Estelle Parsons, born on November 20, 1927, in Lynn, Massachusetts, is a remarkable American actress whose career spans over six decades. Her journey began with an academic pursuit of law before transitioning into a career in performing arts. Parsons attended Connecticut College, graduating in 1949. Initially studying law at Boston University, she found herself gravitating toward the performing arts and soon became a singer with a band.

Her career in entertainment began when she worked as a writer, producer, and commentator for the television program Today. In 1961, she made her stage debut, marking the start of a prolific acting career filled with accolades.

Her breakthrough in film came with her Oscar-winning role as Blanche Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde (1967). The following year, she received another Academy Award nomination for her performance in Rachel, Rachel (1968).

Throughout the 1970s and beyond, she showcased her range with performances in films such as Watermelon Man (1970), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and Dick Tracy (1990). However, she is best known to a wide audience as Beverly Harris, the quirky mother of the title character on the sitcom Roseanne (1989-1997), a role she reprised in The Conners (2018-2024).

Estelle Parsons has also been a significant presence in theatre, receiving numerous nominations and awards. She earned Tony Award nominations for her work in plays like The Seven Descents of Myrtle (1968), Miss Margarida's Way (1978), and The Velocity of Autumn (2014). In 2004, her contributions to theatre were recognized with her induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

In her personal life, Estelle Parsons has been married twice. Her first marriage to Richard Gehman in 1953 ended in divorce in 1958. They had two children together. In 1983, she married Peter Zimroth, a well-known attorney who passed away in 2021. They have one child.