Ellen Geer

American actress and director

Ellen Geer is an American actress, professor, and theatre director.

Geer was born in New York City, the daughter of actors Herta Ware and Will Geer. Her father was best known for playing Grandpa Zebulon "Zeb" Walton on The Waltons. She is married to children's musician Peter Alsop, and was previously married to actor Ed Flanders. She and Flanders had a son, Ian Geer Flanders. She and Alsop have two daughters, Megan and Willow.

In 1963, Geer joined the Minnesota Theatre Company for the opening seasons of the original Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, where, among other roles, she played the lead in Guthrie's production of Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan. Geer began her film career appearing as a nun in the 1968 Richard Lester drama Petulia. She followed this with an appearance in 1969's The Reivers with her father, Will Geer. In 1971, Geer played the deceased wife of the lead character in Kotch, appearing throughout the movie in flashbacks. That same year, she became a regular on The Jimmy Stewart Show (which aired until the following year) and had a supporting role in the acclaimed comedy Harold and Maude. In 1974, she starred in two films which she also wrote: Silence and Memory of Us, both of which featured her father. The remainder of Geer's 1970s career consisted primarily of guest appearances and made for television movies. Television series on which she appeared during this time included Police Story, The Streets of San Francisco, Baretta, Barnaby Jones, Charlie's Angels, CHiPs and two episodes of Fantasy Island. Her television movie credits during this time included Babe (1975), The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976), The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1977) and A Shining Season (1979). The only theatrical film on which she worked in the late 1970s was Jonathan Kaplan's Over the Edge in 1979. The remainder of her television credits include guest appearances in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Silicon Avatar", The Waltons, Quincy, M. E., Dallas, The Practice, Stingray, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, ER, NYPD Blue and Cold Case. She also had recurring roles on Falcon Crest and Beauty and the Beast. She played elderly Piper Halliwell on the WB series Charmed in the series finale. In October 2007, the actress returned briefly to Desperate Housewives which she briefly appeared in before. She appeared in the fourth season of Castle in the episode called "The Blue Butterfly". Geer has served since 1978 as artistic director of the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, a professional repertory, open air theater in Topanga Canyon, California. Geer has also served as a visiting associate professor, teaching acting, at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Theater for 12 years.

Year Title Role Notes1968PetuliaNun1969Sally1971KotchVera Kotcher1971Harold and MaudeSunshine Doré1974SilenceBarbara1974Betty1979Over the EdgeSandra Willat1980On the NickelLouise1981Bloody BirthdayMadge1983Heart Like a WheelMarianne Kalitta1983Something Wicked This Way ComesMrs. Halloway1985CreatorMrs. Spencer1986Hard TravelingNorah Sloan1987The Wild PairFern Willis1987Big ShotsBar Waitress1989Satan's PrincessMary Kulik1991Lonely HeartsMartha1992Patriot GamesRose1993Midnight WitnessValerie1994Clear and Present DangerRose1996PhenomenonBonnie1998Frances Unger Melnick2005Me and You and Everyone We KnowEllen2006Mrs. Macon2006The Gold BraceletMiss Hanson2007Man in the ChairMrs. Erskine2012Vernice2014House at the End of the DriveEunice Sequoia2018UnlovableNana

