‘Sex and the City’ Cast Mourn the Loss of Frances Sternhagen
Frances Sternhagen, a stage and TV actor best known for her role in Sex and the City, has died. Sternhagen died in her home in New Rochelle, New York, of natural causes on Nov. 27. She was 93. Following news of the famed actor’s death, her costars paid tribute to her on social media. Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis had kind words about the actor who expertly portrayed Bunny MacDougal during seasons 3 and 4 of Sex and the City.
What roles was Frances Sternhagen famous for?
Frances Sternhagen’s illustrious career spanned several decades, but HBO fans will likely recognize her for her role in Sex and the City. In the series, Sternhagen took on the part of Bunny MacDougal, the overbearing and incredibly difficult mother of Trey MacDougal. While Bunny was far from a main character, she was a formidable foe for Charlotte York. The two socialites often went head to head. Sternhagen appeared in just 10 series episodes, but her character left a lasting impression.
Sternhagen might be best known now as Bunny MacDougal, but she had a celebrated stage and TV career before earning the role of the ornery sociality. She was a two-time Tony winner and also appeared on ER and on Cheers. On ER, she played the grandmother of John Carter. She earned two Emmy nods for her work on Cheers as Cliff Clavin’s mother, Esther Clavin. According to IMDb, she made 21 appearances on ER and acted in seven episodes of Cheers.
Sternhagen last appeared in And So It Goes in 2014. Following the film, Sternhagen spent most of her time in New Rochelle, New York, a bedroom community about 30 minutes from the streets of New York City, where Sex and the City was filmed.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis both mourned Sternhagen’s death
The Sex and the City cast, for the most part, remains closely linked. The loss of one cast member is felt across the board. It was true when Willie Garson died before the release of And Just Like That…, and it is true for Sternhagen. Both Kristin Davis and Sarah Jessica Parker took to Instagram to mourn her passing.
Davis, who played Charlotte York in Sex and the City and reprised the role in And Just Like That…, took to Instagram to mourn the loss. In a story shared shortly after news of Sternhagen’s death broke, she wrote, “She lived a wonderful, full life and was a joy to work with. Thinking of her family.”
Sarah Jessica Parker, who portrayed Carrie Bradshaw in the show, also paid homage to Sternhagen on Instagram. Parker said it had been a privilege to work with Sternhagen in her post. She signed the post off, “RIP Frances Sternhagen and Godspeed.”
