Joyce Randolph

Joyce Randolph

Randolph flipping the switch at the Empire State Building, February 2007
Born Joyce Sirola
(1924-10-21) October 21, 1924
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1949–2000
Spouse(s) Richard Lincoln Charles (1955–1997; his death); 1 son
Signature

Joyce Randolph (born October 21, 1924) is an American actress, known for playing Trixie Norton on The Honeymooners.

Biography

Early life and career

Randolph was born as Joyce Sirola in Detroit, Michigan, and moved to New York City in 1943 to pursue an acting career. She took roles on Broadway and landed various television roles.[1]

In 1951, she was seen in a Clorets commercial by Jackie Gleason and was asked to appear in a skit on Cavalcade of Stars, Gleason's variety show on the DuMont Television Network. Soon after, she was cast as Trixie in The Honeymooners.[1] Several New York columnists referred to her as the "Garbo of Detroit". “That's still a mystery ... I was a nobody in Detroit. Why Garbo? Well, she was Scandinavian — and so was I”, responded Randolph.[1]

The Honeymooners

Randolph is the last surviving member of the famous Honeymooners quartet, which included Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden, Art Carney as Ed Norton, Audrey Meadows as Alice Kramden (after replacing a blacklisted Pert Kelton), and Randolph as Trixie Norton.

Randolph was not the very first "Trixie Norton"; Elaine Stritch appeared as a burlesque "Trixie" circa 1951 in Cavalcade of Stars, where the premise for The Honeymooners first took root. Stritch only played the role once and Randolph took over. Randolph had met her future Honeymooners co-star Meadows long before they did the television series, working together in a summer stock production of No, No, Nanette. [2]

In a September 2015 interview, Randolph said that she did not portray Trixie Norton in Honeymooners revivals due to personal and geographic reasons; in addition, Randolph stated that Gleason considered her to be "the quintessential Trixie." [3]

Personal life

Randolph married Richard Lincoln Charles, a wealthy marketing executive, on October 2, 1955, the day after The Honeymooners premiered. Richard Charles died in 1997 at age 74. Their son, Randolph Richard Charles (born 1960), is a marketing executive in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1]

She is the great-aunt of Major League Baseball pitcher Tim Redding.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Collins, Glenn (2007-01-27). "For TV's Trixie, the Honeymoon Lives On". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
  2. ↑ ""Honeymooners' star Meadows dies" February 5, 1996 The Journal Times retrieved October 28, 2015
  3. ↑ "JOYCE RANDOLPH 2015 INTERVIEW: Jackie Gleason / Honeymooners / Ripper the Clown Podcast". Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  4. ↑ Joyce Randolph relation to Tim Redding, newyork.mets.mlb.com; accessed January 27, 2014.
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