Alice Hirson, Soap Opera Vet and Mom to Ellen, Dead at 95
Alice Hirson, a veteran character actress whose TV credits included more than a half dozen daytime and primetime soaps, and who played mom to Ellen on the 1990s ABC sitcom, died Feb. 14 of natural causes, her son David told THR.com.
Hirson was 95.
More from TVLine
Kim Sae-ron, Star of Bloodhounds and Leverage, Dead at 24
Bruce French, Passions Actor, Dead at 79
David Lynch's Cause of Death Revealed
After beginning her acting career in the 1950s with appearances on a few anthology series, Hirson joined ABC's daytime serial The Edge of Night in the series regular role of the vengeful and sometimes murderous Stephanie Martin.
She went on to play Marcia Davis in both NBC's Another World and its offshoot Somerset, and in the early 1970s played Joe Riley's big sister, Eileen, on ABC's One Life to Live.
TV Stars We Lost in 2025
View Gallery10 Images
From there, Hirson's TV credits included episodes of Maude, The Waltons, Barnaby Jones and Taxi. In 1982, she had a short arc on ABC's General Hospital, which she followed up with episodes of Quincy M.E., Hotel and (the original) Matlock.
On CBS' Dallas, Hirson had a run as Mavis Anderson, friend and confidante of Miss Ellie Ewing. That was followed by a series regular role on the NBC sitcom Home Fires, and in 1994 she made her debut as Ellen DeGeneres' TV mom, Lois Morgan, in the aforementioned Ellen.
Hirson's more recent TV credits included Home Fires, 7th Heaven (as Jenny Jackson), The Secret Life of the American Teenager (as Mimsy), and a 2019 episode of Will & Grace.
Best of TVLine
Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Showtime Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?)
The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More
'Missing' Shows, Found! The Latest on Severance, Holey Moley, Poker Face, YOU, Primo, Transplant and 25+ Others
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
King Of The Hill and Parks And Recreation actor Jonathan Joss shot dead in Texas
An actor who appeared in animated series King Of The Hill and hit show Parks And Recreation has been shot dead near his home. Jonathan Joss, 59, was found injured by police in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday evening. Officers tried to save him but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The actor's husband claimed the gunman shouted "violent homophobic slurs" before opening fire, and that Joss had pushed him out the way to save his life. "He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other," alleged Tristan Kern de Gonzales on Facebook. He said the couple had previously faced harassment by neighbours, much of it "openly homophobic". Joss's husband said they were checking the mail at his home - which earlier this year burned down in a fire that killed their three dogs - when they noticed the skull of one of the animals in front of the property. He said they began began "yelling and crying" and claimed they were approached by a man who threatened them with a gun. "We were standing side by side," said Mr Kern de Gonzales. "When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life." However, San Antonio police said it had so far found no evidence indicating the shooting was a hate crime. "Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," said a statement. A 56-year-old man, Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, has already been charged with murder. Joss is best known for voicing Native American character John Redcorn in cult show King Of The Hill, which ran for 13 series and more than 250 episodes from 1997 to 2009. He also had a recurring role in NBC's Parks And Recreation as tribal elder and casino owner Chief Ken Hotate. Read more from Sky News: A King Of The Hill reboot is due to start in August and Joss had been in Austin, , for events promoting the comeback the day before he was killed. He posted a video on Instagram saying he was signing autographs at a comic book store, adding that he had already worked on four episodes of the revival. "The fans get to revisit King Of the Hill again, which I think is an amazing thing because it's a great show," he said in the video. The suspect is being held in a detention centre in San Antonio, but the lawyer representing him could not be traced as they were not listed in court records.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
'Parks and Rec' cast was 'texting' about Jonathan Joss' murder
The cast members of 'Parks and Recreation' are remembering co-star Jonathan Joss after his shocking shooting death over the weekend. Nick Offerman said that he and his 'Parks and Recreation' family have been 'texting together about it all day' and that they are all 'heartbroken' over Joss' sudden passing. 'The cast has been texting together about it all day and we're just heartbroken,' Offerman, 54, said in a statement to People on Monday. 8 Nick Offerman paid tribute to his 'Parks and Recreation' co-star Jonathan Joss on Monday. AFP via Getty Images 8 Joss starred as Chief Ken Hotate, the leader of the Native American Wamapoke Tribe, on 'Parks and Recreation' from 2011 to 2015. NBC 'Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate,' Offerman added. 'A terrible tragedy.' Chris Pratt, who starred in 'Parks and Recreation' alongside Offerman and Joss, also paid tribute to his late co-star following the news of the actor's death. 'Damn. RIP Jonathan,' Pratt, 45, wrote on social media. 'Always such a kind dude.' 8 Chris Pratt also paid tribute to Joss after he was fatally shot in Texas on Sunday, June 1. Facebook/Jonathan Joss 'He played Ken Hotate in Parks and was also in [The Magnificent Seven],' Pratt added. 