Remembering Polly Holliday’s Sassiest Moments, Flo on ‘Alice’ and More: ‘Kiss My Grits!’
Plus, we take a look at the late actress's most iconic moments in her career, ‘The Parent Trap’ and more
Polly Holliday, best known for her iconic role as Flo in the 1970s series Alice has passed away at age 88. The actress rose to fame as the sassy waitress with a blonde beehive hairstyle that never failed.
Holliday starred on Alice for its first four seasons, from 1976 until 1980, but left the series due to an alleged power struggle with star Linda Lavin. The actress went on to star in her own spinoff, Flo, but that only lasted for one season.
Holliday’s career continued as she starred in major productions such as Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), The Parent Trap (1998) and Home Improvement (1993-1999). But it seemed that Flo remained her most beloved role and one she cherished as well.
“She was a Southern woman you see in a lot of places,” Holliday once said of her character. “Not well educated, but very sharp, with a sense of humor and a resolve not to let life get her down.”
Take a look at some of Polly Holliday’s most memorable moments on Alice and the big screen.
‘Kiss my grits!’
“Kiss my grits!” was one of Flo’s most iconic lines throughout Alice. The character often yelled the phrase at her boss, Mel (Vic Tayback) and it quickly became her catchphrase. It became a replacement for the phrase used in the movie, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, which was “Kiss me where the sun don’t shine,” as that was considered too risqué for prime time TV (which shows you how much the medium has changed over the years).
The writers tested out other lines first, such as “Kiss my honeydew,” but that drew no laughter from the live audience. They later settled on “Kiss my grits,” which was perfect with Flo’s sassy, southern accent.
Marva gets pranked on ‘The Parent Trap’
Holliday starred on The Parent Trap in 1998 as camp counselor Marva Kulp Sr., and her most memorable moment is certainly when she steps in the middle of Annie and Hallie’s (Lindsay Lohan) prank.
When Marva insists on entering the girls’ bunk, she is greeted with a bucket of chocolate falling on her head, followed by sliding across the floor on something slippery and getting covered in pillow feathers. The hilarious moment may have resulted in the twins having to leave camp, but Holliday perfectly nailed the part.
‘When donkeys fly’
Although it wasn’t quite as iconic as her “Kiss my grits!” catchphrase, Flo had a knack for making all of her dialogue pretty funny. One of Flo’s lines that sticks out among others is when she says “when donkeys fly.” The phrase was clearly a twist on the well-known line, “when pigs fly.”
There wasn’t any specific reason for Flo saying “when donkeys fly” rather than “when pigs fly,” but the difference did help to add to the character’s sassy attitude.
Whether you fell in love with Polly Holliday’s hysterical portrayal of Flo or you know her best from one of the iconic films she’s played a part in, the actress will remain unforgettable.
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