# Conchata Ferrell

Conchata Galen Ferrell (March 28, 1943 – October 12, 2020) was an American actress. She played Berta the housekeeper on the sitcom Two and a Half Men from 2003 to 2015, and she received two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the role (in 2005 and 2007). Ferrell had previously been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in L.A. Law (in 1992).

## Early life

Conchata Galen Ferrell was born March 28, 1943, in Loudendale, West Virginia, to Mescal Loraine (née George) and Luther Martin Ferrell. She was raised in Charleston, West Virginia. Her family later moved to Circleville, Ohio.
She attended West Virginia University for two years, dropped out, and after working several jobs, enrolled and graduated from Marshall University with a degree in history education. She made her first onstage performance at Marshall in 1969, in the second Barfenon Review, a skit comedy and musical production.

## Career

Ferrell began her career on the stage as a member of the Circle Repertory Company. She appeared in the original off-Broadway cast of Lanford Wilson's The Hot l Baltimore and won the Drama Desk, Obie, and Theatre World Best Actress awards for her performance in the off-Broadway play The Sea Horse.
Acting on stage, television, and film for decades, she starred as the frontier wife in the 1979 feature film Heartland directed by Richard Pearce, and as the tough-talking owner of Mystic Pizza, co-starring alongside Lili Taylor, Annabeth Gish, and Julia Roberts, who portrayed pizza waitresses. She also played a tough, comical nurse on the short-lived 1980s TV sitcom E/R.
In 1992, she received her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her recurring role as Attorney Susan Bloom on the sixth season of L.A. Law, but lost to Valerie Mahaffey for Northern Exposure. She had previously appeared in an episode of the show in 1988 as Lorna Landsberg, an entirely different character.
Ferrell's supporting roles in films include performances in Deadly Hero, Network, Edward Scissorhands, Erin Brockovich, Crime and Punishment in Suburbia, Mr. Deeds, and K-PAX, as well as a small part in True Romance. Her other television credits include Maude, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hot l Baltimore, Teen Angel, Matlock, B. J. and the Bear, Good Times, Hearts Afire, Townies, Night Court, The Love Boat, and Push, Nevada. She played Mrs. Werner in the episode of Quincy, M.E. titled "Into the Murdering Mind" (1982). She also made memorable appearances portraying blunt, authoritative judges (the "Jagged Sledge" episode of Sledge Hammer! in 1987, and on "The One with Joey's Porsche" episode of Friends in 1999).
She accepted a role in the off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore for an April 27 through May 29, 2011, run with Minka Kelly, AnnaLynne McCord, Anne Meara, and B. Smith.
Ferrell portrayed Berta the housekeeper in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, appearing in a total of 212 episodes from 2003 to 2015. She had received two nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005 and 2007, but lost to Doris Roberts for Everybody Loves Raymond and Jaime Pressly for My Name Is Earl.
In 2012, she voiced the role of Bob's Mom in Frankenweenie, which was directed by Tim Burton. She was slated to appear in the upcoming feature film Deported (2020), and had earlier acted in A Very Nutty Christmas (2018), a holiday-themed television film.

## Personal life

Ferrell married Arnie Anderson around 1986. She had a daughter, Samantha (born in 1982), and two stepdaughters (born in 1976 and 1979).
Ferrell was a self-described Democrat and a practicing Roman Catholic.

## Death

Ferrell died on October 12, 2020, from complications following cardiac arrest at the Sherman Oaks Hospital in Sherman Oaks, California. She was 77 years old.

