The Life of Estelle Harris: A Potent Career

By: ELIAN GOMEZ/ STAFF REPORTER

The Seinfeld and Toy Story star passed away at the age of 93 (Photo: ET)

Legendary actress Estelle Harris died on April 2, 2022 in Palm Desert, California, due to natural causes. Passing away 20 days before her 94th birthday, the news saddened many of her beloved fanatics and co-stars.

Her son Glen Harris gave news of her passing to ET: "It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25pm. Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her". Along with Glen, Estelle leaves behind two children, three grandsons and a great-grandson.

The electrifying star filled our TV screens with a potent voice that made her performances unforgettable. Even with her blaring voice, she was graceful in her ways. Here is a look at the legacy she left behind.

Estelle was best known for the infamous sitcom Seinfeld, which ran between 1989 and 1998. She played the role of Estelle Costanza, mother to Jason Alexander’s George Costanza, and wife to Jerry Stiller’s Frank Costanza.

She appeared in 27 episodes over the course of the show, providing audiences with endless laughter as she continuously humiliates George throughout the series. In specific, moments like “ I’m a divorcee” and “I go out for a quart of milk, I come home, and find my son treating his body like it was an amusement park!” were quite memorable.

Estelle Harris (right) in Seinfeld with actors Jason Alexander (center) and the late Jerry Stiller (left) (Photo: The New York Times)

Alexander tweeted after hearing the news of her passing: “One of my favorite people has passed - my tv mama, Estelle Harris. The joy of playing with her and relishing her glorious laughter was a treat. I adore you, Estelle. Love to your family. Serenity now and always. #RIPEstelleHarris”. The former Seinfeld actor references one of the show's most well known catchphrases in “serenity now”.

One of her lesser remembered roles was as Muriel the maid in Disney’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. She appeared in 14 episodes in the 3 year span of the show. The comedy brought much joy and laughter to young fans.

The Toy Story series debuted its Mrs. Potato Head character in its second installment in 1999, with the actress voicing. Estelle continued to voice the character for sequels Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4, with the latter installment releasing in 2019.

Estelle made her debut as Mrs. Potato Head in 1999 (Photo: The Independent)

Estelle’s loud and shrill voice will always be remembered amongst those who had the pleasure of enjoying her acting. Even as a supporting character in one of the world’s most famous sitcoms, her performance with the other stars added a unique and distinguishable work of art.

Her chemistry with those she worked with was always visible and never left viewers unsatisfied with her entertainment.