Rae Allen, an American actress, died at the age of 95. Her agent, Kyle Fritz, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter on April 6.
Fritz stated:
“I had the honor of representing Rae Allen for more than 20 years.” She was one of the most talented actors I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. I will be eternally thankful for the opportunity to be a part of her remarkable journey.”
Rae Allen’s Sopranos character
Allen portrayed Quintina Pollio Blundetto in The Sopranos. Livia’s younger sister and Tony Blundetto’s mother is the character. Allen first appeared on The Sopranos when her character, Quintina, and Livia were about to board a plane bound for Arizona. However, since the tickets were stolen, the FBI interrogated them. Tony has been living with his mother in the HBO crime drama for some time after being released from jail. Quintina is very worried and is always on the lookout for Tony and his twin boys, Jason and Justin Blundetto.
All About Rae Allen
Rae Allen, born Raffaella Julia Theresa Abruzzo on July 23, 1926, began appearing in Broadway theatrical plays in 1948. In 1958, she transitioned to television and cinema roles. Allen received her training at the HB Studio in New York City’s Greenwich Village and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1947. The Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play went to the Brooklyn, New York City native for her performance in And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little. She had previously been nominated twice for Best Featured Actress, first for Damn Yankees in 1955 and again in 1967 for Traveller Without Luggage.
Allen originated the part of nosy reporter Gloria in Damn Yankees on Broadway and reprised it in the film version. In both, she presented the song Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Missouri. Rae has featured in a number of films, including Reign Over Me, A League of Their Own, Stargate, and Where’s Poppa? She also starred in two episodes of the NBC comedy Seinfeld, where she portrayed unemployment counselor Lenore Sokol. In Seinfeld, Allen’s character interacts with George Costanza, who attempts to persuade her to authorize an extension of his benefits in exchange for dating her unruly daughter, who finally rejects him. Allen has also been on The Patty Duke Show, Hill Street Blues, All in the Family, Car 54, Grey’s Anatomy, and other series. She rose to prominence mostly as a result of her work on The Sopranos.
Twitter users give their respects.
As word of Rae Allen’s death spread across the internet, fans and celebrities paid homage to her on Twitter:
Rae Allen created the role of Gloria Thorpe in the original Broadway production of Damn Yankees and recreated the role for the 1958 film adaptation, introducing the song “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo” https://t.co/CUS9pobyJ8 pic.twitter.com/GsQBtnOIfR
— Kevin Daly (@kevinddaly) April 7, 2022
RIP Rae Allen
Here she is in “Damn Yankees”
Richard Adler/Jerry Ross ~ “Shoeless Joe From Hannibal Mo.” https://t.co/cZORDS9SFr via @YouTube #raeallen— Craig Fernandez (@Cauhtli) April 7, 2022