Carole Cook

Carole Cook Headshot

Actress

Birth Date: January 14, 1924

Death Date: January 11, 2023

Birth Place: Abilene, Texas

Actress Carole Cook worked closely with comedy great Lucille Ball during the 1960s and 1970s, including appearances on a pair of Ball's post-"I Love Lucy" television shows. Their friendship reached beyond television work, as the legendary redhead supposedly gave Cook the stage name Carole and later served as Cook's matron of honor at her wedding to actor Tom Troupe. Cook appeared on several episodes of the television comedy "The Lucy Show" as the character Thelma Green. Airing from 1963 through 1967, the program focused on the often funny situations that Lucy Carmichael, a widowed mother of two, finds herself in the middle of.

Shortly thereafter, Cook secured another Ball-related television comedy role, on the program "Here's Lucy," playing the character Cynthia Duncan. The show featured Ball as Lucy Carter, who works for an employment agency run by her brother-in-law. Although "Here's Lucy" ran from 1968 through 1974, it was not until the 1970 season that Cook joined the cast. In addition to her association with Ball, Cook is best known to fans of 1980s-era teen comedies, via her humorous role as Grandma Helen in the movie "Sixteen Candles," thanks to a hilarious scene in which she admires how Molly Ringwald's character has grown up. Cook has continued acting during the early 21st century, and has kept her Ball connection intact, by being interviewed for a 2010 DVD release of "The Lucy Show."

Credits

A Very Sordid Wedding

Actor
Hortense
Movie
2017

Major CrimesStream

Guest Star
Series
2012

Grey's AnatomyStream

Guest Star
Series
2005
84%

Home on the RangeStream

Voice
Pearl Gesner
Movie
2004
52%

Lost & Found

Actor
Sylvia
Movie
1999

Fast Money

Actor
Ester
Movie
1996

Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie

Actor
Show
1993

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Christine Carpenter
Series
1984

Sixteen CandlesStream

Actor
Grandma Helen
Movie
1984
81%

Grandview, U.S.A.Stream

Actor
Betty Welles
Movie
1984

The A-TeamStream

Guest Star
Mrs. Prescott
Series
1983

Knight RiderStream

Guest Star
Sen. Maggie Flynn
Series
1982

Summer Lovers

Actor
Barbara Foster
Movie
1982

Something So Right

Actor
Cahuenga
Movie
1982

American GigoloStream

Actor
Mrs. Dobrun
Movie
1980
72%

Trapper John, M.D.

Guest Star
Series
1979

Hart to HartStream

Guest Star
Series
1979

In the Glitter Palace

Actor
Daisy Dolon
Movie
1977

The Gauntlet

Actor
Waitress
Movie
1977

Una Mujer Acusada

Actor
Movie
1977

Charlie's AngelsStream

Guest Star
Series
1976

Laverne & ShirleyStream

Guest Star
Series
1976

Bronk

Guest Star
Series
1975

Starsky & HutchStream

Guest Star
Series
1975

Chico and the ManStream

Guest Star
Series
1974

KojakStream

Guest Star
Marie Stella
Series
1973

MaudeStream

Guest Star
Series
1972

McMillan & WifeStream

Guest Star
Carole Crenshaw
Series
1971

Here's LucyStream

Guest Star
Series
1968

That GirlStream

Guest Star
Series
1966

The Wonderful World of Burlesque

Actor
Show
1965

The Incredible Mr. LimpetStream

Actor
Bessie Limpet
Movie
1964
40%

Vacation Playhouse

Actor
Nurse
Show
1963

Palm Springs WeekendStream

Actor
Naomi Yates
Movie
1963

The Lucy ShowStream

Guest Star
Series
1962

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