Emmy Nominee Conchata Ferrell, aka Two and a Half Men‘s Berta, Dead at 77
TV veteran and three-time Emmy nominee Conchata Ferrell, best known for playing housekeeper Berta on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, has died at the age of 77.
Per our sister site Deadline, Ferrell passed away on Monday at California’s Sherman Oaks Hospital, surrounded by family.
Ferrell was hospitalized in May and spent a month in intensive care, during which she suffered a heart attack. She was on a ventilator and dialysis, and was unable to speak or communicate. The hospitalization was related to a kidney infection Ferrell suffered last December that also landed her in the hospital.
An award-winning stage actress in the 1970s, Ferrell was a frequent TV guest star throughout the ’80s and ’90s on shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Friends, Who’s the Boss? and Night Court. (She also had memorable supporting roles in films like Edward Scissorhands, Erin Brockovich and Mr. Deeds.) She earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1992 for her role as entertainment lawyer Susan Bloom on NBC’s L.A. Law.
In 2003, she took the role of insult-spouting housekeeper Berta on CBS’ Two and a Half Men; it was a recurring role at first, but Ferrell was promoted to series regular in Season 2 and remained with the series for its entire 12-season run. The role earned Ferrell two more Emmy nods in 2005 and 2007 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Ferrell’s Two and a Half Men co-star Charlie Sheen eulogized her on Twitter, calling her “an absolute sweetheart,” “a consummate pro” and “a genuine friend” while calling her death “a shocking and painful loss.”
“She was a beautiful human,” Ferrell and Sheen’s co-star Jon Cryer shared on Twitter. “Berta’s gruff exterior was an invention of the writers. Chatty’s warmth and vulnerability were her real strengths. I’m crying for the woman I’ll miss, and the joy she brought so many.”
“I remember her first day on 2 1/2 Men,” Cryer continued. “It was our second episode and I felt so lucky that they’d been able to cast her on the show. I gushed to her about what a fan i was of hers and she simply refused to believe it. I had to recount one of my favorite bits of hers from a cancelled mid 70’s sitcom called Hot L Baltimore before she finally got that I was serious. I’m glad that I absolutely knew how fortunate I was to share a stage with her. I treasured every moment and will continue to until we meet again. I have a feeling she’ll call me ‘Zippy.'”
Ferrell’s final TV role was in five episodes of Netflix’s The Ranch in 2017.
This is a bummer.
Very sad. What a talented performer !
I will alwasy think of her as Leona from Mystic Pizza. She stole the scenes she was in during that flick. #RIP
I remember her all the way back in HOT L BALTIMORE in the 1970s. Always found her very effective in either comedy or drama. She will be missed.
Jon Cryer does too. He mentioned it in his tweet thread about her.
HOT L is a one-of-a-kind series. Conchata Ferrell was a treasure. I miss her already.
Jon Cryer posted a lovely thread about her to his Twitter.
https://twitter.com/MrJonCryer/status/1316111358945976320
Oh, man… I loved “Joke Machinegun” Berta. Rest in peace, Conchata.
She was also on E/R (the comedy with Elliot Gould and George Clooney years before the drama). She was terrific in everything I ever watched. Condolences to her family. What a loss of a wonderful talent.
Lover her on E/R, a tragically underrated classic! Playing the aunt of a very, very young Clooney…always enjoyed her acting, will be missed!
E/R was one of mine and my late mom’s favorite comedies on CBS Conchata Ferrell was great on there. Been a fan since the 70s RIP Conchata Ferrell.🙏
First role I remember her in was in a short lived show, Hot l Baltimore
Very funny lady
Very sad RIP
So sad to hear this news…
I’ll always remember her from the movie Mystic Pizza with Julia Roberts
My son and I loved this show, we still watch all the reruns. RIP Ms. Berta.
And the hits just keep coming in 2020. She was such a funny lady.
My first memory of Conchata Ferrell is from the made-for-TV movie Nadia (Nadia Comaneci). I watched it endlessly as a child, and actually bought it on both VHS, then DVD as an adult. She will forever be linked to my memory that little girls can fly.
I don’t even have words to describe how great she was as Berta on Two and a Half Men. I bet the first thing she said when she walked through those pearly gates was, “I ain’t cleaning that up”. RIP
RIP Conchatta, you will always be Berta . Love and healing prayers to your family
This woman had a truly wonderful career as a character actor. Ms. Ferrell added spark and truth to every project with which she was affiliated. Brava!
Conchata was a fantastic performer. I first noticed and loved her on TV in 1975 when she played April on Hot l Baltimore. What a gorgeous job she did with that part, as with everything else I ever saw her do. May she RIP!
She will always be Berta to me.
“I ain’t cleaning that up”
RIP funny lady, you will be missed.
“Im not cleaning her up”
Rip. Berta
Terrance Oflaherty
She was funny on Night Court and loved her on Two an Half Men! May she Rest In Peace!
I’m very saddened to hear that she died,please accept my condolences,my deepest sympathy , “Bertha” will always be in my heart .
What a fantastic actress. She was great in everything, and boy was she in a lot of things! RIP
Very sad. She was so good at portraying Berta!
I first recall seeing her in the short lived series HOT L BALTIMORE.