Why Eleanor Roosevelt From Atlantic Crossing Looks So Familiar
The recent Masterpiece Theatre production "Atlantic Crossing" is a project developed by PBS and a Norwegian studio called Cenenord that tells a World War 2 era story that American audiences are unlikely to know.
Over the miniseries' eight episodes, the show takes a close look at the unique relationship between the Norweigian Crown Princess Märtha (Sofia Helin) and the longest-serving American president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Kyle MacLachlan). The complex balance of power between the United States and its allies during the world's most destructive armed conflict is put under a magnifying glass, as is FDR's relationships with his closest advisors, foreign dignitaries, and his wife, Eleanor.
While not one of the program's primary characters, Eleanor Roosevelt appears quite often and is played by one of the only other American actors in the series besides Kyle Maclachlan. While the actress playing Eleanor, Harriet Sansom Harris, may not be as well known as MacLachlan, thanks to his turn on the cult classic series "Twin Peaks," viewers might recognize her from a few prominent television roles. Here is why Eleanor Roosevelt from "Atlantic Crossing" looks so familiar.
Harriet Harris stole the show as Bebe Glazer on Fraiser
One of Harriet Harris' most iconic roles was a Bebe Glazer, the pushy and conniving agent of Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), who will do anything to close a deal for her clients.
When Harris appeared as Bebe on "Frasier," the actress took the skills she had gained through a long career as a stage actress, emoting emphatically to the live studio audience and often ending up as a clear highlight in every scene she found herself in. While Bebe was an excellent addition, she was one that "Frasier" carefully deployed, appearing in just 11 of Frasier's 264 episodes, via IMDb.
However, the episodes in which Bebe showed up are often pegged as favorites by viewers. One fan on Reddit thought Bebe was strong enough of a character to support another show, stating, "Every scene with Bebe in it is pure gold. She would also be my choice for a spin-off character. I wish it could have happened."
Some of the best episodes that included Harris playing Bebe included "Where There's Smoke, There's Fired," in which the high-strung agent tries to give up smoking, and "Agents in America Part 3," which sees Frasier and Bebe have a brief romantic encounter. Another often cited high point for Bebe was in "Roz's Turn," where an exasperated Frasier fires Bebe, and she retaliates by using every trick she can think of the keep his business – or end up with Roz's (Peri Gilpin).
Harriet Harris has worked with some of Hollywood's most important filmmakers
While Harris' career revolved more around television and stage roles, which included a Tony-winning turn as Mrs. Meers in the 2002 Broadway production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie," the actress also appeared in some big films.
Harris' work on the big screen started just as she began appearing on "Frasier" in 1993 when she played Ellen Buckman in "Addams Family Values." Even though Ellen Buckman wasn't a big part of the film, which was a sequel to the surprise hit "The Addams Family," she had a few memorable moments in the movie, such as when she was surprised by a flying Baby Pubert (Kaitlyn and Kristen Hooper) while seated on a plane.
In 1996, Harris appeared as Susan Santandiago in Baz Luhrman's "Romeo + Juliet," a bombastic modern reimagining of Shakespeare's most famous play. She also had a small role in one of Christopher Nolan's first feature films, 2000's "Memento," where she played Mrs. Jankis. While most of Harris' most important parts as an actress played out in the theatre setting during the 2000s, she did appear in the 2017 Oscar-nominated Paul Thomas Anderson film, "Phantom Thread," as Barbara Rose.
Desperate Housewives cast Harriet Harris as Felicia Tillman
Harris' other widely recognized role came when she joined Season 1 of "Desperate Housewives" in 2004 to play Felicia Tillman, sister of the murdered Martha Huber.
Felicia comes to Wisteria Lane to uncover the mystery of who caused her sister's death, and Harris' relentless, fierce portrayal of the character made her an early favorite among "Desperate Housewives" viewers. Fans took to Reddit to note how much they enjoyed her appearances, with one user even stating, "I loved her from her first appearance until her very last. Every scene she was in was gold. This is said too often about most actors/actresses, but I truly believe NO ONE could've played Felicia like her actress did."
As Season 1 progressed, Felicia correctly deduced that Paul Young (Mark Moses) was behind her sister's death and tried to take custody of Zach (Cody Kasch), Paul's son. However, this plan fails when Zach attacks Felicia, which sets up Felicia's most complex acts of revenge. In Season 2, Felicia spills her blood and cuts off two of her fingers to fake her death while framing Paul to get him sent to prison. He remains there until Season 7, when Felicia reemerges, leading to Paul being set free and Felicia heading to jail until she finally meets a tragic end.