# Renée Taylor

Renée Adorée Taylor (née Wexler; born March 19, 1933) is an American actress, screenwriter, playwright, producer and director. Taylor was nominated for an Academy Award for co-writing the screenplay for the film Lovers and Other Strangers (1970). She also played Sylvia Fine on the television sitcom The Nanny (1993–1999).

## Early years

Taylor was born on March 19, 1933, in The Bronx, New York City, to Charles and Frieda (née Silverstein) Wexler, an aspiring actress. Her mother named her after silent film actress Renée Adorée. She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

## Career

Taylor acted with improv groups in the 1950s. She worked as a comedian in the early 1960s at the New York City nightclub Bon Soir. Her opening act was a then-unknown Barbra Streisand. In 1967, Taylor played an actress portraying Eva Braun in Mel Brooks' feature film The Producers, a role she got while performing the play Luv with Gene Wilder, whom Brooks cast as protagonist Leo Bloom.
Taylor and husband Joseph Bologna co-wrote the Broadway hit comedy Lovers and Other Strangers, and received Academy Award nominations for writing the 1970 film adaptation. In 1971, the couple co-wrote and starred in the film Made for Each Other. Their screenplay received a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy. Taylor played Arlene Sherwood, co-producer of a television show along with Jerry Orbach and John Candy in the 1991 film Delirious.
From 1992 to 1994, Taylor played the overbearing Jewish mother of Brian Benben's lead character on the HBO series Dream On. In 1993, she was cast as the mother of Richard Lewis, and the ex-wife of Don Rickles, in the Fox sitcom Daddy Dearest, which was cancelled after a two-month run in the fall.
Also in 1993, Taylor appeared in the CBS sitcom The Nanny as Sylvia Fine, the mother of the titular character. After the cancellation of Daddy Dearest, Taylor was upgraded to a recurring cast member during the first season of The Nanny and eventually a full-time cast member by the third season. Her roles on the two broadcast network series in 1993 were concurrent with her work on Dream On.
Taylor is most often recognized for her role in The Nanny. Her character was intent on helping daughter Fran find a husband and had a passionate love for food. Taylor's husband, Joseph Bologna, made two guest appearances on The Nanny—first, as an egomaniacal actor named Allan Beck, who tormented Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) and second, in the final season, as a doctor and admirer of Sylvia in the episode, "Maternal Affairs".
Between 2008 and 2012, Taylor guest-starred as Ted Mosby's neighbor, Mrs. Matsen, on How I Met Your Mother. She also had a guest-starring role on the Disney Channel series Shake It Up, portraying a cranky elderly woman, Mrs. Lacasio, in a retirement home. She also had a guest-starring role on the Nickelodeon series Victorious, as Robbie's cranky grandmother who wants to learn how to use the Internet. Like Sylvia Fine, Taylor's character on Victorious also has a husband named Morty.
In addition to her numerous guest-starring appearances, Taylor has worked as a voice-actor as the character Mrs. Start in the animated feature film Ice Age: The Meltdown, and in a recurring role as Linda's mother Gloria in the animated Fox series Bob's Burgers. Taylor also played Martha Benson in the film Opposite Day, released in 2009.
Taylor also appeared on Fran Drescher's series Happily Divorced as the best friend of Fran's mother. In 2011, Taylor was cast in Allen Gregory as Principal Gottlieb. In 2013, she starred in the Tyler Perry film Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor as Ms. Waco Chapman, the owner of Chapman Drug Company.
In 2016, Taylor starred in the Netflix film The Do-Over with Adam Sandler as the role of Mrs. Kessler and in the TV show Rock in a Hard Place. Taylor followed that with an appearance in the 2017 film How to Be a Latin Lover.
Taylor had a role in Tango Shalom, in which she acted alongside her husband, Joseph Bologna in his final film role before his death. The film was released theatrically in North America on September 3, 2021, and on VOD and DVD in North America on October 29, 2021. Beginning July 25, 2018, Taylor appeared in My Life on a Diet at the Off-Broadway Theatre at St. Clement's, written with Bologna. After two extensions, she took the production on tour across the U.S.

