Marcia Wallace was born on November 1, 1942, as the eldest of three children to an Iowa general storeowner. Despite enduring a troubled childhood marked by alcoholism and physical abuse, she found solace in performing in high school plays and studying English and theatre at Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa.
Initially, Marcia's weight problem led her to play plump, self-deprecating characters in musicals like "The Music Man," but she eventually dropped excess weight and discovered she could still make people laugh. She found valuable training with the improvisational comedy group "The Fourth Wall" in 1968 and studied with acting guru Uta Hagen.
Marcia's on-camera career began with bit roles on shows like "The Invaders," "Bewitched," and "The Brady Bunch." Her first major break came with recurring appearances on "The Merv Griffin Show" (1962),which led to her winning the role of "Carol Kester" on "The Bob Newhart Show" (1972). She spent seven years playing the lovable, slightly ditsy receptionist and earning a devoted fan base.
Throughout her career, Marcia guest-starred on numerous popular shows, including "Love, American Style," "The Love Boat," "Fantasy Island," "CHiPS," "Magnum, P.I.," "Gimme a Break," "Finder of Lost Loves," "Murder, She Wrote," "Alf," "Night Court," "Small Wonder," and "Charles in Charge." She also appeared in TV movies and films like "Teen Witch" (1989),"My Mom's a Werewolf" (1989),and "Ghoulies Go to College" (1990).
Marcia's success on "The Newhart Show" led to regular work on game shows like "The Match Game," "Password," "The $10,000 Pyramid," and "Hollywood Squares." She continued to work in summer stock and dinner theatre, performing in comedies like "Plaza Suite," "Born Yesterday," "The Prisoner of Second Avenue," "The Sunshine Boys," and "Last of the Red Hot Lovers," as well as musicals like "Gypsy" and "Promises, Promises."
In 1985, Marcia was diagnosed with breast cancer, which led her to become an activist and lecturer on breast cancer awareness, educating the public about early detection. She was also the primary caregiver for her husband, hotelier Denny Hawley, when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1991.
Marcia's career received a second wind with voice-over work, earning an Emmy Award for her iconic role as "Mrs. Edna Krabappel" on "The Simpsons" (1989). She also provided voices for various animated projects, including "Darkwing Duck," "Raw Toonage," "Camp Candy," "Batman: The Animated Series," "Aladdin," "Cow and Chicken," "The Angry Beavers," and "Rugrats." Her voice was also featured in the animated film "Monsters University" (2013).
Throughout her life, Marcia remained active in the entertainment industry, hosting comedy clubs and talk shows, and even co-hosting a diet show on cable. She published her memoir "Don't Look Back, We're Not Going That Way!" in 2004, which humorously chronicled her struggles with wit and positivity.
Marcia's final roles included appearances on "That's My Bush!" (2001) and "The Young and the Restless" (1973),as well as films like "Forever for Now" (2004),"Big Stan" (2007),and "Tru Loved" (2008).
