Joyce Randolph, Beloved Star of “The Honeymooners,” Passes Away at Age 99
NEW YORK (AP) — Joyce Randolph, a veteran stage and television actor best known for her role as Trixie Norton on the hit show “The Honeymooners,” has died at the age of 99.
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Randolph, whose character provided the perfect foil to her dimwitted TV husband, passed away peacefully on Saturday night at her home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, according to her son, Randolph Charles.
As the last surviving main character from the beloved 1950s comedy, Randolph’s death marks the end of an era in television history.
“The Honeymooners” was a popular sitcom that portrayed the everyday life of Brooklyn tenement dwellers. The show, based on star Jackie Gleason’s own experiences growing up, followed the lives of bus driver Ralph Kramden, his wife Alice, and their friends Ed and Trixie Norton. Trixie and Alice often found themselves commiserating over the antics of their husbands, whether it was marketing dog food as a snack or dealing with a rent hike.
Randolph’s favorite episode of the show was one in which Ed Norton sleepwalked and repeatedly called out for his wife, Thelma, not knowing her real name.
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Originally a recurring skit on Gleason’s variety show, “Cavalcade of Stars,” “The Honeymooners” quickly became a fan favorite. After switching networks with “The Jackie Gleason Show,” the sitcom gained even more popularity and eventually became a full-fledged series.
The 39 episodes of “The Honeymooners” became syndicated classics that aired all over the country and beyond.
In a 2007 interview with The New York Times, Randolph revealed that she did not receive any compensation in residuals for those episodes. However, she began receiving royalties when “lost” episodes were discovered from the variety hours.
After five years on “The Honeymooners,” Randolph chose to retire from acting and focus on her marriage and motherhood.
Despite leaving the show, Randolph remained a beloved figure and received numerous letters from fans each week. She often frequented the downstairs bar at Sardi’s, where she enjoyed her favorite White Cadillac cocktail and chatted with patrons who recognized her from a portrait of the show’s characters.
Randolph only realized the impact of “The Honeymooners” on viewers in the 1980s when her son, who was attending Yale University at the time, told her that people would ask him if she was really Trixie.
Although she enjoyed her time on the show, Randolph expressed frustration that her role as Trixie limited her career opportunities.
Throughout her retirement, Randolph continued to attend Broadway openings and fundraisers, as well as being actively involved with the U.S.O. She was married to Richard Lincoln, a marketing executive, until his death in 1997, and they had one son, Charles.
Joyce Randolph’s passing marks the end of an era in television comedy, but her legacy as Trixie Norton on “The Honeymooners” will live on in the hearts of fans for generations to come.
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