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Nedra Volz (née Gordonier; June 18, 1908 – January 20, 2003) was an American actress. On television, she portrayed Aunt Iola on All in the Family, Adelaide Brubaker on Diff'rent Strokes, Emma Tisdale on The Dukes of Hazzard, Pearl Sperling on The Fall Guy, and Winona Beck on Filthy Rich. Her film roles include Big Ed in Lust in the Dust (1985), Loretta Houk in Moving Violations (1985), and Lana in Earth Girls Are Easy (1988).
In the early 1930s, Volz was featured vocalist with Cato's Vagabonds. In 1932, Volz and two other singers from Cato's orchestra performed as "Nedra, Paul, and Glenn" on WHAM radio in Rochester, New York.
In 1940, Volz, described as a "blues songstress", was part of a vaudeville revue in Miami, Florida.
Beginning with an episode of Good Times in 1975, she became a well-recognized supporting character actress, primarily on television but also in movies. Volz often played grandmothers or feisty little old ladies in 1970s sitcoms such as Alice, Maude and One Day at a Time, and she appeared in two of Norman Lear's summer television series: as Grandma Belle Durbin in A Year at the Top in 1977 and as Bill Macy's housekeeper Pinky Nolan in Hanging In in 1979. In 1978, Volz appeared in the pilot episode of the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati, where she whacked a turntable with her umbrella in protest of the station's format change, and in All In The Family as Edith's spinster relative and unwelcome visitor, Aunt Iola.
In 1980, she appeared in several Jack in the Box TV spots as they blew up Jack, one of more than 25 commercials that featured Volz.
By 1980 she appeared on TV almost weekly, starting with a recurring role as housekeeper Adelaide Brubaker in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. In 1981 she landed another recurring role as postal worker Emma Tisdale on the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. In the 1982–83 season, Volz was the matriarch on Filthy Rich, a series spoofing prime-time soap operas of the day. Volz's character Winona "Mother B" Beck, was the discarded first wife of cryogenically frozen Big Guy Beck (Slim Pickens and, after his death, Forrest Tucker), constantly trying to escape from the nursing home to return to the family mansion, Toad Hall. Volz's final series role was as Pearl Sperling, one of the bail-bonds women that employed Lee Majors's bounty-hunter character Colt Seavers, on The Fall Guy.
In "Mission of Peace", a 1986 episode of The A-Team, she was one of a group of senior citizens forced into asking the team for help. She portrayed the roles of Mrs. Perwinkle and Angelica on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show in 1989. She continued as a guest star on such series as Night Court, Coach, The Commish and Babes into the early 1990s, and she continued to act well into her eighties.
In Moving Violations, director Neil Israel allowed her to do many stunts herself, including being lifted into a window and falling head-first onto the floor. Volz's last acting role was in The Great White Hype in 1996.
Death
On January 20, 2003, Volz died of complications from Alzheimer's disease in Mesa, Arizona.
