Person Biography:
Eileen Brennan, born Verla Eileen Regina Brennan, was a talented and versatile actress who made a significant impact in the entertainment industry. Born in Los Angeles, California, she was the child of Irish-Catholic parents Regina ("Jeanne") Manahan and John Gerald Brennan, a doctor. After grade school education, she attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and appeared in plays with the Mask and Bauble Society during that time. She then went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
Eileen's early career was marked by her lovely soprano voice and flair for comedy, which earned her the break of her budding career as the title role in the off-Broadway operetta "Little Mary Sunshine". She won an Obie Award and was among an esteemed group of eight other thespians who won the Theatre World Award that year for "Promising New Personality", including Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Carol Burnett, and a very young Patty Duke.
Throughout her career, Eileen transitioned from lovely Broadway singing ingénue to respected film and television character actress within a decade's time. She survived a near-fatal car accident in 1982, which left her with extensive facial and leg injuries, and returned to performing, albeit slower but wiser. She also survived a bout of alcoholism and became recognized as a breast cancer survivor, having had a mastectomy in 1990.
Eileen's notable roles include her portrayal of Genevieve, the careworn waitress, in Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" (1971),Annie Sullivan in the touring production of "The Miracle Worker" (1961),and Irene Malloy alongside Carol Channing's Dolly Levi Gallagher in the original Broadway production of "Hello, Dolly!" (1964). She also had memorable roles in films such as "Private Benjamin" (1980),"The Sting" (1973),"Daisy Miller" (1974),and "At Long Last Love" (1975).
In addition to her film and television work, Eileen lent her voice to several animated series cartoons. She is survived by her two sons, Patrick and Sam, from her first and only marriage in the late 1960s to mid-1970s. Eileen Brennan passed away at the age of 80 on July 28, 2013, at her Burbank, California home after a battle with bladder cancer.
