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Liz Sheridan (1929–2022), Jerry’s mom on “Seinfeld”

by Linnea Crowther

Liz Sheridan was an actress best known for her roles on “Seinfeld” and “ALF.”

Acting career

Sheridan sang and danced in nightclubs in New York and in the West Indies before beginning her career as a stage actress, including on Broadway. She began making TV appearances in the 1970s, with early roles on shows including “Kojak,” “St. Elsewhere,” and “One Day at a Time.” She had her first prominent recurring role in the 1980s on “ALF,” playing nosy neighbor Raquel Ochmonek. After “ALF” ended its four-season run, Sheridan began the role for which she was best known, playing Helen Seinfeld on the hugely popular sitcom “Seinfeld.” She was a devoted and overprotective mother to Jerry, and she was the only recurring character to appear in all nine seasons of “Seinfeld.” Sheridan’s many other TV appearances included “Family Ties,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Melrose Place,” and “American Dad.” She was also in movies such as 2009’s “Play the Game,” which featured her controversial sex scene with Andy Griffith (1926–2012). Her other movies included “Legal Eagles,” “Who’s That Girl,” and “Forget Paris.”

Sheridan on “Seinfeld”

“I loved doing it, and I loved the people there and I love Jerry. He’s terrific.” —from a 2016 interview for LaRevista.ro

Tributes to Liz Sheridan

Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter

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