Filmography
Film
1973 Your Three Minutes Are Up Free Pass Lady 1977 Mule Feathers Clamity Jane 1979 10 Mrs. Kissell 1980 Little Miss Marker Mrs. Clancy 1983 National Lampoon's Movie Madness Old Lady - 'Growing Yourself' 1985 Lust in the Dust Big Ed 1985 Moving Violations Mrs. Loretta Houk 1988 Mortuary Academy Helen 1988 Earth Girls Are Easy Lana 1993 Betrayal of the Dove Opal Vaneck 1994 Il silenzio dei prosciutti Ranger's wife 1994 Dickwad Old Lady Short 1996 The Great White Hype Old Lady (final film role)
Television
1975 They Only Come Out at Night Elderly woman Television film 1975 Good Times Old Lady Episode: Florida's Protest 1976 Rhoda Elderly woman Episode: Meet the Levys 1976–1977 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Mrs. DeFarge / Barbie 19 episodes
Recurring role (Season 2)1976–1982 One Day at a Time Mrs. Peabody / Emily 4 episodes 1977 The Tony Randall Show Mildred Piersen Episode: Democracy vs. Tyranny 1977 A Year at the Top Grandma Belle Durbin 5 episodes
Main cast (Season 1)1977 Fernwood 2 Night Barbara Forman Episode: #1.30 1978–1980 Eight Is Enough Mrs. Yaterman 2 episodes 1978 Apple Pie Mrs. Cassidy Episode: Tornado 1978–1980 Alice Esther / Gambler 3 episodes 1978 All in the Family Aunt Iola Episode: Aunt Iola's Visit 1978 Maude Pinky Nolan Episode: Maude's Big Move: Part 3 1978 WKRP in Cincinnati Mrs. Burstyn Episode: Pilot: Part 2 1978 Carter Country Mrs. Forsythe Episode: Poor Butterfly 1979 Mr. Dugan Pinky Nolan Maude's spin-off never aired 1979 Angie Hostess Episode: Joyce's Job 1979 Hanging In Pinky Nolan 4 episodes
Main cast (Season 1)1979 The Baxters Helen Lawson Episode: Victims of Inflation 1980–1984 Diff'rent Strokes Adelaide Brubaker 22 episodes
Recurring role (Seasons 2–4) Guest star (Season 6)1980 Condominium Mrs. Conlaw Television film 1980 Quincy M.E. Gladys Episode: T.K.O. 1980 The Stockard Channing Show Mother Clyde Episode: Susan's Big Break 1980 Gridlock Mrs. Felcher Television film 1980–1984 The Dukes of Hazzard Emma Tisdale 13 episodes
Recurring role (Seasons 3–5) Guest star (Season 7)1981 Hart to Hart Mrs. Bittersweet Episode: Hart-Shaped Murder 1981 Pals Emily Baines Television short 1982–1983 Filthy Rich Winona 'Mother B' Beck 15 episodes
Main cast (Seasons 1–2)1983 Insight Mrs. Minerva Dutton's Choice 1983–1984 Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour Herself (panelist) 45 episodes 1984 Last of the Great Survivors Gladys Television film 1984 The Love Boat Dancing Partner Episode: Soap Gets in Your Eyes/A Match Made in Heaven/Tugs of the Heart 1984 For Love or Money Hypatia Television film 1984–1986 Gimme a Break! Maid 3 episodes 1985–1986 The Fall Guy Pearl Sperling 7 episodes
Season 5 (Recurring role)1986 Night Court Little Old Lady Episode: Contempt of Courting 1986 The A-Team Little Old Lady Episode: Mission of Peace 1986 Who's the Boss? Ethel Episode: Forgive Me, Tony 1986 My Sister Sam Dora Episode: Walk a While in My Shoes 1987–1988 ALF Cat Woman 2 episodes 1988 It's a Living Mrs. Thompson Episode: Tune In, Tune Out 1988 Designing Women Mother Episode: Hard Hats and Lovers 1989 Webster Ida Episode: A-Camping We Will Go 1989 TV 101 Mother Steadman Episode: Keegan's Past 1989 Super Mario Bros. Super Show Mrs. Periwinkle / Angelica / Spooky Gadgets Incorporated 2 episodes 1990 Dear John Dotty Episode: Honolulu Baby 1990–1991 Babes Mrs. Florence Newman 5 episodes
Recurring role (Season 1)1992 The Commish Mrs. Zimmerman Episode: Sex, Lies and Kerosene 1993 Coach Gertrude Episode: Christmas of the Van Damned 1993–1994 Step by Step Mrs. Slezak / Shirley 2 episodes
External links
Categories: 1908 Births, 2003 Deaths, 20th-century American Actresses, Actresses From Iowa, American Film Actresses, American Television Actresses, Deaths From Alzheimer's Disease In Arizona, American Vaudeville Performers, People From Lee County, Iowa, 20th-century American Women Singers, 20th-century American Singers, 21st-century American Women
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