Remembering ‘Newhart’s Mary Frann

When you think about the show Newhart, which aired on CBS for most of the eighties, there are lots of wonderful and zany characters that immediately spring to mind. One character, however, that was always present but was maybe just a little less over the top, was Mary Frann, who episode after episode was a strong and supportive wife to Bob Newhart‘s Dick Loudon character.

I recently stumbled across a YouTube interview with Mary Frann that was conducted right before the series premiere, and the interviewer asked her how she planned to top the comedic antics of Bob Newhart and the rest of the show’s supporting cast. Her response was impressive. She said that she wasn’t going to try to top anyone. Instead, she was just excited to be there with Bob and the rest of the cast. She pointed out to the interviewer that good comedy is about working with the other people on stage.

Newhart wasn’t Mary’s first TV gig. By the time that she had landed the role, Mary had been in the industry for more than a decade. She’d guest-starred on shows like That Girl, Quincy, The Rockford Files, Fantasy Island, and WKRP in Cincinnati. And it wasn’t just guest-starring appearances that made her such a common sight on TV in the seventies. You see, Mary spent a good portion of that decade on NBC’s classic daytime soap opera Days of our Lives. And even before all the TV stuff, Mary had been receiving accolades for her strong stage presence, winning the 1961 Junior Miss Pageant while representing the great state of Missouri.

Mary Frann alongside Waylon Jennings in the 1966 film, Nashville Rebel. Everett Collection

During the eighties, Mary had the opportunity to pay it forward to co-host the very same pageant. She felt a strong debt of gratitude to her beauty pageant past and would also lend her support to other events like Miss USA and Miss Universe.

Shortly after Newhart ended, Mary was cast as Clementine Duke in the mini-series Lucky Chances, which was based on a couple of Jackie Collins novels. The role was a big change from the Joanna Loudon character that fans had come to identify her as. And quite frankly, many were surprised.

Around the time that the show was broadcast, Mary told the Los Angeles Times, “I thought it would be outrageous, flamboyant, and glamorous. I wanted to remind people that I was capable of playing many different roles.”

Mary was right, there were indeed other roles that were out there for her. Unfortunately for both her as well as those of us who are her fans, none of those roles were as memorable as her time playing Joanna Loudon. How could they be? Sure, they showcased her talents as an actress, but those roles were one-time appearances, and none of them afforded us the ability to care for her in the same manner that we did when she was welcoming guests to the Stratford Inn.

Mario Casilli/TV Guide/CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection

Mary’s onscreen appearances after Newhart are sadly quite limited because in 1998 she abruptly passed away in her sleep. From everything that I’ve read, Mary was in relatively good health. However, she had been rigorously dieting and exercising as she prepared for a possible wedding in her future. Whether or not that played into her death is merely speculation. Mary Frann was just 55 years old.

You know, it was a short life, way too short, but Mary lived her life the right way. In addition to entertaining us all, Mary frequently gave of herself. She was a co-founder of the Celebrity Action Council, which is a Los Angeles-based charity that works to help homeless women and their families find shelter and food. In fact, the evening before her passing, CBS News reported that Mary had been volunteering at the Los Angeles Mission. You know, the lady truly was beautiful inside and out.

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