Remembering Conchata Ferrell’s Role in ‘Edward Scissorhands’

Conchata Ferrell, who died on Tuesday at 77, was known mostly for her role as Berta over 12 seasons on Two and a Half Men. She also secured an Emmy nomination for her part of Susan Bloom on L.A. Law. One character, though, that lives on among cult classic fans is her character, Helen, from Edward Scissorhands.

A minor character in the story, Conchata’s Helen served as the nosy neighbor. Her time on-screen often saw her out of her house with her hair rollers in. The Tim Burton film came out in 1990 and famously had Johnny Depp play the title character next to Winona Ryder, who falls in love with Scissorhands. This project ended up being the first of two Burton films that Conchata would be a part of. The second was Frankenweenie, a 2012 animated movie in which she voiced the role of Bob’s Mom.

The late actress had parts across all spectrums, many of her biggest roles coming in comedies and dramas. That being said, her role in Scissorhands was just one step into the horror film industry. She recently was in the 2015 Michael Dougherty film, Krampus, in which she appeared as Aunt Dorothy. The director of the anti-Christmas movie paid tribute to Ferrell with a tweet. Paying his respect to the wide range of characters she played, Dougherty referred to her as an “underappreciated acting legend,” adding that she could “bring a smile” to anyone’s face she encountered.

The tributes for Ferrell didn’t just stop there. Her former co-stars on Two and a Half Men, Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheen, both paid their respects to her on social media. Cryer shared he was “crying for the woman I’ll miss” after learning of her passing, adding a similar sentiment to Dougherty in that she brought joy to so many people’s lives. He said she was a “beautiful human” and someone who won people over with her “warmth and vulnerability.” Likewise, Sheen, who worked alongside Ferrell for the first eight seasons before exiting the show, described her as a “consummate pro” and “an absolute sweetheart.” Someone who he saw as a “genuine friend,” Ferrell’s loss was “shocking and painful” for Sheen to digest, according to his tweet.