Joyce Randolph
Encyclopedia
Joyce Randolph is an American
actress, best known for playing Trixie Norton on The Honeymooners
.
, and moved to New York City
in 1943 to pursue an acting career. She took roles on Broadway and landed various television roles.
In 1951, she was seen in a Clorets
commercial by Jackie Gleason
and was asked to appear in a skit on Cavalcade of Stars, Gleason's variety show on the DuMont Television Network
. Soon after, she was cast as Trixie in The Honeymooners.
Several New York columnists referred to her as the "Garbo
of Detroit". “That’s still a mystery”, Randolph stated. “I was a nobody in Detroit. Why Garbo? Well, she was Scandinavian — and so was I.”
as Ralph Kramden, Art Carney
as Ed Norton, Audrey Meadows
as Alice Kramden (after replacing a blacklisted Pert Kelton
), and Randolph as Trixie Norton.
Randolph was not the very first "Trixie Norton"; Elaine Stritch
appeared as a burlesque
"Trixie" circa 1951 in Cavalcade of Stars, where the premise for The Honeymooners first took root. Stritch only played the role once and Randolph took over.
Randolph had met her future Honeymooners co-star Meadows long before they did the television series, meeting as fellow actresses in a summer stock
production of No, No, Nanette
.
church on Long Island
, New York
, on October 2, 1955. Charles died in 1997 at age 74. Their son, Randolph Richard Charles (born 1960) is a marketing executive in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
Randolph is presently on the Board of the USO.
She is the great-aunt of former Colorado Rockies
pitcher Tim Redding
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, best known for playing Trixie Norton on The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners is an American situation comedy television show, based on a recurring 1951–'55 sketch of the same name. It originally aired on the DuMont network's Cavalcade of Stars and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show hosted by Jackie Gleason, and filmed before a live...
.
Early life and career
Randolph was born as Joyce Sirola in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1943 to pursue an acting career. She took roles on Broadway and landed various television roles.
In 1951, she was seen in a Clorets
Clorets
Clorets is a line of chewing gum and mints made by Cadbury Adams. It was introduced in 1951. Clorets gum and candy generally contains the chlorophyll substance which acts as an active ingredient to eliminate mouth odors. Clorets was originally owned by The Warner-Lambert Company under its Adams...
commercial by Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
and was asked to appear in a skit on Cavalcade of Stars, Gleason's variety show on the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
. Soon after, she was cast as Trixie in The Honeymooners.
Several New York columnists referred to her as the "Garbo
Garbo
-People:* Greta Garbo , Swedish actress* Gunnar Garbo , Norwegian journalist, politician and former Ambassador to Tanzania* Ingvald Garbo , member of the Norwegian Resistance in World War II...
of Detroit". “That’s still a mystery”, Randolph stated. “I was a nobody in Detroit. Why Garbo? Well, she was Scandinavian — and so was I.”
The Honeymooners
Randolph is the last surviving member of the famous Honeymooners quartet, which included Jackie GleasonJackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
as Ralph Kramden, Art Carney
Art Carney
Arthur William Matthew “Art” Carney was an American actor in film, stage, television and radio. He is best known for playing Ed Norton, opposite Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden in the situation comedy The Honeymooners....
as Ed Norton, Audrey Meadows
Audrey Meadows
Audrey Meadows was an American actress best known for her role as the deadpan housewife Alice Kramden on the 1950s American television comedy The Honeymooners.-Early life:...
as Alice Kramden (after replacing a blacklisted Pert Kelton
Pert Kelton
Pert Kelton was an American vaudeville, movie, radio and television actress. She was the first actress who played Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners with Jackie Gleason and was a prominent comedic supporting film actress in the 1930s...
), and Randolph as Trixie Norton.
Randolph was not the very first "Trixie Norton"; Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch is an American actress and vocalist. She has appeared in numerous stage plays and musicals, feature films, and many television programs...
appeared as a burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
"Trixie" circa 1951 in Cavalcade of Stars, where the premise for The Honeymooners first took root. Stritch only played the role once and Randolph took over.
Randolph had met her future Honeymooners co-star Meadows long before they did the television series, meeting as fellow actresses in a summer stock
Summer Stock
For the article about the theatre genre, see Summer stock theatre.Summer Stock is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical made in 1950. The film was directed by Charles Walters and stars Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, and Phil Silvers...
production of No, No, Nanette
No, No, Nanette
No, No, Nanette is a musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play My Lady Friends...
.
Personal life
Randolph married Richard Lincoln Charles, a wealthy marketing executive, in a BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, 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...
, on October 2, 1955. Charles died in 1997 at age 74. Their son, Randolph Richard Charles (born 1960) is a marketing executive in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
Randolph is presently on the Board of the USO.
She is the great-aunt of former Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
pitcher Tim Redding
Tim Redding
Timothy James Redding is an American professional baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. He has also pitched for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, New York Yankees, and New York Mets.-Biography:...
.