R.I.P. Marge Redmond, the friendly Sister Jacqueline on 'The Flying Nun'

She was also the narrator in the Sally Field sitcom and a Cool Whip spokesperson. She was 95.

The Everett Collection

Cleveland native Marge Redmond began her acting career in her hometown, honing her stagecraft at the Cleveland Play House. It was there she met her husband, fellow actor Jack Weston. The two ended up on Broadway together in Bells Are Ringing, but quit the musical game to drive to Hollywood in a Volkswagen.

In Hollywood, Redmond would find work all over television. She would even occasionally team with her husband on the small screen. The couple appears in The Twilight Zone episode "The Bard," the hourlong tale with Burt Reynolds and Shakespeare.

Redmond and Weston in The Twilight Zone

Redmond would continue to find guest roles on shows such as The FugitiveMy Favorite Martian and The Munsters. She shares scenes with Raymond Burr in the season-eight Perry Mason mystery "The Case of the Mischievous Doll."

Redmond on Perry Mason

But most classic television fans will best recognize her in a large white cornette and nun's habit. For three seasons, Redmond starred alongside Sally Field in the surreal Sixties sitcom The Flying Nun. Her character, Sister Jacqueline, was the wise elder friend of Sister Bertrille (Field) in the convent. She appeared in 81 episodes of the charming series based on the novel The Fifteenth Pelican. In addition, Redmond's voice could be heard in episodes as the narrator.

She was no stranger to playing a Sister. In 1966, Redmond had appeared as Sister Liguori in the Hayley Mills Catholic-school comedy The Trouble with Angels. It was good practice. In 1968, she earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy thanks to her role in The Flying Nun.

In the subsequent decade, Redmond continued to find small roles on TV. She was on The Six Million Dollar ManBarnaby Jones, The Rockford Files, Quincy and more. You might remember her in Cool Whip commercials, too, playing a friendly innkeeper in commercials for the desert topping.

In the 1990s, she found a role alongside Andy Griffith as Mrs. McCardle, Matlock's housekeeper, on Matlock. It would be her last significant television role.

Redmond died on February 10, but her passing was reported in May, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 95.

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12 Comments

conzumables 46 months ago
We are creating a new website (www.MargeRedmond.com) as a honorarium to her, especially her legacy as Sarah Tucker in the Cool Whip TV commercials.
Wiseguy 54 months ago
In at least one Cool Whip she teamed up with Bill Cosby who was hawking his Jello Pudding.
CarolKelley 54 months ago
I was thinking of Marge Redmond just the other day and I don't think I'd heard of her passing. RIP, Marge!
KirwoodDerby 54 months ago
Looking back, I never really liked The Flying Nun tv show, but I recall Marge so well. She had this wonderful kind demeanor and soothing voice. I can’t help but remember her kindly. I’m so sorry to hear of her passing. I never knew that she and Jack Weston were married. What a nice couple.
Cyn_Finnegan 55 months ago
Ms. Redmond also in "The Fortune Cookie" as Charlotte, long-suffering wife of Willie Gingrich (Walter Matthau)
ssglick 55 months ago
Dessert is spelled with two s's.
musiclady1170 55 months ago
I just loved her -- especially in "The Trouble With Angels"!
Pacificsun 55 months ago
Wow! You never forget any appearance Ms. Redmon made. Unforgettable personality! Hopefully her family knows how much joy her characters brought to the screen!
Jeremy 55 months ago
I just heard the news. She was one of those people I wished wouldn't have gone so soon. My initial reaction was "WHAT!? I mean, Anthony James' death was bad enough but you!?"
cperrynaples 55 months ago
My fondest memory of Marge was an episode of Hunter where she did a dead-on impersonation of Jessica Fletcher of Murder She Wrote!
Pacificsun cperrynaples 55 months ago
Unmistakably talented. Another one who individualized her roles while never surrendering her personality!
teire 55 months ago
A nice long life, very enduring characters. Loved The Trouble With Angels. Rest peacefully and thank you.
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