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Life and career

She was born Sada Carolyn Thompson in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1927 to Hugh Woodruff Thompson and his wife Corlyss (née Gibson). The family moved to Fanwood, New Jersey a few years later.¹² where she attended Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, graduating in the class of 1945.³ Thompson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as Carnegie Mellon University),⁴ after which she worked steadily in regional theatre in such plays as The Seagull, Pygmalion, Our Town, Arms and the Man, and Blithe Spirit. She received training at Pittsburgh Playhouse, where she appeared in numerous productions.⁵

She made her Off-Broadway debut in a 1955 production of Under Milk Wood,⁶ and the following year she appeared on television in a Goodyear Television Playhouse production. She made her Broadway debut in the 1959 musical Juno. Her additional New York City stage-credits include The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Tartuffe, and Twigs. Her stage performances won her an Obie Award, a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play (for "Twigs"), three Drama Desk Awards and two Sarah Siddons Awards (the last presented for outstanding performances in Chicago theatre). She was elected to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2005.⁷

On the strength of her success in Twigs, Thompson was signed to play neighbor Irene Lorenzo on All in the Family. After taping her first episode, however, she was replaced by Betty Garrett, when it became obvious that she and producer Norman Lear had different opinions about how the character should be played.⁸

She was subsequently cast as matriarch Kate Lawrence on Family. Thompson's portrayal of Kate was lauded for its realism.⁹ She won the 1978 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the role, which also garnered three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama.

She was nominated for the Emmy Award nine times, including a nomination for her portrayal of Carla's mother on Cheers.¹⁰ Thompson's additional television credits included Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, The Love Boat, Father Dowling Mysteries, Andre's Mother, Indictment: The McMartin Trial, ER and Law & Order. Her feature films included The Pursuit of Happiness, Desperate Characters, and Pollock.

Personal life

Thompson was married to Donald E. Stewart from December 18, 1949, until her death.¹¹ She and her husband lived in Southbury, Connecticut. Their daughter, Liza Stewart, is a costume designer.¹²

Death

Thompson died on May 4, 2011, in Danbury, Connecticut, of lung disease, aged 83.¹³

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

External links

• Sada Thompson at the Internet Broadway Database
• Sada Thompson at IMDb
• Sada Thompson at the Internet Off-Broadway Database

References

1. McLellan, Dennis (6 May 2011). "Sada Thompson dies at 83; stage and TV actress known for playing matriarch on 'Family'". Los Angeles Times. Born Sada Carolyn Thompson in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 27, 1927, she moved with her family to Fanwood, N.J., several years later. https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-sada-thompson-20110507-story.html ↩

2. Sada Thompson. AllMovie. http://www.allmovie.com/artist/sada-thompson-70742 ↩

3. "New inductees to Scotch Plains-Fanwood H.S. Hall of Fame". The Suburban News. Hackensack, NJ. October 9, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2016. "Sada Thompson. Class of 1945. Now deceased, Sada starred as an actress in productions off-Broadway, Broadway, TV and films." http://www.nj.com/suburbannews/index.ssf/2014/10/new_inductees_to_scotch_plains.html ↩

4. Sada Thompson. AllMovie. http://www.allmovie.com/artist/sada-thompson-70742 ↩

5. Conner, Lynne (2007). Pittsburgh In Stages: Two Hundred Years of Theater. University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-8229-4330-3. Retrieved 2023-01-14. 978-0-8229-4330-3 ↩

6. Sada Thompson. AllMovie. http://www.allmovie.com/artist/sada-thompson-70742 ↩

7. "Theater Hall of Fame inducts Thompson, Lithgow, others". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 14, 2014. http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/theater-dance/2006/02/01/Theater-Hall-of-Fame-inducts-Thompson-Lithgow-others/stories/200602010223 ↩

8. Sada Thompson. AllMovie. http://www.allmovie.com/artist/sada-thompson-70742 ↩

9. McLellan, Dennis (6 May 2011). "Sada Thompson dies at 83; stage and TV actress known for playing matriarch on 'Family'". Los Angeles Times. Born Sada Carolyn Thompson in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 27, 1927, she moved with her family to Fanwood, N.J., several years later. https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-sada-thompson-20110507-story.html ↩

10. Singer, Stephen (8 May 2011). "Sada Thompson, 1970s TV mom, dies in Danbury". Greenwich Time. Associated Press. https://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Sada-Thompson-1970s-TV-mom-dies-in-Danbury-1371303.php ↩

11. McLellan, Dennis (6 May 2011). "Sada Thompson dies at 83; stage and TV actress known for playing matriarch on 'Family'". Los Angeles Times. Born Sada Carolyn Thompson in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 27, 1927, she moved with her family to Fanwood, N.J., several years later. https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-sada-thompson-20110507-story.html ↩

12. Weber, Bruce (May 5, 2011). "Sada Thompson, Actress Known for Maternal Roles, Dies at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved May 6, 2011. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/06/arts/sada-thompson-actress-known-for-maternal-roles-dies-at-83.html ↩

13. Weber, Bruce (May 5, 2011). "Sada Thompson, Actress Known for Maternal Roles, Dies at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved May 6, 2011. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/06/arts/sada-thompson-actress-known-for-maternal-roles-dies-at-83.html ↩