'Sad to see. Prayers up. Hug your loved ones.' Joss starred in 'Parks and Recreation' for five years from 2011 through 2015. He appeared in a recurring role as Chief Ken Hotate, the leader of the Native American Wamapoke Tribe. Besides Offerman and Pratt, Joss also starred alongside Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aubrey Plaza and Adam Scott on the beloved sitcom. 8 'Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate,' Offerman said of Joss. Mitchell Haaseth/NBC Offerman and Pratt's remarks came one day after Joss, 59, was shot and killed at his property in San Antonio, Texas, following an alleged dispute with his neighbor. The 'King of the Hill' voice actor's suspected killer was identified as Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, and he was taken into custody on Sunday at approximately 7:05 p.m., The Post confirmed. Ceja was charged with felony first-degree murder, and his bond was set at $200K. His court date is scheduled for August. 8 Joss' suspected shooter has been identified as Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja. Facebook/Tristan Kern de Gonzales Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, alleged in a lengthy Facebook post on Monday that the actor's murder was a homophobic hate crime. 'He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,' Joss' husband wrote. However, the San Antonio Police Department denied those claims. 8 Joss and his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales. Facebook/Tristan Kern de Gonzales 'Currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation,' the department tweeted after de Gonzales' claims. It was also revealed that Joss, who voiced John Redcorn in 'King of the Hill,' was reportedly escorted out of a panel for the Fox animated series just two days before he was fatally shot. The alleged incident unfolded at the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas, on Friday, May 30. 8 Joss also voiced John Redcorn in 'King of the Hill.' Facebook/Dale Bracey Witnesses claimed that Joss walked up to a microphone and began to speak before it was time for the audience to interact with those on the 'King of the Hill' panel, including the show's co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels. 'I'm an actor,' Joss said in a clip of the incident before revealing how his home had burned down earlier this year. 'I see a mic, I use it. I see a wrong, I make it right. I take a breath, I want to breathe.' An eyewitness claimed that security approached Joss and escorted him out of the venue after he began walking toward the stage where the panel was taking place. 8 Joss as Chief Ken Hotate and Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in 'Parks and Recreation.' NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection 'As Joss moved away from the mic to go back to his seat, that's when security told him he had to leave, and he exited the theater calmly and cooperatively,' the onlooker claimed. Joss was fatally shot and killed two days after the ATX TV Festival. Neighbors claimed that Joss returned to his burned-down home to collect a victim's fire fund check, which was when the suspected dispute with his suspected killer began.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sydney Sweeney's New Soap Collab Includes a Unique Ingredient: Her Actual Bathwater.
Sydney Sweeney's New Soap Collab Includes a Unique Ingredient: Her Actual Bathwater. originally appeared on L.A. Mag. Sydney Sweeney is collaborating with men's soap company Dr. Squatch Soap Co. for a limited edition soap made with a special and highly requested ingredient: her own bath is the face of the new bar 'Sydney's Bathwater Bliss,' a soap described by Dr. Squatch as a "perfect combination of the two best places on the planet: The outdoors and Sydney Sweeney's bathtub." With notes of pine, Douglas fir, earthy moss, and a touch of Sydney Sweeney Bathwater–actually listed in the ingredients–the soap will be available starting at 12pm on June 6, selling only 5,000 units at $8 a bar. 'You kept asking about my bathwater after the @drsquatch ad… so we kept it,' Sweeney wrote on an Instagram post referencing a past advertisement she had done with Dr. Squatch. 'Introducing Sydney's Bathwater Bliss! A very real, very limited-edition soap made with my actual bathwater.' Dr. Squatch also shared some of their many fan mail requests for extra Sweeney bathwater on Instagram, including requests to use the bathwater to water bonsai trees, for eye drops, and to review the taste. 'When your fans start asking for your bathwater, you can either ignore it, or turn it into a bar of Dr. Squatch soap,' Sweeney said in an NBC release. 'We thrive on ideas that make you laugh,' said John Ludeke, the senior vice president of global marketing for Dr. Squatch, in a company news release. He hopes that the soap can be seen in a positive light, with increased conversations about male hygiene and cleanliness. There is a lot of disbelief surrounding the product. Reactions on social media are skewed, with some users criticizing Sweeney's hypocrisy in terms of her being sexualized by men, and other users supporting the product's ability to get men to shower. Despite the controversy, Sweeney is calling the soap 'weird in the best way' and an 'unforgettable' product. The irony of the product is evident: men who are grossly begging for Sweeney's bathwater definitely need to be cleaned. This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
