Estelle Harris of ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘Toy Story’ dies at 93
LOS ANGELES – MAY 29: Actress Estelle Harris (L) and Jason Alexander greet each other at the after-party for “The Producers” at the Hollywood Palladium on May 29, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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(NEXSTAR) – Estelle Harris, best known for her role as George Costanza’s mother on “Seinfeld” and the voice of Mrs. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” franchise, has died. She was 93.
Her representative tells Variety that Harris passed away on Saturday of natural causes.
Harris played Estelle Costanza throughout the “Seinfeld” sitcom alongside her on-screen husband, Frank Costanza, played by the late Jerry Stiller. Their son George was played by Jason Alexander. Her first appearance on the show was in an Emmy Award-winning episode from 1992, “The Contest.”
“One of my favorite people has passed – my tv mama, Estelle Harris,” Alexander posted to Twitter early Sunday morning. “The joy of playing with her and relishing her glorious laughter was a treat. I adore you, Estelle. Love to your family. Serenity now and always.”
After “Seinfeld” ended, Harris voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the 1999 Disney film “Toy Story 2.” She would later voice the character in the third and fourth installments of the franchise.
SEINFELD — “The Cigar Store Indian” Episode 10 — Pictured: (l-r) Estelle Harris as Estelle Costanza, Jerry Stiller as Frank Costanza (Photo by Barry Slobin/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images) 
SEINFELD — “The Shower Head” Episode 15 — Pictured: (l-r) Estelle Harris as Estelle Costanza, Jason Alexander as George Costanza, Jerry Stiller as Frank Costanza (Photo by Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images) 
HOLLYWOOD – JUNE 13: Actress Estelle Harris arrives at premiere of Walt Disney Pictures’ “Toy Story 3” held at El Capitan Theatre on June 13, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) 
FILE – Estelle Harris arrives at the world premiere of “Toy Story 3,” Sunday, June 13, 2010, at The El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles. Harris, who hollered her way into TV history as George Costanza’s short-fused mother on TV’s “Seinfeld” and voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” franchise, has died. She was 93. Harris’ agent Michael Eisenstadt confirmed the actor’s death in Palm Desert, Calif., late Saturday, April 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Katy Winn, File)
Harris appeared in many other animated projects, like “Brother Bear,” “Hercules,” and “The Wild Thornberrys,” according to Variety.
She had stopped pursuing show business when she married in the early 1950s but resumed acting in amateur groups, dinner theater and commercials as her three children grew (“I had to get out of diapers and bottles and blah-blah baby talk,” she told People). Eventually, before appearing on “Seinfeld,” Harris began appearing in guest roles on TV shows including the legal comedy “Night Court,” and in films including director Sergio Leone’s 1984 gangland epic “Once Upon a Time in America.”
According to her IMDb page, her last film role was as Mrs. Potato Head in “Toy Story 4,” which was released in 2019.
Harris is survived by her three children, three grandsons, and a great-grandson.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
