Prior to her recent role as Maggie the housekeeper on That's My Bush, the irreverent sitcom by the creators of South Park, Marcia Wallace was best known for her Emmy award winning role as Bart's teacher, Mrs. Krabappel, on The Simpsons, and as Carol Kester on The Bob Newhart Show. She reprised that role when she guest starred as Murphy Brown's 66th secretary, for which she received an Emmy nomination. She reunited with Murphy as a member of her breast cancer support group, with her old boss on George and Leo and recently appeared on Seventh Heaven and Providence. Marcia's voice has also been heard on several animated series, films and commercials.
Marcia appeared in The Vagina Monologues in Los Angeles and repeated her role in the New York City,Chicago and San Diego productions.
Marcia has been paid for doing what she loves to do since 1969. She left Iowa for New York City the afternoon she graduated from college weighing 230 pounds, with $150 in the bank. Marcia now suggests to theatrical hopefuls that their ready cash should at least equal their weight.
Her first professional job was the chubbette role in the summer stock production of Music Man. She also sold bedsheets, typed scripts (Hello Dolly, to drop a name), and substitute taught English in the Bronx . The day she screamed shuto-upo to an unruly group of Spanish-speaking students was her last on a teaching payroll, although Marcia has continued to work with kids on a regular basis.
Ms. Wallace then lost 100 pounds and went into a nude production of Dark of the Moon...she does not believe there was a connection. Other New York credits include Calling In Crazy with Jill Clayburgh and the improvisational comedy group, The Fourth Wall, which ran off-Broadway for a year. During this time she studied with the renowned actress and coach, Uta Hagen. While in New York she also started her TV commercial career, and has appeared in over fifty of them to date. Marcia recently did her first infomercial.
Ms. Wallace has also made over fifty appearances on the Merv Griffin Show and first came to Hollywood at his request. In fact, she was cast on Newhart after being seen on a Griffin Show in March 1972.
In addition to seven years on the Newhart series, she has guested on such shows as Murder She Wrote, Magnum P.I., Taxi, A Different World, and has had recurring roles on Full House, Charges in Charge, and Alf.
Marcia is most excited about her art film career (and Meryl Streep is very nervous), which includes My Mother The Werewolf, Teen Witch, Ghoulies Go To College, and the eagerly awaited Space Sluts In The Slammer.
She has made regular appearances on the celebrity panels of game shows. Never off stage for long, she toured as Olive Madison in the female Odd Couple. Other stage credits include Same Time Next Year, Twigs, It Had To Be You, Supporting Cast, Prisoner of Second Avenue, Plaza Suite, Gypsy, Promises Promises, Born Yesterday, all three roles in Last of the Red Hot Lovers, the geriatric version of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and Ouiser in Steel Magnolias.
Ms. Wallace's first Los Angeles stage appearance was her starring role in An Almost Perfect Person, which she also produced. The production was seen at the Coast Theater and ran for sixteen weeks.
Wearing yet another hat, Marcia has hosted nationally televised comedy clubs, has appeared as guest host on talk shows around the country and has hosted her own show Do or Diet with Gordon Jump on the cable health network.
In October of 1998, Marcia was featured in a People magazine cover story on the American breast cancer epidemic along with other celebrities who have survived breast cancer. As a fifteen-year survivor, Marcia has become a high profile advocate for breast cancer awareness. In addition to sponsorships, media appearances and her visibility as a television actress, Marcia is also a motivational speaker. She has spoken to thousands of women across the country sharing her hilarious and moving story. She also just finished her first book. Both her speech and her book are entitled Don't Look Back, We're Not Going That Way. The title is a quote from her larger than life father. Of course, he also used to say, "If I don't see you again the mule is yours," so not everything he said was deep. The book is subtitled How I Overcame a Rocky Childhood, a Nervous Breakdown, Breast Cancer, Widowhood, Fat, Fire & Menopausal Motherhood and Still Managed to Count My Lucky Chickens.
