- Polly Holliday died on September 9, at the age of 88.
- She became a household name playing the quick-witted waitress Flo on the CBS sitcom ‘Alice.’
- Holliday’s career spanned the small screen, big screen, and the stage.
On Tuesday, September 9, Polly Holliday passed away. She was 88 years old when she died at her Manhattan home, as confirmed by her agent, Dennis Apland, who confirmed news of her passing to The New York Times.
Polly Holliday gained national fame as Florence Jean “Flo” Castleberry, the sharp-tongued waitress on the CBS sitcom Alice. Her delivery of the catchphrase “Kiss my grits!” became instantly iconic, earning her widespread recognition, two Golden Globe wins, and multiple Emmy nominations. She capitalized on her popularity by leading the spin-off Flo, and went on to appear in notable films like Gremlins and Mrs. Doubtfire, as well as Broadway productions that earned her a Tony nomination, making her one of the most memorable character actors of her era.
Polly Holliday gets her start
Polly Dean Holliday was born on July 2, 1937, in Jasper, Alabama, daughter of a truck driver, Ernest Holliday, and Velma Mabell Holliday. She earned a piano degree from the Alabama College for Women (now University of Montevallo) in 1959 and went on to study at Florida State University. After teaching music in Alabama and Florida, Holliday spent a decade honing her craft in repertory theatre with the Asolo Theatre Company in Sarasota, Florida. In the early 1970s, she moved to New York, earning roles in the Public Theater production Wedding Band and on Broadway in All Over Town, where she met and worked with Dustin Hoffman.
Her major breakthrough came in 1976 when she was cast as Florence Jean “Flo” Castleberry, the sharp-tongued waitress on the CBS sitcom Alice. Her Southern drawl and the catchphrase “Kiss my grits!” became cultural staples. Holliday portrayed Flo on Alice from 1976 to 1980, earning multiple award nominations and two Golden Globe wins. She then starred in the Flo spin-off (1980-81) as the same character, though the series concluded after two seasons.
A career spanning generations
After Flo, Holliday transitioned to film roles in popular titles like Gremlins, which earned her a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Parent Trap, and Moon Over Parador. On television, she guest-starred in Private Benjamin, The Golden Girls, playing Rose’s blind sister, as well as Home Improvement, where she played Jill Taylor’s mother. In addition, she worked off-screen as a dialect coach, helping Dustin Hoffman master a Southern accent for Tootsie.
Holliday returned to Broadway for revivals of Arsenic and Old Lace (1986) and earned a Tony nomination in 1990 for her portrayal of Big Mama in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Her final screen appearance came in the 2010 film Fair Game, where she played the mother of Valerie Plame. Throughout her career, she moved between stage, television, and film, always delivering memorable, grounded performances without ever becoming defined by a single role.