Biography
Phyllis Somerville (12 December 1943 – 16 July 2020) was an American stage, film and television actress. Born in Iowa City, Iowa, she graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in English in 1966 after studying theatre. She began her career on stage and made her Broadway debut as Wilma in the 1974 musical Over Here!.
Her screen credits include the role of May McGorvey in Little Children (2006), Grandma Fuller in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Marlene in the series The Big C (2010–2013) and Lady Ray in Outsiders (2016–2017). She also appeared in Stoker (2013), The Sopranos (1999) and, posthumously, Mare of Easttown (2021). Somerville maintained a long career of supporting and ensemble roles across theatre and screen until her death in New York City.
