Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

109

Gender

Female

Birthday

1910-08-09

Day of Death

1999-07-01 (89 years old)

Place of Birth

The Bronx, New York, USA

Also Known As

Sophia Kosow

Sylvia Sydney

سیلویا سیدنی

Sylvia Sidney

Biography

Sylvia Sidney (born Sophia Kosow, August 8, 1910 – July 1, 1999) was an American stage, screen and film actress whose career spanned over 70 years. She rose to prominence in dozens of leading roles in the 1930s. She later gained attention for her role as Juno, a case worker in the afterlife, in Tim Burton's film Beetlejuice, for which she won a Saturn Award as Best Supporting Actress. She also was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (1973).

Known For

A Small Killing

A Small Killing

Fury

Fury

You Only Live Once

You Only Live Once

Going Hollywood: The '30s

Going Hollywood: The '30s

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice

The Gossip Columnist

The Gossip Columnist

Acting

Mars Attacks!

1996

Mars Attacks!

as

Grandma Norris

Man on the Ledge

1955

Man on the Ledge

as

Mrs. Cosick

Damien - Omen II

1978

Damien - Omen II

as

Aunt Marion

God Told Me To

1976

God Told Me To

as

Elizabeth Mullin

Raid on Entebbe

1976

Raid on Entebbe

as

Dora Bloch

Sabotage

1937

Sabotage

as

Mrs. Verloc

A Small Killing

1981

A Small Killing

as

Sadie Ross

Dead End

1937

Dead End

as

Drina Gordon

Andre's Mother

1990

Andre's Mother

as

Mrs. Downes

City Streets

1931

City Streets

as

Nan Cooley

Fury

1936

Fury

as

Katherine Grant

Behind the High Wall

1956

Behind the High Wall

as

Hilda Carmichael

You and Me

1938

You and Me

as

Helen Roberts

Violent Saturday

1955

Violent Saturday

as

Elsie Braden

Snowbeast

1977

Snowbeast

as

Mrs. Carrie Rill

Madame Butterfly

1932

Madame Butterfly

as

Cho-Cho San

You Only Live Once

1937

You Only Live Once

as

Joan Graham

Merrily We Go to Hell

1932

Merrily We Go to Hell

as

Joan Prentice

Thirty Day Princess

1934

Thirty Day Princess

as

Nancy Lane / Princess Catterina

Love from a Stranger

1947

Love from a Stranger

as

Cecily Harrington

Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams

1973

Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams

as

Mrs. Pritchard - Rita's Mother

An Early Frost

1985

An Early Frost

as

Beatrice McKenna

Blood on the Sun

1945

Blood on the Sun

as

Iris Hilliard

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine

1936

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine

as

June Tolliver

The Wagons Roll at Night

1941

The Wagons Roll at Night

as

Flo Lorraine

An American Tragedy

1931

An American Tragedy

as

Roberta 'Bert' Alden

Mary Burns, Fugitive

1935

Mary Burns, Fugitive

as

Mary Burns

Confessions of a Co-Ed

1931

Confessions of a Co-Ed

as

Patricia Harper

Street Scene

1931

Street Scene

as

Rose Maurrant

Les Miserables

1952

Les Miserables

as

Fantine

Ladies of the Big House

1931

Ladies of the Big House

as

Kathleen Storm McNeil

Pick-up

1933

Pick-up

as

Mary Richards

Behold My Wife!

1934

Behold My Wife!

as

Tonita Storm Cloud

Siege

1978

Siege

as

Lillian Gordon

Good Dame

1934

Good Dame

as

Lillie Taylor

Jennie Gerhardt

1933

Jennie Gerhardt

as

Jennie Gerhardt

One Third of a Nation

1939

One Third of a Nation

as

Mary Rogers

Accent on Youth

1935

Accent on Youth

as

Linda Brown

Pals

1987

Pals

as

Fern Stobbs

The Searching Wind

1946

The Searching Wind

as

Cassie Bowman

The Secret Night Caller

1975

The Secret Night Caller

as

Kitty

Going Hollywood: The '30s

1984

Going Hollywood: The '30s

as

(archive footage)

The Helen Morgan Story

1957

The Helen Morgan Story

as

Lulu Morgan

The House That Shadows Built

1931

The House That Shadows Built

as

(archive footage)

Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate

1971

Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate

as

Elizabeth Gibson

The Miracle Man

1932

The Miracle Man

as

Helen Smith aka Helen Vail

The Brass Ring

1983

The Brass Ring

as

Grandmother

Five Minutes from the Station

1930

Five Minutes from the Station

as

Carrie Adams

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

1989

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

as

Self

Night of 100 Stars III

1990

Night of 100 Stars III

as

Self

Beetlejuice

1988

Beetlejuice

as

Juno

Used People

1992

Used People

as

Becky

No Time at All

1958

No Time at All

as

Mrs. Kramer

Mr. Ace

1946

Mr. Ace

as

Margaret Wyndham Chase

Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man

1988

Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man

as

Self (archive footage)

F.D.R.: The Last Year

1980

F.D.R.: The Last Year

as

Cousin Polly

Copkiller

1983

Copkiller

as

Margaret Smith

Winner Take All

1975

Winner Take All

as

Anne Barclay

Breakdowns of 1941

1941

Breakdowns of 1941

as

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Witching of Ben Wagner

1987

The Witching of Ben Wagner

as

Grammy (Regina's Grandmother)

Hammett

1982

Hammett

as

Donaldina Cameron

Death at Love House

1976

Death at Love House

as

Clara Josephs

Thru Different Eyes

1929

Thru Different Eyes

as

Valerie Briand

The Shadow Box

1980

The Shadow Box

as

Felicity

Broadway Nights

1927

Broadway Nights

as

Performer

Finnegan Begin Again

1985

Finnegan Begin Again

as

Margaret

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

1977

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

as

Miss Coral

1932

Make Me a Star

as

Sylvia Sidney (uncredited)

The Gossip Columnist

1980

The Gossip Columnist

as

Alma Lewellyn

Having It All

1982

Having It All

as

Marney

Come Along with Me

1982

Come Along with Me

as

Mrs. Flanner

Screen Snapshots 1860: Howdy, Podner

1949

Screen Snapshots 1860: Howdy, Podner

as

Sylvia Sidney

Night of 100 Stars

1982

Night of 100 Stars

as

Self

Magnum, P.I.

Magnum, P.I.

as

Elizabeth Barrett

Fantasy Island

Fantasy Island

as

Clia

WKRP in Cincinnati

WKRP in Cincinnati

as

Mama Carlson

thirtysomething

thirtysomething

as

Starsky & Hutch

Starsky & Hutch

as

Olga Grossman

My Three Sons

My Three Sons

as

Miss Houk

Naked City

Naked City

as

Florence Nunda

Diagnosis: Murder

Diagnosis: Murder

as

Alice

The Equalizer

The Equalizer

as

Judge

General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater

as

Gloria Roma

Eight Is Enough

Eight Is Enough

as

Lux Video Theatre

Lux Video Theatre

as

Joyce

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

as

Climax!

Climax!

as

The 20th Century Fox Hour

The 20th Century Fox Hour

as

Mrs. Cosick

The Philco Television Playhouse

The Philco Television Playhouse

as

Playwrights '56

Playwrights '56

as

Tales of Tomorrow

Tales of Tomorrow

as

The Defenders

The Defenders

as

Adela Collins

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

as

Beulah Ridges

Route 66

Route 66

as

Lonnie Taylor

Lux Video Theatre

Lux Video Theatre

as

Laura Barrie

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show

as

Self

Climax!

Climax!

as

Louella Wheedron

Dear John

Dear John

as

Mrs. Lumenski

The Love Boat

The Love Boat

as

Natalie Corson

Playhouse 90

Playhouse 90

as

Mrs. Kramer

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as

Mrs. Sylvia Verloc (archive footage) (uncredited)

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

as

Self - Winner

Kraft Television Theatre

Kraft Television Theatre

as

Route 66

Route 66

as

Hannah Ellis

The Polly Bergen Show

The Polly Bergen Show

as

Self

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

as

Self

The Ford Television Theatre

The Ford Television Theatre

as

The Ford Television Theatre

The Ford Television Theatre

as

Laura Blake

Cameo Theatre

Cameo Theatre

as

Production

Crew

Directing