George Boyle
Audrey Meadows, born Audrey Cotter, is best known for her role as Alice Kramden in the 1950s American television comedy The Honeymooners. Meadows joined the cast of The Honeymooners in 1955, and her performance as the deadpan housewife opposite Jackie Gleason's character made her a millionaire. She was the only cast member to earn residual royalties after the Classic 39 episodes of the show from 1955 to 1956 started airing in reruns.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of actress | Audrey Meadows |
| Name of show | The Honeymooners |
| Name of character played by Audrey Meadows | Alice Kramden |
| Year of joining the show | 1955 |
| Co-star | Jackie Gleason |
| Year of leaving the show | 1956 |
| Year of returning to the show | 1970s |
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What You'll Learn
Audrey Meadows played Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners
Audrey Meadows, born Audrey Cotter, was an American actress best known for her role as Alice Kramden in the 1950s American television comedy The Honeymooners. Meadows played the deadpan housewife of Jackie Gleason's character, Ralph Kramden. She was the only member of the cast to earn residual royalties after the "Classic 39" episodes of the show from 1955 to 1956 started airing in reruns. Her contract, which her brother, a lawyer, helped negotiate, made her a millionaire. Meadows and Gleason had great chemistry, and she worked hard to earn his respect.
Meadows continued to play Alice when The Honeymooners became a half-hour situation comedy on CBS. She also reprised her role as Alice on other shows, including a man-on-the-street interview for The Steve Allen Show and a parody sketch on The Jack Benny Program. In the 1970s, Meadows returned to play Alice in occasional Honeymooners specials produced by Gleason.
Meadows received four Primetime Emmy nominations for her television work, winning one for The Jackie Gleason Show. She also appeared in a 1960 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat".
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She was initially rejected for the role for being too chic and pretty
Audrey Meadows, born Audrey Cotter, was an American actress best known for her role as the deadpan housewife Alice Kramden on the 1950s American television comedy The Honeymooners. She was the younger sister of Hollywood leading lady Jayne Meadows.
Audrey Meadows initially auditioned for the role of Alice Kramden for The Honeymooners and was rejected for being "too chic and pretty". The creator, Jackie Gleason, felt that she did not fit the role's description. Meadows, determined to land the part, submitted a photo of herself the following day, in which she looked much plainer. This time, she was selected to play Alice.
Meadows continued to play the iconic role when The Honeymooners became a half-hour situation comedy on CBS. She reprised her role as Alice on other shows, including a man-on-the-street interview for The Steve Allen Show and a parody sketch on The Jack Benny Program. Meadows was the only member of the Honeymooners cast to earn residual royalties after the "Classic 39" episodes of the show from 1955 to 1956 started airing in reruns. Her brother Edward, a lawyer, had inserted a clause into her original contract, entitling her to payment if the shows were re-broadcast.
Meadows received four Primetime Emmy nominations for her television work, winning one for The Jackie Gleason Show. She also appeared in feature films and on Dean Martin's television variety shows and celebrity roasts. She returned to situation comedy in the 1980s, playing the mother-in-law in Too Close for Comfort. She made guest appearances on The Red Skelton Show and The Simpsons, where she voiced the role of Bea Simmons, Grandpa Simpson's girlfriend. Her last work was on the sitcom Dave's World, in which she played Kenny's mother.
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She became a millionaire from the show
Audrey Meadows became a millionaire from her role on The Honeymooners. Meadows played the character of Alice Kramden on the show, which became a half-hour situation comedy on CBS. Meadows was initially rejected by Gleason for the role of Alice for being "too chic and pretty". However, she managed to land the role by submitting a photo of herself looking plainer.
Meadows was the only cast member of The Honeymooners whose contract included payments for TV reruns and sales of the episodes. Her brother Edward, a lawyer, had inserted a clause into her contract, ensuring she would be paid if the shows were re-broadcast. This earned her millions of dollars, making her a millionaire. In a 1955 interview, Meadows expressed her surprise at the amount of money she was making, stating that it was "more money than [she] ever thought [she'd] see as long as [she] lived".
In addition to her earnings from The Honeymooners, Meadows also earned money from other endeavours. She married Randolph Rouse, a wealthy real-estate businessman, in 1956 during the run of The Honeymooners. She later married Robert F. Six, the president of Continental Airlines, in 1961. Meadows also served as the director of the First National Bank of Denver for 11 years and was an advisory director of Continental Airlines from 1961 to 1981.
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She reprised her role as Alice on other shows
Audrey Meadows joined the cast of The Honeymooners in 1955, portraying the character of Alice Kramden, the deadpan housewife. The character of Alice became more associated with Meadows than with the others who played her, and she reprised her role as Alice on other shows as well.
Meadows reprised her role as Alice Kramden in a man-on-the-street interview on The Steve Allen Show, where she was interviewed by her brother-in-law, Steve Allen. She also reprised her role in a parody sketch on The Jack Benny Program.
In addition to these appearances, Meadows also returned to play Alice in the 1970s when Gleason produced occasional Honeymooners specials. These specials marked a return to the role for Meadows after a long hiatus.
Audrey Meadows' portrayal of Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners not only cemented her association with the character but also brought her significant success and recognition. Her determination to win the role, despite initial rejection, showcases her initiative and belief in her abilities. Meadows' success in The Honeymooners opened doors for her in the entertainment industry, and she went on to appear in various other television shows and films.
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She returned to play Alice in the 1970s specials
After her initial run on The Honeymooners, Audrey Meadows returned to reprise her role as Alice Kramden in the 1970s. Meadows's character, Alice, had become more associated with her than with other actors who played the role. Meadows returned to play Alice after a long hiatus, when Gleason produced occasional Honeymooners specials in the 1970s.
Meadows had initially auditioned for Gleason and was turned down for being "too chic and pretty" for the role of Alice. However, she was determined to land the part and submitted a photo of herself the next day in which she looked much plainer. This time, she was successful, and she went on to star in the show.
During the run of The Honeymooners, Meadows also married a wealthy real-estate businessman named Randolph Rouse in 1956. She later married her second husband, Robert F. Six, in 1961. Meadows also pursued other acting roles, appearing in feature films and on Dean Martin's television variety shows and celebrity roasts. She also made guest appearances on shows such as Wagon Train, The Red Skelton Show, and Murder, She Wrote.
In addition to her acting career, Meadows served as the first female director of the First National Bank of Denver for 11 years and was an advisory director of Continental Airlines from 1961 to 1981. She was actively involved in marketing programs for the airline, including designing uniforms and aircraft interiors. In 1994, she published her memoirs, Love, Alice: My Life As A Honeymooner. Sadly, Meadows passed away in 1996 after being diagnosed with lung cancer the previous year.
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Frequently asked questions
Audrey Meadows joined the cast of The Honeymooners in 1955. She played the role of Alice Kramden, the housewife of Jackie Gleason's character.
Meadows signed a deal that would make her over a millionaire in a three-year period. This was an uncommon feat for a woman in Hollywood at the time.
Yes, Meadows returned to play Alice in the 1970s when Gleason produced occasional Honeymooners specials.
