Biography
Madlyn Cates was an American actress who worked in theatre, film and television. Born Madelyn Fagan on 9 March 1925 in New York City, she studied at Queens College, the Waldorf School, New York Law School and the Actors Studio with Paula Strasberg.
She made her professional stage debut in 1956 as Adelaide in Guys and Dolls in Winter Park, Florida, and her Broadway debut in the 1967 revival of Marat/Sade. Other stage credits included A Patriot for Me, The Kitchen and Snowangel. In Los Angeles she appeared in productions such as Follies, Lenny and Side by Side by Sondheim.
Cates is known for her film role as the concierge in The Producers (1967), credited as Madlyn Cates. Her television appearances include episodes of St. Elsewhere (1983) as Evelyn Pettrick, Night Court (1987) as Ruthie Cook, Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey and thirtysomething. She died on 14 July 1993 in Los Angeles.
