NEW YORK (AP) — Polly Holliday, a Tony Award-nominated actor known for her roles on screen and stage, famously popularized the phrase “Kiss my grits!” in the role of a sassy waitress on the CBS sitcom “Alice.” She passed away at the age of 88.
Holliday’s demise occurred on Tuesday at her New York residence, according to her agent, Dennis Aspland. She was the last living member of the main cast of “Alice,” following the passing of Linda Lavin, the actress who portrayed the main character, last year.
“Alice” aired from 1976 until 1985, but Holliday became so popular that CBS granted her a short-lived spin-off, “Flo,” in 1980, though it only lasted one season.
During her career, Holliday received four Golden Globe nominations, winning one in 1980 for her performance in “Alice.” She also garnered four Emmy nominations throughout her career — three for her role in “Alice” and one for “Flo.”
Regarding her famous “Kiss my grits!” line, Holliday, originally from Alabama, clarified that it was a creation of Hollywood and not reflective of her regional culture. Yet, she felt a connection to her character Flo.
“She was a Southern woman you encounter often,” she commented to The Sarasota Herald-Tribune in 2003. “Perhaps not formally educated, yet incredibly intelligent, humorous, and determined to keep life’s challenges at bay.”
Holliday’s career included stints on Broadway — including a Tony nod opposite Kathleen Turner in a 1990 revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” — and lots of TV, including playing the blind sister to Betty White’s character in “Golden Girls.” On the big screen, her credits included John Grisham 1995 legal thriller series “The Client” and portraying a protective secretary in “All the President’s Men.”
Her Broadway credits include “All Over Town” in 1974 directed by Dustin Hoffman, “Arsenic and Old Lace” in 1986 with Jean Stapleton and Abe Vigoda, and a revival of “Picnic” with Kyle Chandler in 1994.
Some of her more memorable credits include the wicked Mrs. Deagle in “Gremlins,” Tim Allen’s sassy mother-in-law on “Home Improvement” and off-Broadway in “A Quarrel of Sparrows,” in which The New York Times said she radiated “a refreshingly touching air of willed, cheerful imperturbability.”
