R.I.P. Joyce Randolph, Trixie from The Honeymooners and last surviving member of the classic foursome
The last core member of the classic comedy was discovered by Gleason after being cast in a commercial.
Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie, the wife of Art Carney's blue-collar Ed Norton on The Honeymooners, has passed away.
She was the last surviving member of the classic core cast, composed of Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows as Ralph and Alice Kramden and their best friends, Ed and Trixie Norton, played by Carney and Randolph.
In 1951, the Cadbury company launched a new line of mints called Clorets. The brand bought some ad space on Cavalcade of Stars, the variety show hosted by Jackie Gleason. Randolph acted in a live Clorets commercial on the program and Gleason took notice.
Gleason had his Honeymooners sketch, which initially featured Elaine Stritch as Trixie Norton, originally a burlesque dancer. That iteration of Trixie was fleeting, as Randolph took over the role opposite Art Carney.
Once deemed "The Garbo of Detroit," Randolph became the inspiration for Betty Rubble of The Flintstones, who was voiced by Bea Benaderet of Petticoat Junction.
Gleason's habit of not rehearsing made the other actors nervous at first. “We just played ourselves,” Randolph told The New York Times in 2012. “Nobody told us to characterize in any way. It was learn those lines and go on." Randolph's favorite episode was "the sleepwalking one" (presumably season one's "The Sleepwalker") but she still said she "loved them all".
Randolph was 99 years old.