Audrey Meadows was best known as Alice on The Honeymooners.Born in WuChang, China, to Episcopal missionary parents, Audrey spoke nothing but Chinese until she was five, when her parents returned home to America.
Although Audrey had made her debut as a coloratura soprano in Carnegie Hall when she was sixteen, she also sang with the Civic Light Opera companies in Detroit, Louisville and Chicago in standards like "Roberta," "Anything Goes," "Good News," and "No, Non Nanette," as well as a starring Broadway role with Phil Silvers in "Top Banana" and with Bob And Ray's famous television show.
She reached phenomenal success with "The Honeymooners," and will be forever remembered as "Alice." Next, a series of guest shots on major TV shows, and six specials with Sid Caesar, showed her versatility as a singer, dancer and comedienne.
Audrey Meadows, at the height of her comedy success, showed her unique versatility in developing a series of straight dramatic roles in "Play of the Week" and"Alfred Hitchcock Presents," which won an award, "Checkmate," "Wagon Train" and more. she made her motion picture debut with Cary Grant and Doris Day in "That Touch of Mink." She then followed that success with "Take Her She's Mine," with Jimmy Stewart, and "Rosie" with Rosalind Russell and Sandra Dee. All of her film work was interspersed with television guest star roles on national shows.
Few fans realize that the familiar throaty rasp of Alice Kramden belongs to the Audrey Meadows who was more than capable of holding her own with many of the nation's top ranking comics. Television guest shots with Sid Caesar, Red Skelton, Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, Ted Knight, Johnathan Winters and Carol Burnett proved that with her own unique and unforgettable style of comic acting. She became a sought-after dramatic actress as well, and appeared in every major television playhouse production, including the prize-winning Alfred Hitchcock drama, and starred in a two-hour production of Elmer Rice's, "the Grand Tour."
Later, she appeared in "Specials" of "The Honeymooners," Dean Martin "Roasts," "The Love Boat," "Hotel" and five years opposite Ted Knight in "Too Close for Comfort," a recurring role on Universal's "Uncle Buck," as well as "Murder, She Wrote," "Davis Rules," "Burke's Law," "Sisters," and "Dave's World."
On August 24, 1961, Audrey was married in Honolulu to Robert F. Six, President of Continental Airlines. She served as Director of the First National Bank of Denver for eleven years and was an Advisory Director of Continental Airlines. In October 1994, she published her memiors, entitled, Love, Alice. Love, Alice is referred to many places on this official Web site, particularly in "Fun Stuff," where Audrey recounts in her own words some of her most colorful memories associated with "The Honeymooners."
Audrey Meadows died February 3, 1996 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 69.
