Bio

 

MARIANNE MUELLERLEILE is a distinguished actress well regarded for her vast range of comedic and dramatic work in film, television, and stage.

 

Perhaps best known for her role as “Gloria” on LIFE WITH BONNIE and the axe-wielding “Norma” on PASSIONS, Muellerleile’s credits number well over 500 and continue to increase  as she remains one of the most sought after character  actresses in Hollywood.

 

Born on November 26, in St. Louis, Missouri, Muellerleile was the fourth of five children born to Margaret Keaney and Cecil E. Muellerleile. Devout Catholics, Muellerleile attended Catholic school from pre-school through University, and was a natural for the performing arts; always in class plays, speech contests, debate club, and musicals. She received her undergraduate degree and teaching certificate from the Jesuit institution, St. Louis University, with every intention of becoming a high school drama teacher. Determined to learn as much about theatre as possible, Muellerleile enrolled at the University of Minnesota to obtain her Masters of Fine Arts degree in Acting, and studied under the guidance of teacher, and legendary stage actor, Charles Nolte, PhD. It was here that Muellerleile’s horizons expanded and she realized that acting was her gift and her future career.

 

Dr. Nolte cast Muellerleile as “Eunice” in Tennessee Williams’ A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and invited the infamous playwright, who also happened to be his good friend, to see the production. In a newspaper interview following the performance, Williams called Muellerleile, along with her two co-stars, “the future of the American Theatre.” Soon after, Muellerleile was offered an Equity contract, and the direction of life took a dramatic turn.

 

She spent six seasons at the Meadow Brook Theater, just north of Detroit, Michigan where under the direction of Artistic Director Terence Kilburn, the original “Tiny Tim” in A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Muellerleile performed Shakespeare, Agatha Christie, William Inge, Moliere and many more. During this time she moved to New York, working at other resident theaters and on Off-Off Broadway. While in the “Big Apple”, Muellerleile became the first “large” model to be signed at the original agency to feature plus size models and spent a year of runway, print and fit modeling.

 

Muellerleile soon headed to Los Angeles to expand her horizons and banked her first, and second, television auditions, garnering her guest-star roles on the hit series MAGNUM P.I. and THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO. These roles were the first of what has become an impressive list of illustrious credits for the actress.

 

In addition to her series regular roles on LIFE WITH BONNIE and PASSIONS, Muellerleile recurred as "Lucy" on THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN, “Sister Dominick” on Disney’s THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND CODY, "Connie" on MIKE & MOLLY, and “Nana” on the Disney XD hit ZEKE & LUTHER. Additionally, Muellerleile has guest-starred in over 150 television series including recent appearances on ELEMENTARY, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, CSI, WHY WOMEN KILL, NCIS, 911 and THE KOMINSKY METHOD. 

 

Her most  recent stage appearances have been in Brian Bedford’s company of THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL at the Mark Taper Forum and THE SOUND OF MUSIC at the Hollywood Bowl.

 

As a member of the New Phoenix Theatre-Los Angeles, Marianne has appeared in workshops, readings and chamber theater presentations of ROMEO and JULIET, PHAEDRE, TWELFTH NIGHT, MEDEA, PRESENT LAUGHTER, LETTICE & LOVAGE, MARY STUART, OEDIPUS REX , THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST, TARTUFFE, TROJAN WOMEN , among others..

 

She has also starred in numerous feature and made for television films including RETURN TO ME, LIAR, LIAR, THE TERMINATOR, SEX DRIVE, SMOKIN’ACES, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, MEMENTO, PASSION FISH, A SMILE LIKE YOURS, and most recently, QUEEN BEES.

 

Muellerleile’s exceptional acting ability to perform many accents and dialects, has also given her the opportunity to a have a stellar career in the voice over field. Among her voice over credits are AMERICAN DAD, Mrs. Cleveland in THE ROBBER'S CAVE for the Lamplighter Theater, multiple voices for the video game FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS  and Rachel Lynde on the national radio drama ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.  She recently voiced Lucille on the Disney Jr. cartoon series THE ROCEKTEER.

