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Caroline Rhea

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Caroline Rhea
Rhea in April 2023
Born
Caroline Gilchrist Rhea

(1964-04-13) April 13, 1964 (age 60)
Westmount, Quebec, Canada
Citizenship
  • Canada
  • United States
Occupations
  • Actress
  • stand-up comedian
Years active1986–present
PartnerCostaki Economopoulos (2007–2010)
Children1

Caroline Gilchrist Rhea (/ˈreɪ/; born April 13, 1964) is a Canadian actress and stand-up comedian, who is best known for portraying Hilda Spellman in the ABC series Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and voicing Linda Flynn-Fletcher in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb.

She has performed numerous comedy specials, including three one-hour standup specials for HBO, Showtime, and Bravo. She is also known as a regular on Hollywood Squares with her friend Whoopi Goldberg. Rhea was chosen by Rosie O'Donnell as the new hostess of her syndicated talk show (renamed The Caroline Rhea Show) and hosted the reality television show The Biggest Loser on NBC for the first three seasons. She appeared regularly on ABC's Match Game with Alec Baldwin from 2016 to 2020. She would later return to Disney Channel to portray Judy Reynolds in the series Sydney to the Max.

Early life

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Rhea was born and raised in Westmount, Quebec, the daughter of Margery and David Rhea, an obstetrician and gynecologist, respectively.[1] She has two sisters, Cynthia and Celia. She attended The Study, an all-girls private school in Westmount, Quebec; Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia;[2] and the University of Arizona.

Career

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Standup

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Rhea in 2012

Rhea moved to New York in 1986 to pursue a career as a comedian and actress. She began performing at venues like Catch a Rising Star and The Comic Strip, where she performed along with comedians including Chris Rock, Louis C.K., Dave Attell, Marc Maron, and Jim Gaffigan. She made her first filmed standup appearances on MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour, Comic Strip Live, and Caroline's Comedy Hour.

Rhea was given a one-hour special for HBO, called One Night Stand. She followed it up with Rhea's Anatomy, her one-hour special for Bravo, and Give Me My Remote for Showtime.

Film and television

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After finding success in New York as a comedian, Caroline moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career in Hollywood, debuting on NBC's television series Pride & Joy, where she co-starred with Jeremy Piven. She later gained widespread fame for her role as Aunt Hilda on the ABC (and later, The WB) series Sabrina the Teenage Witch and for her recurring role on the latest incarnation of Hollywood Squares.

Rhea is also well known for her role as Linda Flynn-Fletcher on the long-running Disney show Phineas and Ferb; for her syndicated daytime talk show, The Caroline Rhea Show; as the original host of The Biggest Loser on NBC; and for playing Noleta Nethercott on the TV series Sordid Lives: The Series for Logo, and a sequel film A Very Sordid Wedding.

In 2004, she appeared in the cult classic movies Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire and Christmas with the Kranks. In 2005, Rhea appeared in The Perfect Man, playing a co-worker of Jean (Heather Locklear) and had a recurring role on the hit Disney Channel Original Series, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as Ilsa Shickelgubermeiger-Von Helsing der Keppelugerhofer, an inspector turned manager of the rival hotel. In 2007, she starred in the original Lifetime Television movie To Be Fat Like Me opposite Kaley Cuoco and in the Fox animated series Two Dreadful Children.

In 2008, Rhea starred alongside Justin Guarini and Mircea Monroe in the MarVista Entertainment production of Fast Girl. In 2013, Rhea hosted a travelling live stage show version of the game show Family Feud that toured fairs in the US and Canada, including the Calgary Stampede. In 2017, she began a recurring role on ABC's revival of Match Game.[3] She appeared in 21 episodes, her last airing in October 2020.[4]

Rhea has competed on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown and GSN's World Series of Blackjack, and has also done a live webcast with author Meg Cabot.

In 2018, Rhea began hosting Caroline & Friends on GSN. The series features funny videos of animals and children. The studio audience votes for the best video from ones chosen by Rhea and her two guest comedian co-hosts.[5] The show lasted for one season.

In 2019, Rhea began appearing as Judy, the grandmother, in the Disney Channel sitcom Sydney to the Max,[6] which premiered January 25, 2019 and ran for three seasons until November 2021. The role got her a spot amongst a team of contemporary moms on the network for an episode of Celebrity Family Feud which aired in 2020.[7]

Charity work

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Rhea has appeared at Comic Relief as well as the Ms. Foundation's "Women of Comedy from Caroline's Comedy Club". She appeared as a contestant in 2001 on a special edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, winning $125,000 for her charity.

