Personal life

Ferrell was born in Charleston, West Virginia, the daughter of Mescal Loraine (née George) and Luther Martin Ferrell. She was raised in the small town of Circleville, Ohio. She attended West Virginia University, and graduated from Marshall University with a degree in social studies in education. She was raised in a Christian family. She is married to Arnie Anderson and has one daughter, Samantha.

Career

Ferrell began her career on the stage as a member of the Circle Repertory Company, appearing in the original Broadway cast of Lanford Wilson's The Hot L Baltimore and winning both the Drama Desk and Obie Awards for the off-Broadway The Sea Horse. A successful character actress whose career has spanned four decades, she is best known for her starring role as the frontier housekeeper the 1979 feature film Heartland directed by Richard Pearce, and as the tough-talking owner of Mystic Pizza, co-starring alongside Lili Taylor, Annabeth Gish, and Julia Roberts, who portrayed pizza waitresses.

In 1992, she received her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her recurring role as Susan Bloom on the sixth season of L.A. Law, but lost to Valerie Mahaffey for Northern Exposure. She had previously appeared in an episode of the show in 1988 as Lorna Landsberg.

Ferrell's supporting roles in films include performances in Deadly Hero, Network, Edward Scissorhands, Erin Brockovich, Crime and Punishment in Suburbia, Mr. Deeds and K-PAX as well as a small part in True Romance. Her other television credits include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hot L Baltimore, Teen Angel, Matlock, B. J. and the Bear, Good Times, Hearts Afire, Townies, Night Court, "The Love Boat" and Push, Nevada. She played Mrs. Werner in the episode of Quincy, M.E. titled "Into the Murdering Mind" (1982). She has also made memorable appearances portraying blunt, authoritative judges (The "Jagged Sledge" episode of Sledge Hammer! in 1987, and on "The One With Joey's Porsche" episode of Friends in 1999).

She accepted a role in the Off Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore for an April 27 through May 29, 2011, run with Minka Kelly, AnnaLynne McCord, Anne Meara, and B. Smith.

Ferrell is best known for portraying Berta the Housekeeper in the CBS Sitcom Two and a Half Men appearing in a total of 212 episodes from 2003 to 2015. She had received two nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005 and 2007, but lost to Doris Roberts for Everybody Loves Raymond and Jaime Pressly for My Name is Earl.

In 2012, she had her first film voice role as Bob's Mom in the 2012 film Frankenweenie which was directed by Tim Burton.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

[ Source: Wikipedia ]