## Personal life

Taylor married actor Joseph Bologna on August 7, 1965, in Stamford, Connecticut. They had a son, filmmaker, Gabriel who directed his parents in the last film they starred in together, Tango Shalom. They were married until Bologna's death in August 2017.
Taylor is Jewish.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1958 | The Mugger | Mac's wife | |
| 1961 | The Errand Boy | Miss Giles | |
| 1961 | A Bowl of Cherries | Party goer | Short Film |
| 1966 | A Fine Madness | Myrna | |
| 1967 | The Producers | Eva Braun | |
| 1968 | The Detective | Rachael Schoenstein | |
| 1970 | Lovers and Other Strangers | — | Writer |
| 1971 | A New Leaf | Sharon Hart | |
| 1971 | Jennifer on My Mind | Selma Rottner | |
| 1971 | Made for Each Other | Pandora | Also writer |
| 1972 | Last of the Red Hot Lovers | Jeanette | |
| 1983 | Lovesick | Mrs. Mondragon | |
| 1989 | It Had to Be You | Theda Blau | Also director and writer |
| 1990 | The End of Innocence | Angel | |
| 1990 | White Palace | Edith Baron | |
| 1991 | Delirious | Arlene Sherwood | |
| 1991 | All I Want for Christmas | Sylvia | |
| 1992 | Forever | Charlotte Shelby | |
| 1996 | Love Is All There Is | Mona | Also director and writer |
| 2001 | Dr. Dolittle 2 | Female Tortoise | Voice |
| 2001 | Dying on the Edge | Lottie Minnow | |
| 2002 | Returning Mickey Stern | Jeannie | |
| 2003 | Gold Diggers | Betty Mundt | |
| 2004 | Alfie | Lu Schnitman | |
| 2005 | Boynton Beach Club | Woman on Cell Phone | |
| 2006 | Ice Age 2: The Meltdown | Mrs. Start | Voice |
| 2006 | Kalamazoo? | Golda | |
| 2006 | A-List | Mrs. Smigley | |
| 2007 | Dancin' on the Edge | "Adult" Eloise Brown | Short film |
| 2008 | The Rainbow Tribe | Ms. Crappie | |
| 2009 | Life During Wartime | Mona | |
| 2009 | Opposite Day | Martha Benson | |
| 2010 | Boston Girls | Mrs. Palermo | |
| 2011 | When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal and Helen Mirren | Uncredited | Short film |
| 2012 | Should've Been Romeo | Tillie | |
| 2012 | Rose's Diet | Rose | Short film; also producer |
| 2012 | Driving Me Crazy: Proof of Concept | Doris Brown | |
| 2013 | Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor | Ms. Waco Chapman | |
| 2014 | Zarra's Law | Gabriella Zarra | |
| 2016 | The Do-Over | Mrs. Kessler | |
| 2017 | How to Be a Latin Lover | Peggy | |
| 2020 | The Pack Podcast | Stella / Debby | |
| 2021 | Tango Shalom | Deborah Yehuda | Also producer |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1963 | The Defenders | Mrs. Thorpe | Episode: "Judgement Eve" |
| 1964 | The Reporter | Myrna | Episode: "Rope's End" |
| 1968 | The Joan Rivers Show | Herself | Episode: "Mrs. Parkinson's Law" |
| 1973 | Calucci's Department | Mrs. Woods | Creator / Writer / Actor "Life Is an Anchovy" (Actor) Writer (3 episodes) |
| 1973 | Acts of Love and Other Comedies | — | Television film, writer |
| 1974 | Paradise | Marilyn / Carmel / Madeline | Television film, also writer |
| 1975 | Fay | Marian | Episode: "Mr. Wonderful" |
| 1975 | Three for Two | — | Television film, writer |
| 1976 | Woman of the Year | Tess Harding | Television film, also writer |
| 1977 | Good Penny | Penny | Television film, also writer |
| 1977 | Forever Fernwood | Annabelle Kearns | Television film |
| 1980 | A Cry for Love | — | Television film, writer |
| 1983 | Matt Houston | Sheila Baer | Episode: "The Showgirl Murders" |
| 1983 | Lottery! | Sylvia Berman | Episode: "Being a Winner" |
| 1983 | Lovers and Other Strangers | — | Television film; writer and producer |
| 1984 | Bedrooms | Host / Riva / Wendy | Television film; also director, writer, and producer |
| 1984 | St. Elsewhere | Dr. Charlotte Miller | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | The Love Boat | Monica Douglas | Episode: "Happily Ever After/Have I Got a Job for You/Mr. Smith Goes to Minikulu" |
| 1986 | Tales from the Darkside | Pearl King | Episode: "A Serpent's Tooth" |
| 1987 | The New Hollywood Squares | Herself (Panelist) | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Win, Lose or Draw | Herself (Contestant) | Episode: "10.17.1988" |
