# Eileen Brennan passes away... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943 "2013-07-30T20:26:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/1 "2013-07-30T20:26:42Z")
[I guess her illness is why she couldn’t make Psych’s 100th episode.](http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/30/showbiz/acterss-eileen-brennan-obit/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) She’s done a lot, but I’ll obviously (at least obviously for those who know me) always remember her best for _Clue_. “AND THERE ARE TWO DEAD BODIES IN THE STUDY!!!” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/2 "2013-07-30T20:33:28Z")
I remember her best as Mother in _FM_. RIP, Eileen. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/3 "2013-07-30T20:53:00Z")
I loved her as “my secretary and mistress, Tess Skeffington” in _Murder by Death_. She was always good, though; she shone in her guest roles as the senile acting coach Zandra on _Will & Grace_. I’m old enough to remember when she had a horrible accident on the set of the TV series version of the film _Private Benjamin_. It wasn’t certain whether she was going to recover. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/4 "2013-07-30T21:12:02Z")
She was hysterically funny in the film Private Benjamin…and she always seemed like she would be a hoot to hang out with…I liked her comic timing and sense of humor. Sorry to hear the news. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/5 "2013-07-30T21:23:05Z")
You all need to go back and see her in _The Sting_, where she was Paul Newman’s hooker girlfriend. She was stunning. I’ve always liked her. ☹ Could only find one [pic](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4284128768/tt0070735). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/6 "2013-07-30T21:31:04Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > You all need to go back and see her in _The Sting_, where she was Paul Newman’s hooker girlfriend. _Snap_ Now I know exactly who she is. Bummer. She had that sad worldly affection down pat which makes me think it really was her. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/7 "2013-07-30T21:34:28Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > You all need to go back and see her in _The Sting_, where she was Paul Newman’s hooker girlfriend. That was my first thought when I heard she’d died. She was so period-perfect in that role. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/8 "2013-07-30T21:38:29Z")
For a sec, I thought the OP meant Ellen Barkin. So how many cast members of _Murder By Death_ are still around? James Cromwell, Maggie Smith and that Japanese kid? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/9 "2013-07-31T00:12:33Z")
“Maybe she was poisoned!” Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! :slap: ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/10 "2013-07-31T00:44:48Z")
I remember her in Private Benjamin as the Captain making life miserable for Goldie Hawn. Good actress. R.I.P. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/11 "2013-07-31T03:04:26Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I loved her as “my secretary and mistress, Tess Skeffington” in _Murder by Death_. . . . Yes, definitely! (My favorite movie; I’ve seen it over 45 times!) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/12 "2013-07-31T03:17:54Z")
Another good one gone. ☹ RIP, Eileen. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/13 "2013-07-31T04:27:17Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > You all need to go back and see her in _The Sting_, where she was Paul Newman’s hooker girlfriend. She was stunning. I’ve always liked her. ☹ She was also the [world-weary waitress](http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1413009.1375214311!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/lps-22.jpg) in _The Last Picture Show_ (her first movie role). ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/14 "2013-07-31T05:03:34Z")
I just watched Clue again a few weeks ago. Everyone talks about Curry and Kahn and Sarandon did but man did Brennan hold her own. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/15 "2013-07-31T06:13:47Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > I just watched Clue again a few weeks ago. Everyone talks about Curry and Kahn and Sarandon did but man did Brennan hold her own. … Sarandon? ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/16 "2013-07-31T06:22:37Z")
I hate that. With her smart/snappy/neediness she would have been a perfect member of the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/17 "2013-07-31T06:44:17Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > … Sarandon? Well, he knew it wasn’t [Lesley and Warren](http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Lesley_and_Warren). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eileen-brennan-passes-away/664943/18 "2013-07-31T16:01:27Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > She was also the [world-weary waitress](http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1413009.1375214311!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/lps-22.jpg) in _The Last Picture Show_ (her first movie role). Looks like her first movie role was [Divorce American Style](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061581/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast) (1967), but I don’t think it was a very big part.