
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Born
December 22, 1928 (age 97)
Place of Birth
East Orange, New Jersey, USA
Also Known As
Bernice Utal
Bunny Levine
Biography
Bunny Levine has had a passion for entertaining from her earliest memory. At the age of two, she subjected all her relatives to her rendition of the song "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" at every possible opportunity. Playing with her sister and friends in pre-school days, her favorite game was a simulation of the performances of the current Hollywood stars, replete with screams and fainting, in the mode of the times. Her greatest regret was that she, unlike her contemporary Shirley Temple, had not been discovered in dance class. By third grade she wrote, directed and starred in the epic, "Debbie's Diary." A year or so later, with increased maturity, she limited her contributions to no more than two of the three elements. All through elementary school and high school, she played either the lead or a character role in school and local productions. Transferring colleges on her marriage after sophomore year made her rethink the wisdom of a short, young, character woman gaining fame and fortune in the field, so she switched majors from Theater Arts, but continued to act, and to work on the college radio station. Already pregnant upon graduation, she put her acting aspirations on the back burner for 25 years, working primarily as a school librarian, to help her underpaid college professor husband raise their three children. Storytelling and book talks helped fill her performing aspirations. Foolishly, she would not participate in community theater, thinking of herself as too much of a professional. Upon early retirement, she began taking acting classes, going on auditions, and gradually immersing herself totally in the fabulous, mad world of acting. Soon she was a member of all the unions and began booking commercials, roles on soaps and episodics, as well as films. Upon her beloved husband, Bernie's, death, she moved from the New York area to the LA market, and continued studying, booking, and striving. Among her credits are Law & Order (1990), The Jimmy Show (2001), Everybody Loves Raymond (1996), _Gilmore Girls_, the soon-to-be-released Charles Busch film, and Las Vegas (2003). She considers herself the most energetic and agile septuagenarian in the field and the oldest living student (her philosophy being that you can never stop learning and exercising the acting muscle).
Known For

TV
Law & Order
Irene Drummond
1990

TV
Shameless
Mrs. McCurdy
2011

TV
Gilmore Girls
Mrs. Thompson
2000

TV
Community
Pierce's Mom (voice)
2009

TV
2 Broke Girls
Helen
2011

TV
New Girl
Shirley
2011

TV
The Middle
Sylvia Goldberg
2009

TV
Private Practice
Old Lady
2007

TV
Everybody Loves Raymond
Hilda
1996

TV
Raising Hope
Old Lady
2010

TV
Raising Hope
Olivia
2010

TV
The Mindy Project
Bryant's Grandmother
2012

TV
Workaholics
Fran
2011

TV
Fuller House
Old Lady
2016

TV
Ugly Betty
Mabel
2006

TV
DAVE
Muriel
2020

TV
Happy Endings
Enid
2011

TV
Con Man
Elderly Patient
2015

TV
The Upshaws
Old Woman
2021

Film
La La Land
Movie Theatre Cashier (uncredited)
2016
Filmography
2026FilmThe Cureas Mrs. Polanski2025FilmSacramentoas Mrs. Krenshaw2024FilmThe Invisible Raptoras Dorothy2024FilmThelmaas Mona2023FilmLove Virtuallyas Viv's Grandma2023FilmYou Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvahas Bella2023TVMrs. Davisas Sister Ollie2021TVThe Upshawsas Old Woman2021TVMr. Mayoras Enid2020TVDAVEas Muriel2020FilmVHYesas Diane2019TVSunnysideas Old Lady2018TVSee Plum Run2018TVI Feel Badas Trudy2018FilmHoliday Hostageas Grandma2018TVThis Closeas Mrs. Vanderhooven2017TVNo Activityas Yaya Westbrook2016FilmLa La Landas Movie Theatre Cashier (uncredited)2016FilmThe Shicklesas Nana Shickles2016TVFuller Houseas Old Lady2015TVCon Manas Elderly Patient2014TVMulaneyas Old Woman2014TVBad Judgeas Mildred2014TVFriends with Better Livesas Estelle Markowitz2014FilmOff the Recordas Nana2013TVGetting Onas Mrs. Beverly Poppley2012TVThe Mindy Projectas Bryant's Grandmother2012FilmA Thousand Wordsas Woman on Pier2011FilmLet Goas Mrs. Grossman2011TVNew Girlas Shirley2011TV2 Broke Girlsas Helen2011TVHappy Endingsas Enid2011TVWorkaholicsas Fran2011TVShamelessas Mrs. McCurdy2010TVRaising Hopeas Old Lady2010FilmIn My Sleepas Rachel2010FilmFather vs. Sonas Mrs. Kusnitz2009TVThe Middleas Sylvia Goldberg2009TVCommunityas Pierce's Mom (voice)2009FilmPlay the Gameas Claire Cranston2008FilmYou Don't Mess with the Zohanas Older Lady in Salon2007FilmYear of the Fishas Tourist Woman2007TVPrivate Practiceas Old Lady2007FilmLove Comes Latelyas Max's Neighbor2006TVUgly Bettyas Mabel2002FilmThe Jimmy Showas Fireplace Woman2001FilmGaslineas Mrs. Munson2000TVGilmore Girlsas Mrs. Thompson1996TVEverybody Loves Raymondas Hilda1990TVLaw & Orderas Irene Drummond1990FilmCadillac Manas Woman Customer1988FilmSlime Cityas Ruby—FilmThe Auschwitz Bagelas Oma—FilmOmias Omi