Imogene Coca
Known for Acting · 57 credits
- Born
- 1908-11-18
- Died
- 2001-06-02
- Place of birth
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Also known as
- Emogeane Coca
Biography
Imogene Fernandez de Coca (November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows.
Starting out in vaudeville as a child acrobat, she studied ballet and wished to have a serious career in music and dance, graduating to decades of stage musical revues, cabaret and summer stock. Finally in her 40s she began a celebrated career as a comedienne in television, starring in six series and guesting on successful television programs from the 1940s to the 1990s.
She was nominated for five Emmy awards for Your Show of Shows, winning Best Actress in 1951 and singled out for a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting in 1953. Coca was also nominated for a Tony Award in 1978 for On the Twentieth Century and received a sixth Emmy nomination at the age of 80 for an episode of Moonlighting.
She possessed a rubbery face capable of the broadest expressions—Life magazine compared her to Beatrice Lillie and Charlie Chaplin, and described her characterizations as taking "people or situations suspended in their own precarious balance between dignity and absurdity, and push(ing) them over the cliff with one single, pointed gesture"—the magazine noted a "particularly high-brow critic" as observing, "The trouble with most comedians who try to do satire is that they are essentially brash, noisy and indelicate people who have to use a sledge hammer to smash a butterfly. Miss Coca, on the other hand, is the timid woman who, when aroused, can beat a tiger to death with a feather."
In addition to vaudeville, cabaret, theater and television, she appeared in film, voiced children's cartoons and was even featured in an MTV video by a New Wave band. Though her fame began late, she worked well into her 80s. Twice a widow, Coca died in 2001.
Known For
TV Shows (34)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
Bewitched
1964
Love, American Style
1969
as Doctor's wife
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Nominee / Performer
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
The Carol Burnett Show
1967
as Self - Guest
Moonlighting
1985
as Clara DiPesto
Trapper John, M.D.
1979
What's My Line?
1950
as Self - Mystery Guest
Night Gallery
1970
as Wife (segment "The Merciful")
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
as Self
The Steve Allen Show
1956
as Self - Guest Performer
Reading Rainbow
1983
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Monsters
1988
as The Old Woman
The Brady Bunch
1969
The Bob Hope Show
1950
as Self
Mama's Family
1983
Shirley Temple's Storybook
1958
as Miss Clavel
Bobby's World
1990
This Is Your Life
1952
as Self
Your Show of Shows
1950
as Self - Regular Performer
The Hollywood Palace
1964
as Self
Danger
1950
The Danny Kaye Show
1963
as Self
Grindl
1963
as Grindl
Alice in Wonderland
1985
as Cook
General Electric Theater
1953
as Virginia Odell
It's About Time
1966
as Shad
The Big Show
1980
as Self
The Admiral Broadway Revue
1949
The Imogene Coca Show
1954
as Host
Buzzy Wuzzy
1948
Movies (23)
National Lampoon's Vacation
1983
as Aunt Edna
Rabbit Test
1978
as Madam Marie
Under the Yum Yum Tree
1963
as Dorkus Murphy
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999
as Self (archive footage)
Nothing Lasts Forever
1984
as Daisy Schackman
Promises! Promises!
1963
as Woman Under Hair Dryer (uncredited)
Buy & Cell
1989
as Reggie's Mother
In the Beginning: The Caesar Years
2012
as Self
A Special Sesame Street Christmas
1978
as Self
Mel Brooks: Unwrapped
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Too Easy to Kill
1975
as Mrs. Bradshaw
Dime a Dance
1937
as Esmeralda
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
1981
as Molly - Bag Lady
The Sound of Laughter
1963
as Miss Klutz (Ballerina)
The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies
1981
as Granny's Maw
Caesar's Writers
1996
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood: The Movie
1996
as Roxy
Papa Was a Preacher
1986
as Missy B
The Emperor's New Clothes
1972
as Princess Jane Klockenlocher (voice)
Ten from Your Show of Shows
1973
Bashful Ballerina
1937
as Miss Klutz
The Little Match Girl
1987
as Self - Host
Made in Heaven
1956
as Elsa Meredith
About Imogene Coca
Imogene Fernandez de Coca (November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows. Starting out in vaudeville as a child acrobat, she studied ballet and wished to have a serious career in music and dance, graduating to decades of stage musical revues, cabaret and summer stock. Finally in her 40s she began a celebrated career as a comedienne in television, starring in six series and guesting on successful television programs from the 1940s to the 1990s. She was nominated… With 57 credits spanning from 1937 to 2018, Imogene Coca has appeared in 23 films and 34 TV shows.
Fans searching for Imogene Coca movies, Imogene Coca filmography, or the latest projects starring Imogene Coca can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Imogene Coca Movies
- National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) — as Aunt Edna
- Rabbit Test (1978) — as Madam Marie
- Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963) — as Dorkus Murphy
- Television: The First Fifty Years (1999) — as Self (archive footage)
- Nothing Lasts Forever (1984) — as Daisy Schackman
Where to Watch Imogene Coca Films
Most Imogene Coca movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Imogene Coca, check our movies catalogue and browse page.