Two And A Half Men Star Conchata Ferrell Is Dead At 77

Conchata Ferrell as Berta on Two and a Half Men

Conchata Ferrell, the actress best known for playing stern and sarcastic housekeeper Berta on Two and a Half Men, has died. This past summer, it was reported that Ferrell had been admitted to a long-term care facility after battling health problems for the past year. She was 77 at the time of her passing.

Conchata Ferrell passed away yesterday (October 12) due to complications following cardiac arrest, according to Deadline. She reportedly died peacefully at Sherman Oaks Hospital in California where she was surrounded by family.

The veteran actress gained her start as an original member of the Circle Repertory Theatre. Upon hearing of her passing, the theatre’s founding director, Marshall W. Mason, praised Ferrell as “the first home-grown star” to come out of the program:

Conchata Ferrell was exactly the kind of artist for whom we created our theater – a deeply honest performer who would inspire our playwrights to create roles for her. She was our first home-grown star.

During her stage career, Ferrell amassed a number of credits. One of her most notable roles was that of Gertrude Blum in The Sea Horse, which earned her numerous accolades. Her role in Hot L Baltimore help to increase her visibility in Hollywood, as Norman Lear would cast her in the sitcom of the same name.

Between the ‘70s and ‘90s, Ferrell was a staple in television, booking countless guest roles in iconic shows throughout the decades. These included programs like Maude, Good Times, Lou Grant, E/R and Murder, She Wrote. She also appeared on L.A. Law as Susan Bloom, a role that earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In addition, Conchata Ferrell also had a thriving film career, which included roles in notable movies like Mystic Pizza, Edward Scissorhands, True Romance and Krampus.

But her most famous role would come in the 2000s when she tapped to play Berta in Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn’s Two and a Half Men. Berta was established as the housekeeper of Charlie and Alan Harper, who occasionally enjoyed knocking the two brothers down a peg. Despite her gruff and sarcastic exterior, Berta really cared for them and was a close family friend. Between 2003 and 2015, she appeared in 212 of the show's 262 episodes. Ferrell became a fan favorite in the role and would receive two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Simply put, Conchata Ferrell was just one of those familiar faces that you just loved to see pop up in a series. It’s not too often that an actor gets to appear in so many varied projects, and she definitely made the most of each role by giving it her all. Two and a Half Men fans can definitely attest to this, as it’s hard to top Berta’s famous one-liners.

We here at CinemaBlend extend our thoughts to the loved ones of Conchata Ferrell during this time.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.