Ellen Gerstein

Last updated
Ellen Gerstein
Ellen Gerstein.jpg
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)actress, comedian, writer, producer, director
Years active1977 - present

Ellen Gerstein is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and director. [1] [2] She is known for her roles in television series such as The Whole Truth , Shameless, [3] and Seinfeld, [4] and films such as Venom [5] [6] and James Dean. [1] She is also known for directing the award-winning short film Come Away with Me. [7] [8]

Contents

Education

Gerstein has a graduate degree in Psychology, [9] from Antioch University. [10]

Career

Gerstein spent six years working as a social worker in Manhattan. [9]

One of Gerstein’s first roles was in the comedy film Coast to Coast , which was released in 1980. [11]

Gerstein appeared in an episode of Seinfeld, titled “The Stake Out,” which first aired in 1990. [4] Her other credits in the 1990s include Friends, [1] the HBO television film Witch Hunt , [12] Phyllis Nagy’s Girl Bar (play) in 1994, [13] and the musical television film Annie in 1999. [11]

Gerstein made her directorial debut with the short film Waiting for Ronald, which was released in 2003. [14] [1] The film went on to win the Award of Merit at the 2015 Best Shorts Competition [15] and the Audience Choice Best Short Film award at the Method Fest Film Festival. [2]

Gerstein starred in the play “A Tragedy on West Utica,” which was performed at the LA LUPA Fest One-Act Festival in 2011. [16]

Gerstein’s credits in the 2010s include Liza on Demand , Shameless , Fresh Off the Boat , and The Morning Show. [3]

Gerstein was set to star as one of the leads in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play ‘night, Mother in 2014, but was forced to drop out for medical reasons. [17] She remained on the project as a producer. [18]

At the 2015 Spotlight Short Film Awards, Gerstein received the Platinum Award for her short film Come Away with Me. [7] She produced, directed, starred in, and wrote an original song for the project. [8] She produced, directed, starred in, and wrote an original song for the project. [8] She won the Best Director award at the 2015 Atlanta Shortsfest, [19] the Platinum Remi award at Worldfest Houston, [20] and the Best Short Film award at the 2016 Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival for her work on the film. [21] The film was also nominated for Best Drama at the 2015 LAIFF Awards. [22] It was also one of the short films shown at the 2016 Sonoma International Film Festival. [23]

At the 2016 Cape May Film Festival, Gerstein received the Robert Prosky Character Actor Award. [24]

Gerstein starred in the short film Passage, which was released in 2018. For her role in the film, she won the Best Supporting Actress award in the Featurette category at the 2018 Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema. [25] [26]

Gerstein appeared as Mrs. Manfredi in the 2018 film Venom, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. [27] [6] She also starred in the independent film Turnover, which was released in 2019. [28]