## Filmography

Source(s)
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1974 | Maude | Rita Valdez | Hal Cooper | Episode: "Florida's Goodbye" |
| 1975 | Hot l Baltimore | April Green | Bob LaHendro Burt Brinckerhoff | 13 episodes |
| 1976 | Deadly Hero | Slugger Ann | Ivan Nagy | |
| 1976 | Network | Barbara Schlesinger | Sidney Lumet | |
| 1977 | The Rockford Files | Ella Mae White | Reza Badiyi | Episode: "Crack Back" |
| 1977 | Mixed Nuts | Nurse Cassidy | Jerry Belson Peter H. Hunt | Short |
| 1977 | Blansky's Beauties | Nurse Gibbons | Alan Rafkin | Episode: "Nancy Breaks a Leg" |
| 1977 | The Girl Called Hatter Fox | Nurse Rinehart | George Schaefer | TV movie |
| 1977 | Good Times | Miss Johnson | Gerren Keith | Episode: "Willona, the Fuzz" |
| 1977 | One Day at a Time | Phyllis McDermott | Herbert Kenwith | Episode: "The Singles Bar" |
| 1978 | A Death in Canaan | Rita Parsons | Tony Richardson | TV movie |
| 1978 | Who'll Save Our Children? | Dodie Hart | George Schaefer (2) | TV movie |
| 1979 | The Love Boat | Bitsy Sheldon | Roger Duchowny | 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Heartland | Elinore Randall Stewart | Richard Pearce | |
| 1979 | Before and After | Marge | Kim Friedman | TV movie |
| 1979 | The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo | The Fox | Bruce Bilson | 2 episodes |
| 1979–1980 | B. J. and the Bear | Wilhemina 'The Fox' Johnson | Several directors | 5 episodes |
| 1980 | The Seduction of Miss Leona | Hazel Dawson | Joseph Hardy | TV movie |
| 1980 | Reunion | Toni Owens | Russ Mayberry | TV movie |
| 1980 | Rape and Marriage: The Rideout Case | Helen | Peter Levin | TV movie |
| 1980 | Knots Landing | Mrs. Messinger | Edward Parone | 2 episodes |
| 1981 | CBS Afternoon Playhouse | Mamie Trotter | Jeffrey Hayden | Episode: "The Great Gilly Hopkins" |
| 1981 | McClain's Law | Vangie Cruise | Vincent McEveety | TV movie (pilot for TV series McClain's Law) |
| 1981 | Lou Grant | Myra Wexler | Peter Levin (2) | Episode: "Drifters" |
| 1982 | Quincy, M.E. | Mrs. Werner | Georg Fenady | Episode: "Into the Murdering Mind" |
| 1982 | Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice | Captain Burnsite | Lamont Johnson | TV movie |
| 1982 | Cagney & Lacey | Charlene | Reza Badiyi (2) | Episode: "High Steel" |
| 1983 | St. Elsewhere | Gina Barnett | Mark Tinker | Episode: "Hearts" |
| 1983 | American Playhouse | Faye Doyle | Michael Dinner | Episode: "Miss Lonelyhearts" |
| 1983 | Emergency Room | Nurse Sylvia Kaye | Lee H. Katzin | TV movie |
| 1984 | Nadia | Mili Simonescu | Alan Cooke | TV movie |
| 1984 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Thumbelina's Mother | Michael Lindsay-Hogg | Episode: "Thumbelina" |
| 1984 | The Three Wishes of Billy Grier | Dr. Gardner | Corey Blechman | TV movie |
| 1984–1985 | E/R | Nurse Joan Thor | Peter Bonerz | 22 episodes |
| 1985 | This Is the Life | | Sharron Miller | Episode: "The Stranger" |
| 1985 | North Beach and Rawhide | Doc Norman | Harry Falk | TV movie |
| 1986 | Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story | Ida Sinclair | Richard T. Heffron | TV movie |
| 1986 | Where the River Runs Black | Mother Marta | Christopher Cain | |
| 1986 | Picnic | Helen Potts | Marshall W. Mason | TC movie |
| 1986 | Matlock | Mrs. Reese | Alan Cooke (2) | Episode: "The Sisters" |
| 1987 | Night Court | Nurse | Jim Drake | Episode: "Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson" |
| 1987 | Sledge Hammer! | Judge Ida Gruff | Reza Badiyi (3) | Episode: "Jagged Sledge" |
| 1987 | Frank's Place | Jan Rudy | Hugh Wilson | Episode: "The Bridge" |
| 1987 | Eye on the Sparrow | Mary | John Korty | TV movie |
| 1988 | Hooperman | Eva Parker | Rick Wallace | Episode: "The Snitch" |
