The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Mama's Family
Originally based on "The Family" skits featured on the classic "The Carol Burnett Show," the delightfully silly "Mama's Family" premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. The classic sitcom follows the comedic antics of the dysfunctional, lower-class Harper family in Raytown, Missouri.
Vicki Lawrence leads the ensemble as the sardonic matriarch Thelma "Mama" Harper, alongside her prudish sister Fran, her divorced son Vint and his frilly wife Naomi, her melodramatic daughter Eunice and her mild-mannered husband Ed, and her grandson (who is very much a himbo). There are also other quirky neighbors and relatives that pop up throughout the series.
NBC initially canceled "Mama's Family" after a drop in ratings, airing its final episode on April 7, 1984. But the cast and crew were in for a surprise two years later when the original producer, Joe Hamilton, decided to revive the show in first-run syndication, which allows television shows to be broadcast on multiple stations. This decision allowed the show to flourish, running for an additional five years and earning higher ratings than the original iteration. The final final episode of "Mama's Family" aired on February 24, 1990.
"Mama's Family" depicts ordinary rural characters in extraordinary, over-the-top situations. It's a piece of camp, after all, featuring a then 30-something woman wearing a wig and body padding to portray a cantankerous grandma. The show is a quirky blend of farce and Southern charm, while occasionally schmaltzy. Several of the actors are still with us today, but not all of them remain professionally active when it comes to their careers in Hollywood.
Vicki Lawrence (Thelma 'Mama' Crowley Harper)
Vicki Lawrence is now more than 10 years older than the titular character in "Mama's Family," and she is still part of the entertainment industry. In addition to guest starring in many television shows such as "Ally McBeal," "Yes, Dear," "Hannah Montana," and "The Cool Kids," she made appearances in various "The Carol Burnett Show" retrospectives. Fittingly, Lawrence also played Mrs. Claus in the Hallmark film "Annie Claus Is Coming to Town."
Beyond her acting ventures, Lawrence helmed her own talk show "Vicki!" from 1992 until 1994, earning a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host. She briefly hosted "Fox After Breakfast," later renamed "The Vicki Lawrence Show," but it was canceled merely five weeks later due to insufficient viewership. Currently, she tours a "two-woman" show with the first half as herself and the second half as Mama.
Vicki is also involved with numerous philanthropic causes, including the Humane Society, the American Heart Association, and Walk for the Cure. In 1988, she was nominated as "Person of the Year" by the Coalition of Labor Union Women. Over 20 years later in 2011, Vicki was diagnosed with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). She wanted to advocate for her difficult experience dealing with a lasting skin condition, collaborating with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to spearhead the CIU & You campaign (via VickiLawrence.com).
Beverly Archer (Iola Lucille Boylen)
Following her time on "Mama's Family," Beverly Archer made guest appearances on various shows, including a 1994 episode of "Full House" as a tough SAT test proctor and "Married with Children" as a chaste librarian with a major crush on Bud. Essentially, she found a performing niche as reserved, no-nonsense women with zero romantic appeal. Her final credit is a voice role in the "Rugrats" animated series before she retired from acting in 2002.
Since then, Beverly Archer has embraced a career as a visual artist specializing in clay work. In 2008, she had an exhibition in Xiem Gallery's Spring Collection entitled "Byproducts," which features a collection of ceramic cows. As the program explains, "Each cow bears a name alluding to a brand or product in which cow byproducts are used — Estee, Manolo, Heparin, Gummy Bear, Dynamite, to name but a few." Her piece asks us to consider our responsibility in the exploitation of animals' bodies for our daily lives.
Dorothy Lyman (Naomi Oates Harper)
Dorothy Lyman took a notable step behind the camera after "Mama's Family" by directing 74 episodes of Fran Drescher's hit sitcom "The Nanny," likely drawing on her profound understanding of sitcom dynamics to craft entire seasons of the show. Knowing that a female eye was behind the lens for a woman-centered show is empowering, especially because she was able to accentuate Drescher's distinctly feminine and obnoxious style of humor.
At the same time, Lyman never stopped performing on-screen, shifting more towards maternal roles in later decades. She landed a recurring part in Bob Newhart's "Bob" as Patty Fleisher, the mother of the lead character's friend. She also plays Captin Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace's mother in "Battlestar Galactica" and the mother of the titular character in "Reba."
In addition to her television projects, Lyman made appearances in minor parts in well-known, prominent movies like "Blow," "World Trade Center," and "The Departed." Now in her 70s, she has continued to appear in recent TV shows such as "Elementary," "Divorce," "The Blacklist," and "The Girl from Plainville."
Allan Kayser (Bubba Higgins)
Allan Kayser was honored with a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Drama or Comedy Series for his role as Mama's juvenile delinquent grandson in "Mama's Family." Since the end of the show, Kayster has appeared in smaller projects here and there, including "All Roads Lead to Home" and the Disney Channel Original movie "Double Teamed."
In a candid interview with In Kansas City, Kayser discussed his decision to move away from Los Angeles and find a more fulfilling personal life with his wife and children. He currently maintains a quiet, country existence near Raytown, Missouri — yes, where his character on "Mama's Family" lived. Despite his success in the entertainment world with "Mama's Family," Kayser has humbly admitted that he prefers his various experiences in common jobs, including working on an assembly line, managing vending machines, retailing Harley Davidson products, earning commission through sales, and, most recently, serving as a mail carrier.