 

She has starred in over 100 national commercials for companies including Blue Bunny Ice Cream, Pizza Hut, 7-Eleven, Nationwide Insurance, Frito Lay, IBM, Pepsi,  Hallmark, Discover Card, the McDonald's Buttermilk Chicken Tenders campaign, the Geico "Aunts" spots and Sling TV...shot during the pandemic, using her iPhone, from her home, with the help of her husband! She was last seen in the 2022 Super Bowl ad for BMW starring Arnold Schwarzeneggr as Zeus. That marked the third time she'd worked with him so it was a real reunion!

 

Married to Tom Norris (Lt. Col, USAF, Retired), since 1988, Muellerleile is an active philanthropist and when not acting, devotes her time and energy to a plethora of worthy causes.  As a long time donor/volunteer for Heifer International, she is their most successful volunteer fundriaser (https://fundraise.heifer.org/mariannemuellerleile), the Founder and Past Chair of the Müllerleile Family Global Reunion and the Keaney Clan Global Reunion, Founder and Past President of California Visitation Academy Alumnae Chapter, Member and Past President of the Adams/Normandie Neighborhood Association and is a 50+year blood donor for the American Red Cross.  She is a long standing Lector  and choir member at Christ the King Catholic Church. Marianne also volunteers for short term projects with the West Adams Heritage Association, among others.

 

Marianne is a recipient of the USC Good Neighbor Award, the City of Los Angeles, 8th District: Pioneer Woman of the Year, the Southern California Earthquake Center Ourtreach Award for Public Awareness, the Visitation Academy St. Jane de Chantal Distinguished Alumna Award, the St. Louis University Alumni Merit Award and the University of Minnesota Distinguished Alumnus Award. In May 2023 she received a Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from St. Louis University.

 

Muellerleile and Norris make their home in the West Adams historic district of Los Angeles in a home built in 1905, which the couple have lovingly restored and registered as a historic landmark.

 

May 2023

 


 

 

