lesbian during that same period.
RIP Alice Hirson, 95. She was of course Ellen's mom on "Ellen," but also a memorable first lady in the incredible film "Being There." https://t.co/LztLRQAdpa pic.twitter.com/CD77f4exGK
— Matthew Rettenmund (@mattrett) February 21, 2025
Originally from Long Island, New York, Alice studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. After graduating in 1948, she played Lucy Shmeeler in a touring production of On the Town. In 1952, she reprised the role in the anthology series Hallmark Hall of Fame. That same year, she married Roger O. Hirson, but they divorced in the 1970s.
She made her Broadway debut in 1964 with Traveller Without Luggage, where she met Elliott, whom she would go on to marry in the 1980s. Their marriage lasted until his passing in 2005. She returned to Broadway in 1966 with The Investigation and again in 1971 with Solitaire/Double Solitaire.
Alice Hirson’s Prolific TV and Film Career
Back on TV, Hirson also made a memorable appearance as Danny Tanner’s (Bog Saget) mother on the first season of Full House.
In 1992, she joined the cast of the NBC sitcom Home Fires as a series regular. Later, from 1996 to 2006, she appeared in a recurring role on 7th Heaven as Jenny Jackson.
I found out the news that Alice Hirson passed away at the age of 95 yesterday. I remember her playing Claire Tanner in Season 1 of Full House. RIP 1929-2025. pic.twitter.com/PKC51t7Ca7
— WOF 2025 (@WOF2025) February 16, 2025
She also had an impressive career in soap operas, with roles spanning several popular series. She portrayed Stephanie Martin on The Edge of Night, Marsha Davis on both Another World and its spinoff Somerset, and Eileen Siegel on One Life to Live. Additionally, she appeared as Mrs. Van Gelder on General Hospital and Dr. Lisa Helman on Loving.
Hirson also made her mark on the big screen. In 1979, she appeared alongside comedy legend Peter Sellers in Being There. In 1980, she appeared in Private Benjamin as the wife of Colonel Thornbush, portrayed by Robert Webber. Later, in 1984, she took on the role of Gilbert Lowe’s wife, played by Anthony Edwards, in the cult classic Revenge of the Nerds.
Hirson is survived by her son David, her other son Christopher, and her grandson Daniel.