Polly Holliday

Actress Polly Holliday played one of the brassiest characters on network television in the 1970s - the sassy, fearless hash house waitress Flo on "Alice" (CBS, 1975-1985). The larger-than-life character was the first of many formidable women Holliday would play over the course of her four-decade career, though none would attain the pop culture icon status of Flo, thanks to her room-clearing catch phrase of "Kiss my grits!" For her scene-stealing role, the Alabama-born actress earned several major awards and nominations. Holliday escaped Flo's orbit by segueing into character roles in films and on stage, but the Mel's Diner waitress remained her most memorable character, earning her a spot in the small screen circle of eternal fame.