Getty Ann Morgan Guilbert, best known for her roles as Yetta Rosenberg on "The Nanny" and Millie Helper on The "Dick Van Dyke Show," died of cancer on June 14, 2016.
Ann Morgan Guilbert, best known for her roles as Fran Drescher’s grandmother, Yetta Rosenberg, on The Nanny and the nosy next-door neighbor Millie Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show, died of cancer on June 14, 2016. She was 87 years old at the time of her death.
Guilbert’s daughter, Nora Eckstein, confirmed her death the following day, writing a short tribute to her mother on Twitter. “#AnnGuilbert has taken a final bow. Thanks to all for the love and applause.”
Here’s what we know about Guilbert’s career and death ahead of The Nanny live stream reunion and pilot reading on April 6:
Guilbert’s Career Spanned Six Decades & She Worked Until the Day She Died
Such a great actress! I thank you Annie. Thank you for all the laughs! May you be cracking them up in heaven! 💔🙏🏽😢🌹
Guilbert had finished filming a couple episodes of the CBS show Life in Pieces and worked until her cancer diagnosis just a few short weeks before her death in 2016, according to her daughter. CNN reports that Guilbert was never in any pain and died the morning of June 14 after a very brief battle with cancer.
Guilbert’s career spanned nearly six decades, and she remained active on television until the very end, according to USA Today. Shortly after her death, actress and fellow Nanny co-star Fran Drescher paid tribute to Guilbert on Twitter, sharing a series of photos, gifs and compliments to her late on-screen grandmother. Drescher called Guilbert “brilliant,” “sweet” and a “great actress.”
“Such a great actress! I thank you Annie. Thank you for all the laughs! May you be cracking them up in Heaven!” Drescher wrote in one tweet, and added in another, “I feel so sad about Annie. She was brilliant as my Grandma Yetta. Such a sweet woman too.”
Guilbert Had Extensive Theater Credits & Her Daughter Claims Her ‘True Love’ Was the Theater
Grandma Yetta I love you!💔😩
Although the late actress was best known for her roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Nanny, her daughter says her true love was the theater. Some of Guilbert’s favorites theater performances included The Immigrant at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and Night Mother at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., according to CNN.
Guilbert had extensive theater credits, including the 2005 Broadway play A Naked Girl on the Appian Way and productions of The Matchmaker, Arsenic and Old Lace, Waiting for Godot, To Kill a Mockingbird and Harvey, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Original Cast of The Nanny Will be Doing a Virtual Read of the Pilot for Fans on April 6
You asked. We delivered! Here’s a sneak peek at our once in a lifetime pilot table read of @TheNannyTV. Full video coming Monday 4/6! #PandemicPerformance #TheNanny
The original cast of The Nanny is reuniting for a virtual table read of the pilot, which will be posted on the Sony Pictures YouTube page the morning of Monday, April 6, according to Variety. The reading will include cast members Charles Shaughnessy, Daniel Davis, Lauren Lane, Nicholle Tom, Benjamin Salisbury, Madeline Zima, Renee Taylor, Alex Sternin, Ann Hampton Callaway, DeeDee Rescher, Rachel Chagall and Jonathan Penner.
“Laughter is the best medicine! So, in these challenging times, Petah and I thought, wouldn’t it be great if we pulled together the original cast of ‘The Nanny’ for a virtual read of the pilot?” said Drescher in a statement, referring to the show’s co-creator, Peter Marc Jacobson. “It’s a once in a lifetime Pandemic Performance for our fans around the world who are currently stressing in isolation and could use a real upper! It sure has given each of us a lift and we hope it does for you as well.”
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