Biography: Lois Maureen Stapleton was born on June 21, 1925 in Troy, New York to Irene and John P. Stapleton. She studied with Herbert Berghof at the New School, and joined the Actors Studio in 1947. She married Max A. Allentuck, with whom she had two children. She then married David Rayfiel.

Film/TV Credits: Film credits include: "The Money Pit," "Cocoon," "Reds," "Bye Bye Birdie," "Addicted to Love," "Airport," "Heartburn," "Summer of '42," "Johnny Dangerously," "Cocoon: The Return," "Interiors," and "The Fugitive Kind." Television credits include: "Saturday Night Live," "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," "Avonlea," "The Equalizer," "The Hollywood Squares," "Great Performances," "Naked City," and "American Masters."

Other Awards: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Drama for "Among the Paths to Eden" in 1968. Inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981. Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for "Reds" in 1982.

Trivia:
Her 1995 autobiography, written with Jane Scovell, is entitled "A Hell of a Life."
The marquees of Broadway theaters were dimmed in her honor on March 13, 2006.