Year Title Role Notes1961Play of the WeekSusanEpisode: "The Wooden Dish"1970Sally HendersonEpisode: "The King of Denmark"1971–1972Wendy HowardRegular role1972Ghost StoryMarianEpisode: "Bad Connection"1972, 1980Eva Mann, Ronie CotterEpisodes: "The Ceremony", "The Pledge"1973Medical CenterRose SachsEpisode: "No Margin for Error"1973Maria FindleyEpisode: "The Case of the Deadly Deeds"1974, 1980–1982InsightMary Louise, Sally Carlin, Cathy, IrisEpisodes: "Eddie", "God in the Dock", "A Decision to Love", "A Gun for Mandy"1975ArcherMarshaEpisode: "The Arsonist"1975BabeLilly DidriksonTV film1975, 1979Barnaby JonesMary Wiley, Ruth ParksEpisodes: "Beware the Dog", "Man on Fire"1976Police StoryJenny BensonEpisode: "The Other Side of the Fence"1976Myra CondonTV film1976DelvecchioEdie ParkerEpisode: "The Silent Prey"1976Sister BarbaraEpisode: "Sister Jaime"1977Betty RollinsEpisode: "Who Killed Helen French? "1977Westside MedicalSusan MacAllisterEpisode: "Pressure Cook"1977BarettaSusan FosterEpisode: "Buddy"1978Night CriesMrs. WhitneyTV film1978, 1980, 1982CHiPsMartha, Margo Adams, Julie Barris, Mrs. WilliamsEpisodes: "Vintage '54", "E. M. T.", "The Great 5K Star Race & Boulder Wrap Party", "Return to Death's Door"1978, 1979Fantasy IslandDoris Greer, SylviaEpisodes: "Carnival", "Nobody's There"1979Charlie's AngelsHuttonEpisode: "Caged Angel"1979ParisMarie CastleEpisode: "Burnout"1979Veta MercerTV film1979, 1989DallasAnita Krane, Mrs. BoulerisEpisodes: "John Ewing III: Parts 1 & 2", "Hell's Fury"1980My Kidnapper, My LovePaula StanleyTV film1981DynastyCharlotteEpisode: "Oil: Part 1"1981NellieTV film1981Strike ForceMrs. WilcoxEpisode: "Magic Man"1982Code RedMrs. MeyersEpisode: "No Escape"1982Quincy, M. E. Dr. Solomon, Sarah MarkhamEpisodes: "For Love of Joshua", "Ghost of a Chance"1982Trapper John, M. D. RobertaEpisode: "You Pays Your Money"1983Deadly LessonsMrs. GrantTV film1983Voyagers!Eleanor RooseveltEpisode: "Destiny's Choice"1983I Want to LiveMrs. CooleyTV film1983Tales of the UnexpectedStella ArcherEpisode: "Youth from Vienna"1984Call to GloryNatalieEpisode: "Call It Courage"1984Buchanan HighMrs. DolenEpisode: "The Loyal Opposition"1985StingraySybil RosenbergTV film1985Too Close for ComfortLoraine DockeryEpisode: "The British Are Coming, the British Are Coming"1985–1987Falcon CrestDorisRecurring role (seasons 5–6)1986HunterMrs. DudleighEpisode: "Scrap Metal"1986MoonlightingAmy EveretteEpisode: "Witness for the Execution"1986, 1990Santa BarbaraDorothy, Norma FlanneryEpisodes: "1.470", "1.1603"1988Bea KingTV film1988–1990Beauty and the BeastMaryRecurring role1991Star Trek: The Next GenerationKila MarrEpisode: "Silicon Avatar"1993SirensMrs. CroftEpisode: "Looks Like Christmas"1994Diagnosis: MurderLilyEpisode: "Lily"1997JAGGail SandersEpisode: "The Guardian"1997G. WarnerEpisode: "Search and Seizure"1999–2000Once and AgainCelesteEpisodes: "The Past Is Prologue", "Strangers and Brothers"2001PhillyCarol VaughnEpisode: "Light My Fire"2002CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationRuth ElliottEpisode: "Cats in the Cradle "2003ERMrs. FergusonEpisode: "Now What? "2003Nip/TuckAnnalise AndersonEpisode: "Adelle Coffin"2003–2004GirlfriendsElizabeth BickleEpisodes: "The Fast Track & the Furious", "New York Unbound"2004NYPD BlueVeronica LewisEpisode: "Old Yeller"2004Cold CaseKay LangEpisode: "Red Glare"2004JuneGrandma P. TV film2005American DreamsDorothy DayEpisode: "Home Again"2005CarnivàleThe CroneEpisode: "Old Cherry Blossom Road"2006CharmedPiper (elderly)Episode: "Forever Charmed"2006Our HouseRoseTV film20067th HeavenJoyceEpisode: "You Don't Know What You've Got 'Til He's Gone"2006, 2010MediumGrandma BenoitEpisodes: "Twice Upon a Time", "Allison Rolen Got Married"2007SupernaturalGert CaseEpisode: "Red Sky at Morning"2007–08, 2012Desperate HousewivesLillian SimsEpisodes: "What Would We Do Without You? ", "If There's Anything I Can't Stand", "Free", "Finishing the Hat"2009BonesAnne ReillyEpisode: "The Double Death of the Dearly Departed"2011Criminal Minds: Suspect BehaviorMary Ellen StahlEpisode: "Death by a Thousand Cuts"2012CastleViola MaddoxEpisode: "The Blue Butterfly"2015CynthiaEpisode: "Halloween VI: Tick Tock Death"2017Room 104LorraineEpisode: "My Love"2019NCISEsther DanielsEpisode: "Going Mobile"