Personal life

In her spare time, Gerstein enjoys fostering and taking care of dogs. [29] She is a member of the Alliance of Women Directors. [8] [30]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerActressNotesRef.
1977The Billion Dollar HoboNoNoNoYesAs Waitress
1978Jokes My Folks Never Told MeNoNoNoYes
1978CarlaNoNoNoYesAs Waitress; short film
1980Coast to CoastNoNoNoYesNurse #1 [11]
1981Going Ape!NoNoNoYesAs Sister [11]
1983I’m Going to Be FamousNoNoNoYes
1984 Joy of Sex NoNoNoYesAs Nurse #2 [11]
1984Body RockNoNoNoYesAs Secretary [11]
1986The Education of Allison TateNoNoNoYesAs Secretary
1987My Demon LoverNoNoNoYesAs Policewoman
1987EmanonNoNoNoYesAs Lynn [11]
1988Daddy’s BoysNoNoNoYesAs Madame Wang/Henrietta [11] [31]
1996Inside OutNoNoNoYesAs Lawyer; short film
1998Murder of CrowsNoNoNoYesAs Landlady
2000 Boys Life 3 NoNoNoYesAs Lawyer
2003Waiting for RonaldYesYesNoNo [14]
2004You Are So Going to Hell!NoNoNoYesAs Thelma
2005Break a LegNoNoNoYesAs “Secret Scruples” Casting Director
2010Treasure of the Black JaguarNoNoNoYesAs Ms. Shaneberg
2011Autumn and GeorgeNoNoNoYesAs Waitress Ellen; short film
2013Sylvia Rents a KidYesYesNoYesAs Sylvia: short film
2014SwelterNoNoNoYesAs Harriet
2015Come Away with MeYesYesYesYesAs Ann Chambers; short film [8]
2016Come Away with Me: The Documentary ShortYesYesYesYesAs self
2016Interior NightNoNoNoYesAs Mavis
2016Auto-CowreckedNoNoNoYesAs Rita
2017The Golden AgeNoNoNoYesAs Kathryn O’ Malley
2017Firm with PurposeNoNoNoYesAs Kathy; short film
2017After the HutchNoNoNoYesAs Bunny Mother; short film
2018The InterviewNoNoNoYesAs Margaret; short film
2018PassageNoNoNoYesAs June; short film [11]
2018 Venom NoNoNoYesAs Hospital Lady with Dog/Mrs. Manfredi [5]
2019TurnoverNoNoNoYesAs Cherub [32]
2019Speed of LifeNoNoNoYesAs Older Woman/Jean
2019The PlantersNoNoNoYesAs Judy Fine/Lady with a Lisp; voice role [11]
2021The Dead of NightNoNoNoYesAs Nana
2022God Save the QueensNoNoNoYesAs Eloise [11] [33]
TBHProof SheetNoNoNoYesAs Waitress

