Celebrating The Life Of Alabama’s Own Polly Holliday
Alabama born and raised actress Polly Holliday, who starred in numerous television shows, movies and stage plays has died at the age of 88. The Jasper native earned four Golden Globe nominations and won one in 1980 for “Alice,” as well as four Emmy Award nominations, three for “Alice” and one for “Flo.”
Born July 2, 1937, the future star was the daughter of Ernest Sullivan Holliday, a truck driver, and Velma Mabell Holliday (née Cain). She grew up in Childersburg and her brother Doyle was a boyhood friend of Jim Nabors, who lived in nearby Sylacauga.
It was Holliday's portrayal of Florence Jean Castleberry (Flo), a sassy, gum-chewing waitress at Mel's Dinner, that won her everlasting television fame for her character's famous three work catchphrase, "Kiss my grits". That phrase became a part of the national vernacular.
Holliday died in New York City yesterday as the last surviving member of the principal cast of “Alice.” The star of the popular comedy, Linda Lavin, died last year.
Holliday studies at Alabama College for Women, now the University of Montevallo. That is where she cut her teeth on stage acting playing the lead roles in "The Lady's Not for Burning" and "Medea". She graduated in 1959 with a degree in piano.
From Montevallo she attended Florida State where she earned accolades for her playing on the classical stage.
Returning home to Alabama she became a piano teacher before return to Florida where her professional acting career in Sarasota. Ten years later she found herself on the stage in New York where she performed in several Broadway plays. That is where she met Dustin Hoffman who brought her to Hollywood and cast her in his hit movie All the President's Men.
Holliday reached fame status in 1976 when she was cast as the man-hungry, southern drawling waitress Flo in Mel's Diner. Although the series had a short run, it led to Holiday being cast in the TV version of Private Benjamin and a recurring role on The Golden Girls.
Holliday played numerous supporting roles in movies such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Moon Over Paradore, The Parent Trap, and Gremlins. On Broadway she starred in "Arsenic and Old Lace" and earned a Tony nomination as Big Mama in the 1990 revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."
According to her obituary, after her retirement, Holiday became deeply involved with Grace Church in Greenwich Village, helping support its choral society and a chamber series. She never married.
In 2000, Holiday was inducted into the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame, sponsored jointly by Theatre Tuscaloosa and Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa.
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