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Actor

Rita Karin

Born October 24, 1919 in Wilno, Wilenskie, Poland [now Vilnius, Lithuania]Died September 10, 199312 films

She was a Polish-born American actress best known for her role as Jackie Mason's mother on the 1989 TV series Chicken Soup. Also appeared at the beginning of Sophie's Choice as Yetta, Sophie's (Meryl Streep) landlady. Her voice can be heard singing children's songs from the camps in the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.

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The best way into Rita Karin's work
Sophie's Choice posterFirst watchSophie's Choice19827.3as YettaStingo, a young writer, moves to Brooklyn in 1947 to begin work on his first novel. As he becomes friendly with Sophie and her lover Nathan, he learns that she is a Holocaust survivor.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
He Said, She Said poster5.9He Said, She Said1991

Filmography

12 films as actor
  1. 1993The PickleGrandmother
  2. 1991He Said, She SaidMrs. Spepk
  3. 1991Age Isn't EverythingFlo
  4. 1989Enemies, a Love StoryMrs. Schreier
  5. 1985Kojak: The Belarus File
  6. 1982Sophie's ChoiceYetta
  7. 1981StarstruckMrs. Reuben
  8. 1978The Big FixAunt Sonya
  9. 1978MatildaSpectator
  10. 1974Nicky's WorldMrs. Mylonas
  11. 1972Up the SandboxMrs. Grossbard (uncredited)
  12. 1971The Gang That Couldn't Shoot StraightMrs. Goldfarb