Personal life

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Rhea and her former partner, comedian Costaki Economopoulos, have a daughter, Ava (b. October 2008).[8][9]

Rhea's parents were diagnosed with cancer one week apart. Her mother, Margery, was diagnosed with breast cancer and her dad, David, with lung cancer. David died 10 months later; Margery lived another six years.[10]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 Meatballs III: Summer Job Beach girl #4 Debut role, Uncredited[11]
1996 The Shot Casting director
1999 Man on the Moon Fridays' Melanie Chartoff
2000 Ready to Rumble Eugenia King
2001 Happy Birthday Monica
2004 Christmas with the Kranks Candi
2005 The Perfect Man Gloria
2008 Fast Girl Maddie
2009 Love N' Dancing Bonnie
2015 Being Canadian Herself Documentary
2017 A Very Sordid Wedding Noleta Nethercott
2020 Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe Linda Flynn-Fletcher Voice role

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 Fools for Love Herself Host
1995 Pride & Joy Carol Green Main role
1996–2003 Sabrina the Teenage Witch Hilda Spellman Main role (seasons 1–6); guest role (season 7)
1996 The Drew Carey Show Bonnie 2 episodes
1997 Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist Caroline Voice role; episode: "Big Fat Slug"
1999 Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm Herself Television special
2000 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Spidey Voice role; episode: "The Steadfast Tin Soldier"
2000 Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire Lynette Hansen Television film
2001 The Santa Claus Brothers Mrs. Claus Television film; voice role
2002 Fillmore! Mrs. Konquist Voice role; episode: "Nappers Never Sleep"
2002–2003 The Caroline Rhea Show Herself Daytime talk show
2004–2006 The Biggest Loser Host (seasons 1–3)
2005–2006 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Ilsa 3 episodes
2007 To Be Fat Like Me Madelyn Television film
2007–2015,
2025–present 		Phineas and Ferb Linda Flynn-Fletcher, additional voices Main voice role
2008 Sordid Lives: The Series Noleta Nethercott Main role
2009 Larry the Cable Guy's Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau Shopper #1 / Grandma / Mrs. Claus Television film
2011 Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension Linda Flynn-Fletcher Television film; voice role
Cake Walk: Wedding Cake Edition Herself Host
2012 Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town Mrs. Diston Television film
The Christmas Consultant Maya Fletcher
2013 Baby Daddy Jennifer Perrin Episode: "On the Lamb-y"
2014 Maron Herself Episode: "Nostalgic Sex Buddy"
Manhattan Love Story Coach Reisner Episode: "The Ex Factor"
2015 2 Broke Girls Bonnie Episode: "And the Disappointing Unit"
2016 The Grinder Fran Episode: "Genesis"
Bruno & Boots: Go Jump in the Pool Eugenia Scrimmage Television film
2016–2020 Match Game Herself (Panelist) 21 episodes
2017 Bruno & Boots: The Wizzle War, This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall Eugenia Scrimmage Television film
2017–2019 Funny You Should Ask Herself (Panelist) 51 episodes
2018 Caroline & Friends Herself Host
A Christmas in Tennessee Mrs. Claus Television film
2019–2021 Sydney to the Max Judy Reynolds Main role[12]
2020 The Blame Game Herself (Panelist) Episode: 27 November 2020
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Sitcom Hilda Spellman (Parallel Cosmos-modified version) 2 episodes
2021 Debbie Macomber's A Mrs. Miracle Christmas Gloria Merkel (Mrs. Miracle) Television film
2022 LOL: Last One Laughing Canada Herself (Contestant) 6 episodes
2022 Lopez vs Lopez Jana Recurring Cast
2024 Extended Family Lana Telsoup Episode: "The Consequences of Being Irish"

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Caroline Rhea Biography (1964-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  2. ^ Stephen Cooke (April 21, 2010). "Laughing matters: Comedian recalls days at Dal as she gets ready for Ha!ifax Comedy Festival". Chronicle Herald. Archived from the original on 2010-04-24.
  3. ^ "North Little Rock woman wins $10,000 on ABC's 'Match Game'" Arkansas Online. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  4. ^ "Match Game (2016)". Epguides. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  5. ^ "Game Show Network's Comedic Family-Submitted Video Show Caroline and Friends". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  6. ^ "Sydney to the Max". Archived from the original on 2019-01-17. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  7. ^ "Disney Channel Moms, "Mixed-ish" Cast and More to Appear on "Celebrity Family Feud" on October 13". Laughing Place. October 1, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  8. ^ "Caroline Rhea Has a Baby Girl!". People.com. 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  9. ^ Patrick Huguenin (2008-07-19). "Caroline Rhea messes with Texas in the uninhibited 'Sordid Lives'". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  10. ^ "Caroline Rhea's Emotional Story Behind Daughter's Birth | PEOPLE.com".
  11. ^ "Caroline Rhea". watch.plex.tv. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  12. ^ ""Sydney to the Max," A Daughter/Father Sitcom, Is Set to Premiere Friday, Jan. 25, on Disney Channel" (Press release). Disney Channel. November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018 – via The Futon Critic.
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