There’s something very personal about grieving a famous person you feel close to, even though you’ve never met them. Many television and film stars have appeared on our screens for decades and their looks and acting became a welcoming comfort in our lives.
Many fans across all generations have felt the deep loss after Alice Hirson, who was 95, recently died. She was more than a character actress; she quietly contributed to many of the significant shows in American TV over the last fifty years.
At the time of her death, Alice Hirson was living at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles which is well known for caring for entertainment veterans. Because of her, an era is over, but her important work will always be remembered as relevant even now.
Being born on March 10, 1929, in Brooklyn, New York and raised in West Hempstead, Long Island, Hirson quickly grew to enjoy acting and performing. Training at the esteemed American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she earned her degree in 1948 and started her acting career with jobs in summer stock and theater.
She began in theater, traveling to perform in productions and appearing in Broadway plays to highlight her range of dramatic acting. In the 1950s and early 1960s, during a time when TV was starting out, she appeared in live dramatic shows which required actors to adjust to the fast pace and pressure right away.
Her first important rise to fame was on daytime television. Many famous actors got their starts in soap operas in the 1960s and 1970s and Alice Hirson became known in the industry. She played in soaps such as The Edge of Night, Another World and One Life to Live,
mainly choosing parts that involved deep emotions. People who love drama movies liked how sincere and understated she was in every role. Even as the soaps became more dramatic, Hirson held onto realism, so her characters were easy to relate to and understand.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she switched to appearing more often on prime-time television which made her recognizable to many viewers. Mavis Anderson, the role she played on Dallas, became one of Darlanne’s most famous roles.
From 1982 to 1988, she played in 26 episodes of the show, showing a character who was not involved in the schemes and greed that defined the major characters. In the series, thanks to Hirson, Mavis stood out as a calm friend of Ellie who often provided a steady presence among Ewing family members.
Hirson brought back her mother role in the sitcom Full House when she played Claire Tanner, the mother of Danny Tanner in the 1990s. Though she was rarely on screen, Nora Webster’s appearances gave the family story more heart. When she played Ellen DeGeneres’s mother, Lois Morgan, on Ellen, she became even more of a familiar figure to TV moms.
She brought her usual quiet sincerity and warmth to the part. Ellen introduced Hirson to an iconic episode, “The Puppy Episode” in 1997 which featured DeGeneres’s character coming out as gay. The way Hirson played a mother supporting her daughter through coming out was extremely touching and honest which led to its warm reception by critics and LGBTQ+ groups.
Throughout her career, Alice Hirson appeared on numerous TV shows beside her role in One Day at a Time such as Murphy Brown, Just Shoot Me, 7th Heaven, Judging Amy and The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
Actors who were reliable on set and could add realism to their roles often became favorites with casting directors and producers which Lil Mary was. She often played characters who led feminine groups, taught or guided in roles that needed both subtlety and empathy which she handled easily.
Besides her many roles on television, Hirson was also cast in a number of films. Among the movies she made are Being There (1979), Private Benjamin (1980), Revenge of the Nerds (1984) and Blind Date (1987).
Although she was usually in small roles, she gave each character such depth that people remembered her long after they watched the film. No matter what role she took, she easily turned small appearances into major parts of the film.
Hirson did not seek publicity or often talk about himself in interviews. Stephen Elliott—actor and husband of Huff—died in 2005, after they were married in 1980. Respect and a likeminded view of art’s role in life defined their marriage.
David Hirson, Christopher Hirson and others were her children and she was the mother of the playwright David, who wrote the popular play La Bête. Daniel is her grandson and he remains alive after her passing. Most people in the industry recognized her dedication to her family and television work.
She did not seek attention with surprising stories or heated interviews, but kept giving strong performances silently. She spent more than six decades working in film which was known for providing only brief and limited jobs for ladies.
Her famous TV shows are still watched in reruns and her impact on her colleagues continues after her death. Many actors who worked with her while young said she was both generous and an excellent role model.
When we remember Alice Hirson, we are really honoring the compassion, lessons and gentle skill she offered in her acting. She didn’t have to take over every scene to be remembered. Merely being in the same space with her was enough. Even though she is gone, the influence of her work will still be felt on TV for many years.
May she find peace and her memory keep giving blessings to those who knew her and those who felt they knew her.