| 1988 | For Keeps | Mrs. Bobrucz | John G. Avildsen | |
| 1988 | Who's the Boss? | Frances | James Eric Hornbeck | Episode: "Housekeepers Unite" |
| 1988 | Sonny Spoon | Tough Habit | Dick Miller | Episode: "Tough Habit" |
| 1988 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Kate | David Trainer | Episode: "Old Money" |
| 1988 | Mystic Pizza | Leona | Donald Petrie | |
| 1988 | ABC Weekend Special | Aunt Jill | Ron Underwood | Episode: "Runaway Ralph" |
| 1988 | Goodbye, Miss 4th of July | Minnie Bixby | George Miller | TV movie |
| 1988 | Portrait of a White Marriage | Mrs. Sturgeon | Harry Shearer | |
| 1988 & 1991–1992 | L.A. Law | Susan Bloom / Lorna Landsberg | Several directors | 20 episodes |
| 1989 | A Peaceable Kingdom | Kate Galindo | Mark Waxman | 10 episodes |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Harriet Lundgren | John Llewellyn Moxey | Episode: "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue" |
| 1989 | Your Mother Wears Combat Boots | Specialist Mononaghee | Anson Williams | TV movie |
| 1989 | Hard Time on Planet Earth | Annie | James A. Contner | Episode: "The Hot Dog Man" |
| 1990 | Hollywood Dog | | William Dear | TV movie |
| 1990 | Opposites Attract | Flo | Noel Nosseck | TV movie |
| 1990 | Edward Scissorhands | Helen | Tim Burton | |
| 1991 | Deadly Intentions... Again? | Joan | James Steven Sadwith | TV movie |
| 1991 | Chains of Gold | Martha Burke | Rod Holcomb | TV movie |
| 1991 | Backfield in Motion | Ann Bedowski | Richard Michaels | TV movie |
| 1992–1995 | Hearts Afire | Dr. Madeline Stoessinger / Dr. Ruth Colquist | Several directors | 33 episodes |
| 1993 | The Legend of Prince Valiant | Girl | | Voice, episode: "The Sage" |
| 1993 | Dinosaurs | Shelly | Bruce Bilson (2) | Voice, episode: "Dirty Dancin'" |
| 1993 | Family Prayers | Mrs. Romeyo | Scott M. Rosenfelt | |
| 1993 | Sirens | Mrs. Chattle | TBA | Episode: "Keeping the Peace" |
| 1993 | True Romance | Mary Louise Ravencroft | Tony Scott | |
| 1993 | Cobra | Bobby Gutner | Jorge Montesi | Episode: "Honeymoon Hideaway" |
| 1993 | Heaven & Earth | Bernice | Oliver Stone | |
| 1994 | Samurai Cowboy | Bobbi Bob Pickette | Michael Keusch | |
| 1994 | A Worn Path | Nurse | Bruce Schwartz | |
| 1994 | Duckman | Roxanne | Jeff McGrath John Eng | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 1995 | The Buccaneers | Mrs. Elmsworth | Philip Saville | Miniseries; episode: "Invasion" |
| 1995 | The Mask: Animated Series | Willamina Bubask | | Voice, episode: "How Much Is That Dog in the Tin Can?" |
| 1995 | The Client | Rue | James Quinn | Episode: "The Way Things Never Were" |
| 1996 | Freeway | Mrs. Sheets | Matthew Bright | |
| 1996 | Minor Adjustments | Mrs. Daisy Gotschel | | Episode: "The Ungrateful Dead" |
| 1996 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Lureen Smith | Michael Preece | Episode: "Miracle at Middle Creek" |
| 1996 | Sweet Dreams | Dr. Kate Lowe | Jack Bender | TV movie |
| 1996 | Townies | Marge | Pamela Fryman | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | My Fellow Americans | Woman Truck Driver | Peter Segal | |
| 1997 | Touch | Virginia Worrel | Paul Schrader | |
| 1997 | ABC TGIF | Pam | | Episode: "Frightful Halloween Bash" |
| 1997 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Simpah | Denise Downer | Voice, episode: "Clockwise/Gromble Soup" |
| 1997–1998 | Teen Angel | Pam | Several directors | 17 episodes |
| 1998 | Modern Vampires | Wanda | Richard Elfman | TV movie |
| 1998 | The Naked Truth | Maxine Mansfield | Robby Benson | Episode: "Muddy for Nothing" |
| 1998 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Nurse Greenliegh | David Semel | Episode: "Go Fish" |
