Bess Meisler

Bess Meisler, born Bessie Alalouf on July 19, 1922, in New York, is an American actress whose career spans Broadway, television, and film. Her parents, Avraam and Perla Alalouf, were Greek Jewish immigrants who worked as fruit dealers. She grew up alongside a brother, Emmanuel, who died in 1998, and a sister, Esther, who died in 1987. In 1943 she married Seymour Meisler, an Ashkenazi Jew; the marriage ended in divorce in 1962. The couple had one daughter, Phyllis, who lives with her mother in Southern California.

Meisler's stage career extended from 1968 to 2000, encompassing Broadway productions that included a revival of Fiddler on the Roof and James Joyce's The Dead. In the Fiddler on the Roof revival she worked as a swing actor, covering roles such as Shandel and understudying the characters of Golde and Yente.

At the age of 65, Meisler began her screen career with a television appearance in the series Hunter, where she played Mrs. Petelli, a role she continued through 1990. During the 1990s she took on additional television parts, including a recurring character in Flying Blind and the role of Rose Zuckerman in Beverly Hills, 90210. Her film work during this period was followed by broader recognition in 2002, when she was cast as Yiayia, the grandmother, in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She reprised that role in the 2016 sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. Other film appearances include the Old Gypsy Woman in Daddy Day Care (2003), Ellen in Room 6 (2006), and Greta Russert in The Perfect Family (2011). Her television guest credits include Malcolm in the Middle, The Comeback, and Eagleheart.