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Wikipedia / Mary Scheer

Mary Scheer (born March 19, 1963) is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer, best known for her work in television. She had recurring roles as Marissa Benson on the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly and as Gladys on the Disney Channel series Bunk'd. She voiced Alice the Zookeeper on DreamWorks animated series The Penguins of Madagascar, was part of the original cast on the sketch comedy show Mad TV, voiced every female character on Most Extreme Elimination Challenge and appeared in GEICO commercials.

Career

She is known for playing comedic characters in sitcoms, movies, and cartoons.

Mad TV

Scheer was one of the original nine cast members of Mad TV when the series debuted in 1995. She came to the show with a background in sketch comedy from her days with The Groundlings. During her tenure, Scheer developed characters such as the chain-smoking Mrs. Jewel Barone, Cabana Chat host Dixie Wetsworth, Connie Linder, Debbie Dander, Lily Don, and Mrs. Vigor (Killer Grandma).

Scheer also performed impressions of celebrities and public figures during her tenure on Mad TV, some of which included U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, Demi Moore, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Griffin, Mary Tyler Moore, Ashley Olsen, Candice Bergen, Fran Drescher, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Thompson, Sherry Stringfield, Frances Bavier, Irene Vernon, Ashley Judd, Victoria Beckham and Barbara Feldon. Other impersonations include Barbra Streisand in the Mad TV spoof video "Terms Of Imprisonment", where she portrays Streisand as an egomaniac who abuses her co-star, Whitney Houston and Gillian Anderson's Dana Scully in the "XXX Files" sketch. Towards the end of the second season, Scheer became pregnant and was visibly pregnant at the beginning of the third season, continuing to perform on the show. After giving birth, Scheer finished the third season before leaving in 1998.

Characters

Character

Sketch

Seasonof firstappearance

Catch phrase

Notes

Mrs. Jewel Barone

The Smoker

1

"Oh yeah, there it is."

She is a habitual smoker who seems to have a negative effect on everyone around her (physically and mentally) because of her smoking.

Dixie Wetsworth

Cabana Chat

2

"You like? I like."

She is an aging talk show host who has undergone several plastic surgeries.

Connie Linder

Joel & Connie

1

Debbie Dander

1

Lily Don

Joe & Lily Don

1

Mrs. Vigor

Killer Grandma

1

Other projects

Besides Mad TV, Scheer has appeared in several other television shows. Her credits include Reno 911!, Primetime Glick, X-Chromosome, Free Ride, and Dropping Out. She had a recurring role on the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly as Marissa Benson, the extremely overprotective mother of Nathan Kress's character Freddie Benson. The show ran from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. She also reprised the same role for the iCarly reboot on Paramount+.

After leaving Mad TV, she appeared in the films Elvira's Haunted Hills, The New Women, Chump Change, and It Can Always Get Worse Kathy, from 2001 to 2005. She also starred as Gladys, the grumpy and lonely camp director of Camp Kikiwaka in the first 2 seasons of Bunk'd.

Besides her on-screen appearances, Scheer has also become a voice actress, lending her voice to numerous commercials and several animated projects, including Family Guy and King of the Hill. Scheer's voice also appears in the animated feature film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Scheer performed all female voices in Spike TV's humorous game show MXC (she was credited as portraying Everygirl). In season four, she became MXCs supervising producer.

Scheer also appeared on the Jennette McCurdy web series What's Next for Sarah? as Sarah's therapist.

Filmography

Film

Year

Title

Role

Notes

1988

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking

American Dubbing Team

1989

L.A. on $5 a Day

Homeless woman

1991

The Chick's a Dick

Snapdragon

1994

It's Pat

Nurse

1995

Ding Dong

Doris Pritt

Not of This Earth

Saleswoman

2000

Chump Change

Agent #2

2001

The New Women

Nancy

Elvira's Haunted Hills

Lady Ema Hellsubus

2005

It Can Always Get Worse

Kathy

2019

Between Two Ferns: The Movie

Frannie Scheindlin

Television

Year

Title

Role

Notes

1993

Quantum Leap

Other Woman

Episode: "Dr. Ruth - April 25, 1985"

1994

Beverly Hills, 90210

Marcia Ramsden

1995

Party of Five

Ms. Shaver

1995–1998

Mad TV

Various characters

Sketch comedy series; credited in 66 episodes

1995, 1998

Seinfeld

Mrs. Smoth, Joan

2 episodes

1998–2005

All That

Various

2000

Dropping Out

Betty Brockton

2001

Primetime Glick

Various Characters

X-Chromosome

2003

Reno 911!

Tina the Daycare Owner

2006

Free Ride

Aunt Louise

2007–2012

iCarly

Marissa Benson

Recurring role; 28 episodes

2007

Halfway Home

Alan's Wife

Episode: "Halfway Innocent"

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody

Ms. Laura Bird

Episode: "Summer Of Our Discontent"

2009

Hannah Montana

Norma

Episode: "Can't Get Home To You Girl"

2010

Good Luck Charlie

Patricia

Episode: "Teddy's Broken Heart Club Band"

Nick Swardson's Pretend Time

Paula

Episode: "The Leather Swingset with the Monkey and the Gun"

2014

Sam & Cat

Marissa Benson

Episode: "#TheKillerTunaJump: #Freddie #Jade #Robbie"

2 Broke Girls

Lois

Episode: "And the Dumpster Sex"

2015–2017

Bunk'd

Gladys

Recurring role; 13 episodes

2016

Life in Pieces

Marta Pigeon

Episode: "Hair Recital Rainbow Mom"

2017

Julie's Greenroom

Groundlings Theater Director

Episode: "Morning at the Improv"

2021–2023

iCarly

Marissa Benson

Recurring role

Voice acting appearances

Year

Title

Role

Notes

1995

Freakazoid!

Sandra Danger

Episode: "Toby Danger in Doomsday Bet"

1997

Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny

Various Characters

Video game

1997–2002

King of the Hill

Ms. Bittner, Bank Teller, Gracie

2 episodes

1999

Family Guy

Ann Landers, Mary, Mother

The Angry Beavers

Computer, TV Actress

Episode: "Long Tall Daggy/Practical Jerks"

2000

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

Mrs. Drake

2000

Hey Arnold!

Suzie Kokoshka

2002

Invader Zim

Yoa

2003–2007

MXC

Female voices ("Everygirl")

Formerly Most Extreme Elimination Challenge; also producer

2009–2015

The Penguins of Madagascar

Alice the Zookeeper, Machine Voice, Female Doctor, additional voices

2020

Twin Mirror

Tara

Video game

Web series

Year

Title

Role

Notes

2014

What's Next for Sarah?

Sarah's therapist

Also plays other characters

Personal life

Scheer married her husband Bob Bush on October 10, 1992. Together they have two children, a daughter, Abigail (b. October 1, 1997), who is a theatre actress and opera singer and a son, Nate (b. June 15, 2002).

References