Brenda Morgenstern, played by actress Julie Kavner

Julie Kavner

Julie Deborah Kavner is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. Noted for her role as Marge Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, she also voices other characters for the show, including Jacqueline Bouvier, and Patty and Selma Bouvier.Born in Los...

, was a fictional character on the 1970s sitcom

Situation comedy

A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...

 Rhoda

Rhoda

Rhoda is an American television sitcom, starring Valerie Harper, which ran for five seasons, from 1974 to 1978 airing in 109 episodes. The show was a spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which Harper between the years 1970 and 1974 had played the role of Rhoda Morgenstern, a spunky,...

, a spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...

.

Rhoda's sister

Brenda was the younger sister of Rhoda Morgenstern. She was an insecure bank-teller who had self-esteem problems, very similar to Rhoda during her four years on The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1970-74. When Rhoda returned to New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, she lived with Brenda in her small apartment until she married Joe Gerard. After the wedding, Rhoda and Joe also lived in the same apartment building as Brenda.

During the first and second seasons of Rhoda, most of Brenda's dates were second cousins; she had an on-again, off-again relationship with an accordionist named Nick Lobo (Richard Masur

Richard Masur

Richard Masur is an American actor who has appeared in more than 80 movies during his career. From 1995-1999, he served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild . Masur sits on the Corporate Board of the Motion Picture & Television Fund.-Biography:Masur was born in New York City to a...

). She finally found the right man, Benny Goodwin (Ray Buktenica

Ray Buktenica

Ray Buktenica is an American film and television character actor. He has played numerous roles, primarily on television since 1972. He is best known for playing the character Benny, the boyfriend and later fiance of Brenda on the hit-1970s sitcom Rhoda and Jerry Berkson, Patti Lupone's boss on...

), a professional roller-skater and toll-booth worker. The two were engaged and planned a marriage, but the series was cancelled before the public saw their wedding.