Filmography

Search:
TITLEDIRECTED BYDATE
Day by Day (sitcom) Weisman, Sam 1989
Days of Our Lives (soap) Alarr, Albert 2008 Jun 9
Dell (voice) Goldberg, Suzanne 1998 Nov 17
Dennis Miller (promo) Komnenich, John 1991
Dennis Miller Show (variety) Grossman, David 1992
Desperate Housewives (drama) Grossman, David 2009 Sept 10
Devil's Prey (feature) May, Bradford 2000 May 4 - 11
DHL (commercial) Routson, Tom 2005 Aug 12
Did You Hear the One Priest & the Nun? (short) Murray, Joel 2005 June
Direct Auto Insurance (commercial) Adams, John 2014, Nov 20
Dirty Business (feature) McCauley, John 1986
Disaster at Silo 7 (TV film) Elikann, Larry 1988
Discover Card (commercial) Smith, Baker 2011 Feb 9
Divorce Court (reality) No Director 1988
Doritos (commercial) Chase, Steve 1998 Dec 8
Double Trouble (sitcom) Drake, Jim 1984
Dr. Pepper (commercial) Giraldi, Bob 1998 Aug 9
Dream On (comedy pilot) Landis, John 1989
Drug Emporium (commercial) Culp, David 1992
Edgar Allan Poe:Terror of the Soul (TV film) Chapra, Joyce 1990 (aired '95)
Eight is Enough Wedding (TV film) Lathan, Stan 1989
Elementary (drama) Moore, Christine 2017 Jan 26 - Feb 3
Elementary (drama) Lynch, Jennifer 2017 Jan 16 - 25
Ellen (sitcom) Cherones, Tom 1994 Oct 31
Endless Love (feature) Feste, Shana 1980 Sept 22
Entertaining Angels: Dorothy Day (feature) Rhodes, Michael 1995
ER (drama) Kaplan, Jonathan 1997 Jan 27- Feb 4
Executive Decision (feature) Baird, Stuart 1995 Aug 10
Exorcist II: The Heretic (feature) Boorman, John 1976
Extra Gum-Wrigley's (commercial) Hewitt, Bruce 2001 Feb 8
Falcon Crest (drama) Badiyi, Reza 1988
Fallout: New Vegas (video game), (voice) Gleason, Wes 2010 July 7
Family Ties (sitcom) Diamond, Matthew 1989
Family Values (sitcom) Cohen, Gerry 1995 May 3
Film Work (voice) Allen, Jen 1999 Aug 3
Firestone (commercial) Petermann, Fred 1989
First Bank (commercial) Lacy, Lee 1989
First Bank of America (industrial) Lacy, Lee 1989
fit modelling Kramer, Beth (POC) 1979 Feb 13
For Goodness Sake (feature) Zucker, Steve 1992 Jan 1
Forever Young at Heart (pilot presentation) Peterson, Shawn Carter 2011 Sept 24-25
Framed: Adventures of Zion Man (short) Lee-Lau, Brenda 2015 August 15
Fresno (TV film) Bleckner, Jeff 1986
Friends (sitcom) Bright, Kevin S. 1998 Mar 19
Frito Lay (commercial) Usher, Kinka 2000 Jan 23
FT.com (commercial) Usher, Kinka 2000 Apr 29
GE (commercial) Dayton, Jonathan & Faris, Valerie 2012 Nov 6
Geico (commercial) Billow, Brian 2020 February 4
Getting By (sitcom) Swick, Joel 1993 Jan 7
Gideon's Crossing (drama) Reeves, Matt 2000 Apr 2- 3
Gifts.com (commercial) Kellogg, Chris 1999 Oct 8
Gimme A Break (sitcom) Drake, Jim 1983
GM Credit Card (commercial) Paterson, Willi 1994 Apr 21
GM Spot (Morton, Rocky) (commercial) Jankel, Annabelle 1986
GMA (print) Mangum, Joan (POC) 1986 Dec 11
Going Berserk (feature) Steinberg, David 1982
Going Places (sitcom) Swick, Joel 1990
Going to the Chapel (TV film) Lynch, Paul 1988
Good Grief (sitcom) Storm, Howard 1990
Grace Under Fire (sitcom) Lessac, Michael 1995 Sept 20
Grand #1 (sitcom) Wolff, Art 1990 November 9
Grand #2 (sitcom) Hunt, Peter H. 1990
Growing Pains (sitcom) Lacey, John 1989
Guys Like Us (sitcom) Prince, Jonathan 1998 Oct 14
Hallmark (commercial) Lieberman, Rob 1995 Apr 28
Hanes (commercial) Braff, Zach 2007 Nov 20
Harvey (play) Kilburn, Terence 1975 Jan
Haunted Lives (reality) Braverman, Charles 1992
Heartbeat (drama) Liddi-Brown, Allison 2016 February 25
Heaven & Earth (feature) Stone, Oliver 1993 Jan 19
Hero At Large (feature) Davidson, Martin 1979 May 14
Highway to Heaven (drama) Landon, Michael 1987
Highway to Heaven (drama) Landon, Michael 1986
HIP Insurance (commercial) Black, Robert 1992
Holding the Baby (sitcom) Widdoes, James 1998 Mar 24
Home Free (sitcom) O'Donnell, Tim (?) 1992
Home to Home (commercial) Unknown 2000 Nov 10
Homeboys in Outer Space(sitcom) Diamond, Matthew 1996 Sept 15-16
Honey I Shrunk the Kids (sitcom) Bell, John 1998 July 13
Hooperman (dramedy) Wallace, Rick 1987
Hope & Gloria (sitcom) Rafkin, Alan 1996 Feb 26
Hotel (drama) Bilson, Bruce 1987
House Arrest (feature) Winer, Harry 1995 May 20
House Detectivce (drama) Harris, Harry 1984 Mar 13
House to Home (commercial) Unknown 2000 Nov 10
How I Met Your Mother (sitcom) Fryman, Pamela 2010 Feb 24
How the Other Half Loves (play) Kilburn, Terence 1973 Dec
Humulus the Mute (play) Jacobs, Rick 1976 Nov
Hyperion Bay (drama) Pressman, Ellen S. 1998 Junly 29
Hyperion Bay (drama) Lang, Perry 1998 July 30
I Am Weasel (voice) 1998
I am Weazle (voice) Zimmerman, Kris 1997 June 18
I Think I'm Alone Now (short) Farley, David 2007 Feb 22
I'd Rather Be Calm (pilot) Day, Linda 1981
IBM Help Desk (commercial) Pytka, Joe 2005 June 7
Independence Day (feature) Mandel, Robert 1981
Infinity (feature) Broderick, Matthew 1994 Jul 25
Instant Mom (sitcom) Fortenberry, John 2013 Nov 4-6
International Delight (voice demos) Berrano, Jeremy 2011 Oct 3
International Delight (voice demos) Berrano, Jeremy 2011 Nov 30