| Birth name | Mina E. Kolb |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Wilmette, Illinois, U.S. |
| Education | New Trier High School Mundelein College Loyola University Chicago |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1952–2006 |
| Spouse | William McMurray Jr. (m. 1957) |
| Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award from Chicago Improv Festival |
Mina E. Kolb[1] is an American actress, known for her work on television, film and improvisational theater.[2] She was a founding member of The Second City Comedy troupe and has appeared in numerous television series and films over several decades.[3][4]
Early life and career
Born in Wilmette, Illinois to Joseph Kolb and Evelyn McCarthy,[5][6] Kolb was raised in a large Catholic family with six siblings.[7] She attended New Trier High School, Mundelein College, and Loyola University.[1][5]
Kolb began her entertainment career co-hosting the local Chicago television show Rayner Shine, where she and co-host Ray Rayner lip-synced to records while teenagers danced.[8]
In 1959, she joined the original ensemble of The Second City[9] in Chicago alongside performers such as Howard Alk, Roger Bowen, Severn Darden, Andrew Duncan, Barbara Harris and Eugene Troobnick.[10] In 1961, Kolb moved to Los Angeles to appear on the CBS sitcom Pete and Gladys, portraying the character Peggy Briggs.[11] Throughout her career, Kolb appeared in various television series including Three's Company as Mrs. Alden, Curb Your Enthusiasm[12] as Jeff Greene's mother, Santa Barbara[13] as Mrs. Batterfield, Generations[14] as Aunt Mary and Ellen when she played the role of a nurse.[15] Her films credits includes: The Hollywood Knights (2008), A Mighty Wind (2003) and I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006).[16]
She also performed on stage, notably in the Broadway productions[17] of From The Second City (1968) and in Something Different. In recognition of her contributions to improvisational theater,[18] Kolb received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Improv Festival in 2004.[19][20]
Personal life
Kolb married advertising executive William McMurray Jr in 1957.[21][5]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With | Mrs. Aaron | |
| 2005 | Hopeless Pictures | Hope | voice |
| 2003 | A Mighty Wind | Dr. Mildred Wickes | |
| 2000–2002 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Jeff Greene's mother | 5 episodes |
| 1999 | Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place | Flower Seller | 1 episode |
| 1997–1998 | George & Leo | Frieda | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | Clara Kopell | 1 episode |
| 1996 | High Incident | 1 episode | |
| 1996 | The Secret World of Alex Mack | Abigail Hoffman | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Sisters | Betty Pryor | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Ellen | Nurse | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Not Like Us | Mrs. Anderson | TV Movie |
| 1995 | Bye Bye Love | Dorothy | |
| 1993 | Love & War | Marion | 1 episode |
| 1991 | P.S.I. Luv U | Mrs. DiPaggio | 1 episode |
| 1991 | Dangerous Woman | Lil | 11 episodes |
| 1991 | Life Goes On | Dotty | 1 episode |
| 1991 | David Rules | Mrs. Higgins | 1 episode |
| 1989–1991 | Generations | Mary Gardner | 46 episodes |
| 1990 | 1st & Ten | Housewife | 1 episode |
| 1990 | Parker Lewis Can't Lose | Aunt Celia | 1 episode |
| 1990 | Thirtysomething | Florence | 1 episode |
| 1989 | Wedding Band | Neighborhood Lady | |
| 1989 | She's Out of Control | Mrs. Pearson | |
| 1989 | Knots Landing | Neighborhood | 1 episode |
| 1988 | Santa Barbara | Mrs. Batterfield | 1 episode |
| 1988 | It's Garry Shandling's Show | Rose Wachs | 1 episode |
| 1983–1987 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Emma Stadish | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | Mrs. Taylor | 1 episode |
| 1986 | Tall Tales & Legends | Widow Bleacher | 1 episode |
| 1985 | Benson | Suzie | 1 episode |
| 1984 | Young Lust | Beatrice Hoving | |
| 1984 | Back Together | Mrs. Burke | TV Movie |
| 1981–1983 | Three's Company | Mrs. Alden | 3 episodes |
| 1983 | The Jeffersons | Mrs. Colby | 1 episode |
| 1983 | Mama's Family | The Clerk | 1 episode |
| 1980 | HealtH | Iris Bell | |
| 1980 | The Hollywood Knights | Dudley's mother | |
| 1972 | Every Little Crook and Nanny | Ida | |
| 1970 | Loving | Diane | |
| 1968 | What's So Bad About Feeling Good? | Woman in Pad | Uncredited |
| 1961–1962 | Pete and Gladys | Peggy Briggs | 6 episodes |
| 1952 | Skirts Ahoy! | Wave C.P.O. | Uncredited |
References
- ^ Carroll, Bill; ed. (1942)"Sophomore Girls (Cont'd)". 1942 New Trier High School Yearbook. Retrieved June 18, 2025. p. 95. "Kolb, Mina E."
