Joyce Randolph, the last surviving member of the famous four stars of The Honeymooners, died Saturday night at 99.
Her son, Randolph Charles, confirmed her death to the Associated Press, saying that she died of natural causes in her Manhattan apartment.
The actress is best remembered for playing housewife Trixie Norton across 39 episodes of the classic TV sitcom. She starred alongside Audrey Meadows, Art Carney, and series creator Jackie Gleason.
The show was canceled after its original run, but it gained acclaim in syndication, when it was heralded for its style of comedy and portrayal of marriage. Over the years, it has been revived in several forms.
Who was Joyce Randolph?
Born Joyce Sirola on Oct. 21, 1924, Randolph began her career in theater and television, first joining a touring production of Stage Door before moving to New York to pursue acting.
She enjoyed a Broadway stint in the 1950 comedy Ladies Night in a Turkish Bath and later appeared in shows including Rocky King Detective and Buck Rogers before landing her iconic role as Trixie.
The Honeymooners began as a series of short sketches on the variety show Cavalcade of Stars before later featuring regularly on CBS’ The Jackie Gleason Show. Randolph was not the first actress to play Trixie during this early period
Elaine Stritch originated a version of her when the shorts began — but from 1952 to 1957, Joyce Randolph became synonymous with the beloved character in the sketches and, eventually, on the sitcom itself.
Gleason spotted Randolph doing a commercial for Clorets in 1951 and flagged her for the part.
“I had done a breath mint commercial and got a call that Jackie wanted ‘that serious actor’ to audition for a skit called The Honeymooners and to play the sewer worker’s wife,” recalled Randolph in a 2015 interview with Daily Press. “It didn’t pay much and my character was less developed than the other three, but I was happy to have a job.”
Joyce Randolph’s character was married to Carney’s Ed Norton and together they were the neighbors of Ralph (Gleason) and Alice Kramden (Meadows), who were all searching for happiness in their tiny Brooklyn apartments. The chemistry between the four leads had clear sitcom potential, and the sketches ultimately expanded into a half-hour series, which debuted in 1955.
In the same interview, Randolph said she was “amazed by the show’s longevity.” Though the single-season sitcom originally aired in the mid ‘50s, fans who recognized her from it still regularly approached her.
“Strangers still come up and want to hug and kiss me and tell me how much they love the show,” she said. “You learn to accept it, but it’s fun and people are nice. The show continues to influence my life.”
Though The Honeymooners existed in various new forms for years, Randolph never returned to play Trixie for Gleason. She eventually reprised the character in 1991 on another sitcom, ABC’s Hi Honey, I’m Home, which also brought back Meadows as Alice.
Gleason was the first of the Honeymooners quartet to die, in 1987. Meadows died in 1996, after a battle with lung cancer, followed by Carney in 2003.
Joyce Randolph is survived by her son, Randolph Richard Charles, from her marriage to Richard Lincoln Charles, who died in 1997.
When is Joyce Randolph funeral service?
As of now, the funeral date of the late Joyce Randolph has not been disclosed by her family.
Having said that, we are still following up on her death, we will update you as soon as we get important information about Joyce Randolph funeral service.
ALSO READ: Joyce Randolph net worth: How much is the actress fortune at the time of her death
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