Helen Siff, ‘Hail, Caesar!’ and ‘You Don’t Mess With the Zohan’ Character Actor, Dies at 88
Helen Siff, a character actor known for roles in “Hail, Caesar,” “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” and more, died Thursday in Los Angeles of complications following surgery for an illness, her daughter Karen Ehrenberg confirmed. She was 88.
Siff graced both the large and small screens and stages for the last five decades, making memorable appearances in films including “The Karate Kid,” “Earth Girls Are Easy,” “Pee-Wee’s Big Top” and “Rocky,” as well as television shows including “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Modern Family,” “Mom,” “S.W.A.T.” and “Good Trouble.”
The actor also performed on stage in productions of “Lilies of the Field,” “Salam Saleem,” “Lost in Yonkers” and “Over the River and Through the Woods.” She originated the role of Helga in “Grandma Sylvia’s Funeral,” an Off-Broadway production.
Born in Woodmere, New York in 1937, Siff’s career began in 1976 with her first commercial for Subaru, shot alongside her twin sister Carol Infield Sender. Throughout her career, she worked alongside Hollywood stars including Elizabeth Taylor, James Caan, George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone and Billy Crystal, and directors Steven Spielberg, Michael Mann, Jerry Zucker, John G. Avildsen, Joel and Ethan Coen and Barry Levinson.
“Those who worked with Helen knew her not just as a talented performer, but as someone who brought professionalism, dedication and genuine kindness to every set,” Ehrenberg wrote in a statement. “She understood that every role, no matter how large or small, was an opportunity to contribute something meaningful to the story being told.”
Siff is survived by her sisters, Carol Sender and Janet Maffei, and her children, Matt Siff, Susie Caldwell, Karen Ehrenberg, Vicki Russell and Jenny Siff, as well as her grandchildren, Chelsea Norton, Zach Caldwell, Robert Knight, Josh Ehrenberg, Spencer Ehrenberg, Megan Ehrenberg and Dean Russell.
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