Estelle Harris

**Estelle Harris** (née *Estelle Nussbaum*, April 22, 1928 – April 2, 2022) was an American actress and comedian celebrated for her unmistakably shrill, grating voice that brought a distinctive flavor to every character she portrayed. Born in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan to Polish‑Jewish immigrants Isaac and Anna Nussbaum, she spent her early childhood in New York before the family moved to Tarentum, Pennsylvania, where she completed her education at Tarentum High School. After a period of amateur theatre and dinner‑theater work, Harris entered the commercial world, appearing in more than twenty‑five national television spots, most memorably promoting Handi‑Wrap II. Her breakthrough came in 1997 with the role of **Estelle Costanza** on the iconic sitcom *Seinfeld*, a character whose over‑the‑top motherly love and comedic irritability made her a household name despite Harris’s own reclusive nature.

Beyond *Seinfeld*, Harris enjoyed a prolific voice‑acting career, lending her trademark vocal grit to **Mrs. Potato Head** in the *Toy Story* franchise, a role she reprised across four films from 1999 to 2019, as well as to characters such as Mama Gunda in *Tarzan II* and Muriel in *The Suite Life of Zack & Cody*. Her on‑screen work spanned guest spots on *Star Trek: Voyager*, *Out to Sea*, and numerous animated series including *Kim Possible* and *Family Guy*. Off camera, she married Sy Harris in 1953, raising three children—Eric, Glen, and Taryn—and later becoming a grandmother and great‑grandfather. Even after officially retiring in 2015, Harris returned for the final *Toy Story* installment, providing a fitting bookend to a career that blended stage, screen, and voice work with a uniquely spirited presence.