Louise Lasser
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Louise Lasser (born April 11, 1939) is an American actress. She is known for her portrayal of the title character on the soap opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
Lasser was born in New York City, New York to a Jewish family; her father, Sol Lasser, was a well-known writer of an annual income tax guide. Lasser studied political science at Brandeis University.
Lasser was married to Woody Allen in the 1960s, appearing in his films Take the Money and Run, Bananas, and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask), as well as being one of the dubbed voices for his spy spoof What's Up Tiger Lily? Lasser also wrote the telemovie Just Me and You (1978), starring in it alongside Charles Grodin. She also starred in the 1981-82 season of the TV series Making a Living. Her most recent role of note was in the 1999 film, Mystery Men, where she played the mother of Hank Azaria's character. The year before this she played Mona, the mother of the three main female characters, in Todd Solondz's film Happiness. Lasser also had a role in the film Requiem for a Dream.
[edit] Saturday Night Live
Louise was the first host to be banned from performing on SNL again, when she hosted at the end of the first season on July 24, 1976. Lasser was said to be going through personal problems at the time and was reportedly nearly incoherent throughout the broadcast. Lasser refused to do all skits (except ones where she was by herself or with Chevy Chase), and locked herself in her dressing room just before airtime, coming out just in time to do the opening monologue, although as all this was shown on air with cameras already set up it was presumably planned. At one point before the show aired, Chase planned to play all of Lasser's parts in a Mary Hartman wig, with Bill Murray taking Chase's parts. This episode was such a disappointment to producer Lorne Michaels that it was also barred from syndication until as late as 2002.