| 1989 | Heartbeat | Unknown role | Episode: "From Russia with Love" |
| 1990 | Thirtysomething | Electra Rosebloom | Episode: "The Guilty Party" |
| 1992 | Empty Nest | Anne | Episode: "The Mismatchmaker" |
| 1992 | Carol Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy & Blue | Mrs. Himmelfarb | Television film |
| 1992–1994 | Dream On | Doris Tupper | Recurring role (6 episodes) |
| 1993 | Daddy Dearest | Helen Mitchell | Series regular (13 episodes) |
| 1993–1999 | The Nanny | Sylvia Fine | Recurring role (94 episodes) |
| 1996 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Roweena Johnson | Episode: "Oedipus Wrecks" |
| 1996 | Caroline in the City | Mrs. Fox | Episode: "Caroline and the Therapist" |
| 1996 | Jeopardy! | Herself (Celebrity Contestant) | Episode: "1996 Celebrity Jeopardy! Game 5" |
| 1997 | A Match Made in Heaven | Isobel Slotkin | Television film |
| 1997 | Superman: The Animated Series | Lucille | Voice, episode: "Warrior Queen" |
| 1998 | The Simple Life | Sylvia Fine | Episode: "The Other Mother" |
| 1999 | Hollywood Squares | Herself (Panelist) | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 2001 | 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd | Phyllis | Episode: "Matchmaking Mutt" |
| 2001 | 61* | Claire Ruth | Television film |
| 2004 | Eve | Ms. Berkowitz | Episode: "Valentine's Day Reloaded" |
| 2005 | Everwood | Betty Barrett | Episode: "Piece of Me" |
| 2005 | Early Bird | unknown role | Television film |
| 2007 | Pandemic | Kathryn Hadorn | Miniseries |
| 2007 | The Wedding Bells | Gladys Miller | Episode: "For Whom the Bells Toll" |
| 2008 | Biography | Herself (Interviewee) | Episode: "Jude Law" |
| 2009–2012 | How I Met Your Mother | Mrs. Matsen / Mrs. Matson | Recurring role (3 episodes) |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Maude Monahan | Episode: "Bedtime" |
| 2010 | Victorious | Mammaw | Episode: "The Birthweek Song" |
| 2010 | Sonny with a Chance | unknown role | Episode: "Random Acts of Disrespect" |
| 2010–2012 | Shake It Up | Mrs. Locassio | Recurring role (3 episodes) |
| 2011 | Allen Gregory | Judith Gottlieb | Series regular (4 episodes) |
| 2011 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Herself | Episode: "Joan Osborne/Ahmad Rashad/Renee Taylor/Mia Tyler" |
| 2011–2012 | Happily Divorced | Marilyn | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 2011–2023 | Bob's Burgers | Gloria Genarro | Voice, 5 episodes |
| 2012 | 2 Broke Girls | Hinda Gagel | Episode: "And the Kosher Cupcakes" |
| 2012 | Natasha Mail Order Bride Escape to America | Eunice | Television film |
| 2013 | Beverly Hills Broke | Renee | Television film; also writer and executive producer |
| 2015 | Weird Loners | Nana | Miniseries, episode: "Weird Dance" |
| 2016 | Rock in a Hard Place | Mimi | Unknown episode(s) |
| 2017 | Young & Hungry | Mrs. Shapiro | Episode: "Young & Couchy" |
| 2021 | Debris | Hasmat #4 | Episode: "Asalah" |

## Accolades

The following is a list of awards and nominations received by Renee Taylor:
| Association | Year | Nominated Work | Category | Results |
| Academy Awards | 1971 | Lovers and Other Strangers | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated |
| Emmy Awards (Primetime) | 1973 | Acts of Love and Other Comedies | Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music (shared with Joseph Bologna) | Won |
| Emmy Awards (Primetime) | 1974 | Paradise | Outstanding Writing in Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music (shared with Joseph Bologna) | Nominated |
| Emmy Awards (Primetime) | 1996 | The Nanny | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
| Writers Guild Awards | 1971 | Lovers and Other Strangers | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium (shared with Joseph Bologna & David Zelag Goodman) | Nominated |
| Writers Guild Awards | 1972 | Made for Each Other | Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen (shared with Joseph Bologna) | Nominated |