American born character actress Anne Ramsey, was quite a busy actress in the 1980s, although much older, Ramsey didn't pursue an acting career in motion pictures until her later years. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Ramsey attended Bennington College, and was active in numerous on and off Broadway productions. After her marriage to actor Logan Ramsey, the couple formed Philadelphia's Theatre of the Living Arts, and it was in the early 70s that Ramsey began a lengthy career into films. In 1971, she starred opposite her husband in The Sporting Club and then settled into small bit parts. However, when she became noticed for her plunty, gruff and tough womanly roles, she got more offers for films notably Goin' South, Any Which Way You Can, The Goonies and Deadly Friend. Unfortunately, by the mid 1980s, Ramsey found out she was suffering from throat cancer and was forced to have both parts of her tongue and jawbone removed. Showing no signs of her cancer slowing her down, she received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress in 1987 for her role as Danny DeVito's mean mother in the film Throw Momma from the Train. She still continued to work even months before her death in 1988. Ramsey died of throat cancer at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Los Angeles at the age of 59.



Following the death of their own mother ("Mom always liked you best!"), the Smothers Brothers chose Anne Ramsey to receive the flowers and honors on their Mothers' Day show. Appeared with her husband, actor Logan Ramsey in The Sporting Club (1971), The Law (1974) (TV), "Blind Ambition" (1979), Any Which Way You Can (1980), Say Yes (1986), Scrooged (1988), Doctor Hackenstein (1988) and Meet the Hollowheads (1989).