Rae Allen


Raffaella Julia Theresa Abruzzo, professionally known as Rae Allen, is an American actress and director of stage, film and television actress, and singer. Her early roles were in Broadway theatre productions, starting from 1948, moving to television and film roles in 1958.

Early and personal life

Allen was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to Julia and Joseph Abruzzo, and trained at the HB Studio in New York City's Greenwich Village. She won the Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play for And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little. She was married to John M. Allen and divorced and married politician Herbert Harris. Allen has no children.

Stage

Allen won the Tony Award, for Best Featured Actress in a Play for And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, she had two prior Tony nominations, including one for Best Featured Actress in Damn Yankees in 1955 and for the same category in Traveller Without Luggage in 1967. She appeared in the original Broadway production of Damn Yankees as the nosy reporter Gloria and recreated the role in the film adaptation, in both of which she introduced the song "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo."

Film and television

She has appeared in such films as Reign Over Me, A League of Their Own, Stargate, and other movies. On television, she appeared on two consecutive episodes of Seinfeld as unemployment counselor Lenore Sokol, who must deal with George Costanza, who tries to get her to approve an extension of his benefits by dating her homely daughter, who ends up rejecting him. She also made appearances on television shows such as The Patty Duke Show, Hill Street Blues, All in the Family, Car 54 Where Are You, Head of the Class, Remington Steele, The Sopranos and Grey's Anatomy.

Selected roles

Broadway theatre