| 1999 | Touched by an Angel | Irene | Noel Nosseck | Episode: "The Medium and the Message" |
| 1999 | Two Guys and a Girl | Shawn's Mother | Gil Junger | Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl and Valentine's Day" |
| 1999 | JAG | Deanne | Terrence O'Hara | Episode: "Second Sight" |
| 1999 | Friends | The Judge | Gary Halvorson | Episode: "The One with Joey's Porsche" |
| 1999 | Chicken Soup for the Soul | Mrs. Patterson | | Episode: "Crying's Okay" |
| 2000 | Crime and Punishment in Suburbia | Bella | Rob Schmidt | |
| 2000 | Erin Brockovich | Brenda | Steven Soderbergh | |
| 2000 | Get Real | Rosa Hernandez | Richard Compton | Episode: "Support" |
| 2000 | Pensacola | Helen Wilson | Sidney J. Furie | Episode: "Answered Prayers" |
| 2000 | Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | Ma Munchapper | Steve Loter | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2000 & 2003 | The Wild Thornberrys | Harriet, Grizzly Bear | Carol Millican, Dean Crisswell | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Stranger Inside | Mama Cass | Cheryl Dunye | TV movie |
| 2001 | Popular | Calamity Jones | Ryan Murphy | Episode: "The News of My Death Has Been Greatly Exaggerated" |
| 2001 | The Zeta Project | Dr. Greer | Rob Davies | Voice, episode: "The Next Gen" |
| 2001 | Amy & Isabelle | Bev | Lloyd Kramer | TV movie |
| 2001 | Going to California | Nurse Lucy | TBA | Episode: "I Know Why the Caged Rhino Sings" |
| 2001 | ER | Mrs. Jenkins | Christopher Misiano | Episode: "Four Corners" |
| 2001 | K-PAX | Betty McAllister | Iain Softley | |
| 2002 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Bus Driver | Beth Broderick | Episode: "Guilty!" |
| 2002 | Mr. Deeds | Jan | Steven Brill | |
| 2002 | Lloyd in Space | Miss Effluvium | Howy Parkins | Voice, episode: "Incident at Luna Vista" |
| 2002 | Push, Nevada | Martha | Lisa Cholodenko | Episode: "The Letter of the Law" |
| 2003 | Becker | Zora | Chris Brougham | Episode: "Ms. Fortune" |
| 2003 | Judging Amy | Maxine's Co-Worker | Alan Myerson | Episode: "Kilt Trip" |
| 2003–2015 | Two and a Half Men | Berta | Several directors | Recurring role (season 1); Main role (seasons 2–12) |
| 2004 | Surviving Eden | Rosemary Flotchky | Greg Pritikin | |
| 2007 | Kabluey | Kathleen | Scott Prendergast | |
| 2012 | Frankenweenie | Bob's Mom | Tim Burton | Voice |
| 2013 | Not That, But Something Like That | | Benjamin Hasko | Short |
| 2014 | Postal Jerks | Carmelita | James Skinner | TV movie |
| 2014 | The Axe Murders of Villisca | Mrs. Flanks | Tony E. Valenzuela | |
| 2014 | Wishin' and Hopin' | Sister Agrippina | Colin Theys | TV movie |
| 2015 | Krampus | Aunt Dorothy | Michael Dougherty | |
| 2016 | Grace and Frankie | Grandma Jean | Trent O'Donnell | Episode: "The Negotiation" |
| 2016 | The Axe Murders of Villisca | Mrs. Flanks | Tony E. Valenzuela | |
| 2017 | The Ranch | Shirley | Don Reo Jim Patterson | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | A Very Nutty Christmas | Clara | Colin Theys | TV movie |
| 2020 | Deported | Betsy | Tyler Spindel | Posthumous release |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result |
| 1974 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Performance | The Sea Horse | Won |
| 1974 | Theatre World Award | | The Sea Horse | Won |
| 1974 | Obie Award | Best Actress | The Sea Horse | Won |
| 1981 | Western Heritage Awards | Bronze Wrangler | Heartland (shared with cast) | Won |
| 1992 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | L.A. Law | Nominated |
| 2005 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Two and a Half Men | Nominated |
| 2007 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Two and a Half Men | Nominated |