Wikipedia / Mary Scheer
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 | American Dubbing Team | ||
1989 | L.A. on $5 a Day | Homeless woman | |
1991 | The Chick's a Dick | Snapdragon | |
1994 | Nurse | ||
1995 | Ding Dong | Doris Pritt | |
Not of This Earth | Saleswoman | ||
2000 | Agent #2 | ||
2001 | The New Women | Nancy | |
Lady Ema Hellsubus | |||
2005 | It Can Always Get Worse | Kathy | |
2019 | Frannie Scheindlin |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1993 | Other Woman | Episode: "Dr. Ruth - April 25, 1985" | |
1994 | Marcia Ramsden | ||
1995 | Ms. Shaver | ||
1995–1998 | Various characters | Sketch comedy series; credited in 66 episodes | |
1995, 1998 | Mrs. Smoth, Joan | 2 episodes | |
1998–2005 | Various | ||
2000 | Betty Brockton | ||
2001 | Various Characters | ||
X-Chromosome | |||
2003 | Tina the Daycare Owner | ||
2006 | Aunt Louise | ||
2007–2012 | Marissa Benson | Recurring role; 28 episodes | |
2007 | Alan's Wife | Episode: "Halfway Innocent" | |
Ms. Laura Bird | Episode: "Summer Of Our Discontent" | ||
2009 | Norma | Episode: "Can't Get Home To You Girl" | |
2010 | Patricia | Episode: "Teddy's Broken Heart Club Band" | |
Paula | Episode: "The Leather Swingset with the Monkey and the Gun" | ||
2014 | Marissa Benson | Episode: "#TheKillerTunaJump: #Freddie #Jade #Robbie" | |
Lois | Episode: "And the Dumpster Sex" | ||
2015–2017 | Gladys | Recurring role; 13 episodes | |
2016 | Marta Pigeon | Episode: "Hair Recital Rainbow Mom" | |
2017 | Groundlings Theater Director | Episode: "Morning at the Improv" | |
2021–2023 | Marissa Benson | Recurring role |
Voice acting appearances
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1995 | Sandra Danger | Episode: "Toby Danger in Doomsday Bet" | |
1997 | Various Characters | Video game | |
1997–2002 | Ms. Bittner, Bank Teller, Gracie | 2 episodes | |
1999 | Ann Landers, Mary, Mother | ||
Computer, TV Actress | Episode: "Long Tall Daggy/Practical Jerks" | ||
2000 | Mrs. Drake | ||
2000 | Suzie Kokoshka | ||
2002 | Yoa | ||
2003–2007 | Female voices ("Everygirl") | Formerly Most Extreme Elimination Challenge; also producer | |
2009–2015 | Alice the Zookeeper, Machine Voice, Female Doctor, additional voices | ||
2020 | 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
External links