Estelle Harris (née Nussbaum; April 22, 1928 – April 2, 2022) was an American actress, known for her exaggerated shrill, grating voice. She was best known for her role as Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld. Her other roles included the voice of Mrs. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise, Muriel in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Mama Gunda in Tarzan II.
Estelle Nussbaum was born in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan on April 22, 1928, the younger of two daughters of Isaac ("Ira") and Anna Nussbaum, Polish Jewish immigrants who owned a candy store.[3][4] She moved to Tarentum, Pennsylvania, when she was seven years old to live near her aunt and uncle, who asked her father to work in their candy store.
After her children grew up, Harris pursued acting and achieved early success in television commercials, even logging 23 spots in a year at one point. One of her most-famous commercials had her energetically singing the praises of Handi-Wrap II.[5]
In 1977, Harris began her long format acting career in the film Looking Up about three generations of a working class Jewish family in New York City. She became widely known for her supporting role as Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld. In Star Trek: Voyager, she portrayed the Old Woman who was actually a projection of the Nechani Spirits, in the third-season Voyager episode "Sacred Ground," which aired on October 20, 1996.[6] She played a small role as Bridget in Out to Sea (1997).[6] In Toy Story 2 (1999), she provided the voice of Mrs. Potato Head and would continue to reprise the role for the franchise. In 2005, she lent her voice to Mama Gunda in Tarzan II. In The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Harris had a recurring role as Muriel. In 2007, she appeared in Brad Paisley's music video for the song "Online."[7] Harris reprised her role of Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 3 (2010). She portrayed Bertha Kristal, the mother of CBGB founder Hilly Kristal, in CBGB (2013).
Her other voice work included Lula in Dave the Barbarian, Mama Lipsky in Kim Possible, Thelma in The Proud Family, Mrs. Turtle in Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse, Death's mother in Family Guy, the Old Lady Bear in Brother Bear (2003), and Audrey in Home on the Range (2004).[8] She also provided the voice of Marty's wife in the American Dad! episode "In Country...Club."[citation needed]
Harris reprised her role of Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 4 (2019), which was her final film role.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estelle_Harris
Estelle Nussbaum was born in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan on April 22, 1928, the younger of two daughters of Isaac ("Ira") and Anna Nussbaum, Polish Jewish immigrants who owned a candy store.[3][4] She moved to Tarentum, Pennsylvania, when she was seven years old to live near her aunt and uncle, who asked her father to work in their candy store.
After her children grew up, Harris pursued acting and achieved early success in television commercials, even logging 23 spots in a year at one point. One of her most-famous commercials had her energetically singing the praises of Handi-Wrap II.[5]
In 1977, Harris began her long format acting career in the film Looking Up about three generations of a working class Jewish family in New York City. She became widely known for her supporting role as Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld. In Star Trek: Voyager, she portrayed the Old Woman who was actually a projection of the Nechani Spirits, in the third-season Voyager episode "Sacred Ground," which aired on October 20, 1996.[6] She played a small role as Bridget in Out to Sea (1997).[6] In Toy Story 2 (1999), she provided the voice of Mrs. Potato Head and would continue to reprise the role for the franchise. In 2005, she lent her voice to Mama Gunda in Tarzan II. In The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Harris had a recurring role as Muriel. In 2007, she appeared in Brad Paisley's music video for the song "Online."[7] Harris reprised her role of Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 3 (2010). She portrayed Bertha Kristal, the mother of CBGB founder Hilly Kristal, in CBGB (2013).
Her other voice work included Lula in Dave the Barbarian, Mama Lipsky in Kim Possible, Thelma in The Proud Family, Mrs. Turtle in Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse, Death's mother in Family Guy, the Old Lady Bear in Brother Bear (2003), and Audrey in Home on the Range (2004).[8] She also provided the voice of Marty's wife in the American Dad! episode "In Country...Club."[citation needed]
Harris reprised her role of Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 4 (2019), which was her final film role.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estelle_Harris
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.