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Mary Louise Wilson

Mary Louise Wilson

Actor · Born November 12, 1931 (94) · New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Mary Louise Wilson (born November 12, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. In a career that has spanned more than 50 years, she has appeared in numerous plays, films and television shows. In film, notable credits include Klute (1971), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Teachers (1984), The Money Pit (1986), Pet Sematary (1989), Green Card (1990), Stepmom (1998), Nebraska (2013), and Ocean's Eight (2018). Wilson has appeared in many television series such as Maude, Lou Grant, Remember WENN, Frasier, The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie, Mozart in the Jungle, Modern Family, and Orange Is the New Black, usually in guest roles. Wilson has had scores of stage roles, making her Broadway debut in Hot Spot (1963) starring Judy Holliday. For her role as "Big" Edie Beale in the musical Grey Gardens (2006), Wilson won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (alongside co-star Christine Ebersole's win for Best Leading actress). She was previously nominated in the same category for her role as Fräulein Schneider in the 1998 revival of Cabaret.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 12, 1931 (94)
From
New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
31 on MovieCove · 44 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

What are Mary Louise Wilson's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
31%
Morality
30%
Bonds
22%
Society
9%
Power
5%
Self
4%
Deception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
5
Tense
3
Bittersweet
2
Warm
2
Absurd
1
Other
4

How their films linger

Bittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Mary Louise Wilson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 31 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mary Louise Wilson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

44 credits, 31 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Some Kind of Bug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as The Doctor's Partner

  • Tales of the City(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Doris

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Ocean's Eight(2018)

    as Marlene

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Mozart in the Jungle(2014)

    Show 4 episodes · as Bunny

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Nebraska(2013)

    as Aunt Martha

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Orange Is the New Black(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · as Millie

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Devious Maids(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Dolores

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Louie(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Dorethy

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Modern Family(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Aunt Becky

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Nurse Jackie(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Doris

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The Third Date (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Lulu

  • The Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Mrs. Morehead

  • A Season for Miracles(1999)

    as Corinna

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • 24 Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Lillian

  • The History of Glamour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Grace Greenberg (voice)

  • The Sopranos(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Catherine

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Stepmom(1998)

    as Mrs. Franklin

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Remember WENN(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · as Tess Bracken

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Mr. Wonderful(1993)

    as Muriel Manners

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Frasier(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Helen

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Blind Spot(1993)

    as Mrs. Deitz

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Huck Finn(1993)

    as Miss Watson

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Green Card(1990)

    as Mrs. Sheehan

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Everybody Wins(1990)

    as Jean

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • She-Devil(1989)

    as Mrs. Trumper

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Pet Sematary(1989)

    as Dory Goldman

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Thorns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 12 episodes · as Toinette

  • Cheap Shots(1988)

    as Dotty

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Money Pit(1986)

    as Benny's Mom

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Teachers(1984)

    as Teacher

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Tales from the Darkside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Ruby

  • Zelig(1983)

    as Sister Ruth

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas(1982)

    as Modene

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Simonds

  • King of the Gypsies(1978)

    as Ivy

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Royal Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Kitty Dean

  • Lou Grant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • One Day at a Time(1975)

    Show 24 episodes · as Ginny Wroblicki

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Saturday Night Live(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Fran Bartman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Hail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as The People

  • Up the Sandbox(1972)

    as Betty

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Going Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Real Estate Lady

  • Klute(1971)

    as Producer in Adv. Agency

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Corinna

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 43 titles from 1951 to 2023; peak year 1989.

Biggest box office

Stepmom (1998)

$160M worldwide

Highest rated

Nebraska (2013)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Pet Sematary (1989)

Film career

19512023

Peak 1989 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1971Screen debut· Klute
  • 2013Career best· Nebraska

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting43 of 43: 43 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score66th

By decade

1950s1 · acting1970s9 · acting1980s9 · acting1990s12 · acting2000s4 · acting2010s7 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 12th · top billed in 0% of 13 roles
7191

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Mary Louise Wilson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 19; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 54th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 31 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 31 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Cheap Shots (1988)

89th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Nebraska (2013)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Mary Louise Wilson's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 18 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 25 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 46 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 29 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 22 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.