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1983Likely Stories, Vol. 4Turtle Head Story LadyIn “A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening” segment
1984It Came Upon a Midnight ClearNurseTV movie
1985 Cheers Mo McSweeney
1986 L.A. Law Bailiff Woman
1989DuetInstructor
1990SeinfeldCarol
1990I’m Dangerous TonightServerTV movie
1991VidiotsBerthaTV movie
1992Quantum LeapWoman
1993There Was a Little BoyTinaTV movie
1994Witch HuntSydney’s wifeTV movie
1995 California Dreams Esther
1996 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fortune Teller
1999It’s Like, You Know…Woman #1/Daughter
1999AnnieSophieTV movie; part of The Wonderful World of Disney
2001James DeanJane DeacyTV movie
2002 Friends Aunt Lisa
2010–2011The Whole TruthTina
2011Baby Boomer BunniesBunny MotherTV movie
2012SouthlandCrazy Carol
2012–2013 Shameless Aunt Rande
2016Twin TurboNonna
2016–2017Broke A$$ Rich KidKatia
2017 Fresh Off the Boat Lillian [3]
2017 Law & Order True Crime Judge Judith Stein
2018Liza on DemandSeymour’s Wife [3]
2018Hotel Du LooneMrs. Moorehouse [3]
2019The Morning ShowWoman [3]
2020Better ThingsManager
2020Smartphone TheaterLorraine/Janice/WomanAlso produced segment “A Conversation with Mark Rydell”
2020BonedBarbara Silvers [34]
2022SmotheredGoldie [35]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hand, Charles (2013-09-11). "Waiting for Ronald" (PDF). The Californian. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  2. 1 2 Frame, Laurelle LeVine (August 2013). "Waiting for Ronald" (PDF). Ability Magazine.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Theatre, Smartphone. ""TOILET SONATA" by Shirl Hendryx". Smartphone Theatre. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  4. 1 2 Seinfeld Official Guide to All 180 episodes. Praetorian Publishing. 2021-04-11. ISBN   978-1-4944-0595-3.
  5. 1 2 "RECENZE: Lepkavý Venom je i v kategorii komiksových omalovánek chudoba". iDNES.cz (in Czech). 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  6. 1 2 "Crítica a Venom (2018), de Ruben Fleischer - Martin Cid Magazine". martincid.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  7. 1 2 "Spotlight Short Film Awards". Spotlight Film Awards. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Independent Filmmakers in the Spotlight". Spotlight Film Awards. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  9. 1 2 Hoverstein, Bill (2003-05-08). "New Film "Waiting for Ronald" Reveals a Different World" (PDF). Park Labrea News / Beverly Press.
  10. ↑ "Ellen Gerstein: Actor, Director, Hollywood Acting Coach, Lulu Pr" . Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Ellen Gerstein | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  12. ↑ Mitchell, Charles P. (2001). The Complete H.P. Lovecraft Filmography. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN   978-0-313-31641-8.
  13. ↑ Witt, Lynn; Thomas, Sherry; Marcus, Eric (2009-09-26). Out in All Directions: A Treasury of Gay and Lesbian America. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN   978-0-446-56721-3.
  14. 1 2 Mitchell, David T.; Snyder, Sharon L. (2015-06-02). The Biopolitics of Disability: Neoliberalism, Ablenationalism, and Peripheral Embodiment. University of Michigan Press. ISBN   978-0-472-05271-4.
  15. ↑ "Award of Merit June 2015 |". bestshorts.net. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  16. ↑ "LA LUPA :: ITALIAN CULTURAL ARTS FESTIVAL ::LOS ANGELES, CA". www.lalupafest.com. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  17. ↑ Riefe, Jordan (2014-10-31). "Aliah Whitmore Keeps Family Tradition Alive with 'Night, Mother' at Whitmore Eclectic". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  18. ↑ "Review: A wrenching ' 'night, Mother' at Lost Studio". Los Angeles Times. 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  19. ↑ "Atlanta Shortsfest Awards". Atlanta Shortsfest. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  20. ↑ "The Hollywood 360 Spotlight: Ellen Gerstein, Director and Star–"Come Away with Me"". thehollywood360.com. Archived from the original on 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  21. ↑ "2016 ITWIFF WINNERS |Imagine This Women's International Film Festival". Imagine This Prods. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  22. ↑ "June 2015". A home for your amazing films. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  23. ↑ "SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2016 PROGRAM". www.sonomavalley.com. 2016-05-24. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  24. ↑ "Cape May 2016 Film Festival - Saturday Night". Exit Zero. 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  25. ↑ "The Independent Critic - "Passage" Continues Having Success on the Festival Circuit". theindependentcritic.com. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  26. ↑ "Grandma Knows Best: A Lovely Passage". www.reeltalkreviews.com. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  27. ↑ "RECENZE: Lepkavý Venom je i v kategorii komiksových omalovánek chudoba". iDNES.cz (in Czech). 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  28. ↑ Crier, Idyllwild Town. "'Turnover' stirs up Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema: Nominated for 14 IIFC awards • Idyllwild Town Crier" . Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  29. ↑ Kelegian, Sylva (2014-05-31). God Spelled Backwards: (The Journey of an Actress into the World of Dog Rescue). Xlibris Corporation. p. 121. ISBN   978-1-4931-4381-8.
  30. ↑ "Member List". Alliance of Women Directors. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  31. ↑ James, Caryn (1988-06-10). "Reviews/Film; Whining Daddy And His 3 Sons Rob and Kidnap". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  32. ↑ "'Turnover' stirs up Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema: Nominated for 14 IIFC awards • Idyllwild Town Crier". 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  33. ↑ "God Save The Queens | Film Threat". 2022-06-12. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  34. ↑ "Recurring Characters". BonedTheSeries. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  35. ↑ Jr, Ruben Perez (2022-01-17). "'SMOTHERED' starring Jason Stuart & Mitch Hara Returning for Season Two on Prime Video". Entertainment Rocks. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
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