- ^ Adams, Sam (2009-12-10). "The Second City's 50th Anniversary Weekend". Chicago Reader. Archived September 26, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ "Mina Kolb - The Second City". www.secondcity.com. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ Brown, Les (1975-08-20). "New TV Commercials Make Life Begin at 40". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ Fink, John (August 2, 1958). "MADCAP MIMIC: Mina Kolb, Ray Rayner's Sidekick, Specializes in Platter Pantomimes". Chicago Tribune TV Weekend. p. 3. Retrieved June 18, 2025. "Born in Wilmette, Mina took up dramatics at Mundelein college, then switched to an education course at Loyola university. [...] Mina was married a year ago to Bill McMurray Jr., salesman for a publishing house. They have a home in Northbrook."
- ^ "Richard Kolb Obituary - Fort Myers, FL". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ The Compass: The Improvisational Theatre that Revolutionized American Comedy. University of Chicago Press. November 1991. ISBN 978-0-226-11345-6.
- ^ Sweet, Jeffrey (2023-06-27). Something Wonderful Right Away: The Birth of Second City—America's Greatest Comedy Theater. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-62153-825-7.
- ^ Okuda, Ted & Mulqueen, Jack (2016-02-09). The Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television. SIU Press. ISBN 978-0-8093-3536-7.
- ^ Burns Mantle Best Plays and the Year Book of the Drama in America. Dodd, Mead. 1988. ISBN 978-0-396-09077-9.
- ^ Naud, Robert (2016-01-12). Lights, Camera, Madison Avenue: The Golden Age of Advertising. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-6233-6.
- ^ FreemanGriffin (2021-03-22). "Performers never nominated for Daytime Emmys". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ Kercher, Stephen E. (2010-06-15). Revel with a Cause: Liberal Satire in Postwar America. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-43165-9.
- ^ Seham, Amy E. (2001). Whose Improv is it Anyway?: Beyond Second City. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-57806-341-3.
- ^ Corcoran, Michael & Bernstein, Arnie (2013-06-01). Hollywood on Lake Michigan: 100+ Years of Chicago and the Movies. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-61374-578-6.
- ^ ""I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With" is worth unwrapping". OnMilwaukee. 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ Mina Kolb playbill performer
- ^ Theatre Arts. Theatre Arts, Incorporated. 1961.
- ^ Sun-Times, Chicago (2000). 20th Century Chicago: 100 Years, 100 Voices. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 978-1-58261-239-3.
- ^ Wasson, Sam (2017). Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-544-55720-8.
- ^ "Round the Wax Circle". Cash Box. May 4, 1957. p. 20. Retrieved June 18, 2025. "Deejay Ray Rayner’s pert right arm, Mina Kolb, said 'Yes' to ad exec William McMurray last week. Says Rayner, 'I'm not losing a gal Friday. I’m just gaining a new agency.'"
External links
- Mina Kolb at IMDb