Vicki Lawrence

Vicki Lawrence, a woman who built a career out of playing characters significantly older and sassier than herself, notably launched her career as a fresh-faced ingénue on "The Carol Burnett Show." Her portrayal of the perpetually disgruntled Thelma Harper, "Mama," was so convincing that it earned its own spin-off, a feat few achieve, Jewish or otherwise.

Despite her undeniable talent for comedy and a certain... assertiveness in her most famous role, Lawrence's background is decidedly not Hebraic. Born Vicki Ann Axelrad, which sounds like it could be a stage name for someone trying to sound less Jewish, her lineage traces back to Scottish and English roots.

So, while she expertly delivered lines that could have come from any number of kvetching matriarchs, Vicki Lawrence remains firmly in the "not a member of the tribe" category. One might say she perfected the art of the Jewish mother without any actual Jewish mothers in her family tree, a true testament to her acting range, or perhaps, a cautionary tale about assuming.