Jackie Gleason was short and had a Napoleon complex, so he hired short actors to work with. One of the few exceptions was Audrey, who was 5'6" but wore flats.
Although not a comedienne by nature, Audrey appeared with many of Hollywood's top comic royalty during her "Golden Age of TV" years including Red Skelton, George Gobel, Jack Benny, Sid Caesar, and Carol Burnett.
Audrey and Joyce Randolph (who played neighbor Trixie in the Honeymooner's sketches) knew each other before the classic TV show. They once worked together in a summer stock production of "No, No, Nanette.".
Became the first woman director of the First National Bank of Denver in post-acting years.
Best remembered for her continuing role as Alice Kramden, wife of Ralph Kramden (played by Jackie Gleason), in TV's "The Honeymooners" (1955). (The same role had been played earlier by Pert Kelton, and later by Sheila MacRae.).
Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 401-403. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Both Audrey and Jayne Meadows competed against members of the William F. Buckley family in local talent shows. In 1944, three of Buckley's sisters were accused of vandalizing the church where Audrey and Jayne's father was rector.
Brother-in-law is the late Steve Allen.
Debuted at Carnegie Hall as a mezzo soprano.
Father, Rev. Francis James Meadows Cotter was an Episcopal priest and mother, Ida, was a missonary.
Her father was Francis Meadows Cotter, an Episcopal missionary. Her mother's name was Ida Miller Taylor.
Her last word was reportedly "Jayne!" Her sister Jayne Meadows rushed to her bedside when she heard of her impending death, and after Audrey said this last word, Jayne took her little sister's hand and Audrey squeezed it. She slipped into a coma and never said another word, passing away on February 3, 1996, in Room 8102 of Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
In one sense, Audrey and her agent, were smarter than the usually visionary Jackie Gleason. Audrey was the only one of the Honeymooners cast whose contract required payments to her for TV re-runs and sales of the episodes.
Late husband, Bob Six, was CEO of Continental Airlines and was once married to Ethel Merman.
One of many of her character's famous quips to Jackie Gleason Ralph Kramden was when Ralph said that he was waiting for his "pot of gold": "Go for the gold, Ralph, you've already got the pot!".
Played field hockey in school
She and sister Jayne Meadows had nicknames for each other when they were little. Audrey was Sara and Jayne was Elinor.
She returned once to "The Honeymooners" (1955) in 1966 for the last black-and-white sketch entitled "The Adoption" which was broadcast in Miami.
She was born in China because her parents were missionaries there. Until she came to the US as a young girl, Audrey spoke nothing but Chinese.
She was the first "The Simpsons" (1989) guest star to have passed away. Ironically she played an old woman at an old folk's home who died and came back as a ghost.