Mabel Albertson

Mabel Ida Albertson (July 24, 1901 – September 28, 1982) was an American actress of television, stage, radio and film who portrayed Phyllis Stephens in the TV sitcom Bewitched. Early years Mabel Ida Albertson was born on July 24, 1901, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, to Flora (Craft) and Leopold Albertson, who were Russian-born Jewish immigrants. Her younger brother was actor Jack Albertson, who played Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Their mother, a stock actress, supported the family by working in a shoe factory. Albertson graduated from the New England School of Speech and Expression. Albertson traced her show business career back to age 13, when she was paid $5 per performance to play piano behind palm trees for a reader. She later moved to California and became involved with the Pasadena Playhouse.