Marianne Muellerleile

Originally set on becoming a high school drama teacher, Marianne Muellerleile decided instead to pursue her doctor of philosophy in acting at the University of Minnesota, where she studied under the noted thespian Charles Nolte. While still a student, Muellerleile played Eunice in a production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" that the playwright himself, Tennessee Williams, attended. By the early 1980s, she was racking up guest appearances on TV shows like "Magnum, P.I.," "The A-Team," "Archie Bunker's Place," and "The Jeffersons." She also had small parts in "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Going Berserk" and even played a Sarah Connor in "The Terminator"--though not the one that Arnold Schwarzenegger was looking for. By this time, she was starting to earn her spurs on soap operas, with spots on "Knots Landing" and "Falcon Crest." These would culminate in several years of employment on "Passions," on which she originated the role of a motel manager whose attempts at murder by axe were prefigured by the name "Norma Bates." She was also a regular on "Life with Bonnie," starring Bonnie Hunt, and a recurring player on several series, including "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." She has appeared in a number of notable movies: "Liar Liar" with Jim Carrey, "Memento" with Guy Pearce, and "Return to Me," her first collaboration with Hunt.