________________________________________________________
Blanche Madison played by actress Brett Somers.
Blanche is Oscar's ex-wife, who since the divorce lives in California. They had no children together. Blanche's maiden name is
Jefferson. Oscar & Blanche were married while the boys were on
Military Duty, in Connecticut. They spent their wedding night in the
barracks being serenaded by Felix & Murray.
Blanche is either getting late or no alimony payments at all from Oscar. She tries everything from singing telegrams to legal action with jail threats to get Oscars alimony payments. He usually has gambled his money away. The two Madison's are always fighting, never agreeing on anything. Totally different from the Ungers, Blanche & Oscar have no desire to get back together. Blanche made five Odd Couple appearances (1971-1973).

Oscar is always hoping Blanche remarries so he can stop paying alimony. She almost remarried "Roger the Milkman" until Felix buds in & blows that relationship as she realized she doesn't love Roger at all. They divorced on New Year’s Eve duriung a party in the apartment in which there are three sides of the story; Oscar's Blanches & of course Felix's.
Brett Somers was born Audrey Johnson on July 11, 1924 in New Brunswick, Canada. She grew up in Potland, Maine & ran away at age 17 to become an actress, setting in New York City in Greenwich Village. She soon became a singer, theater actress & comedienne who took the name Brett from the character in Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises”. She appeared on Broadway, in television & in movies, most notably “The Seven Year Itch” & The Country Girl with her second husband; Jack Klugman.
Her TV credits include: Barney Miller, Mary Tyler Moore, the Love Boat, Love American Style, the Defenders, Have Gun Will Travel, Ben Casey, The Fugitive, & CHIPS. Her best known roles were on the Odd Couple & a long time run as a panelist on the game show Match Game.
Klugman was on Match Game early on in 1973 & suggested Brett be a panelist. She got the job & would remainthere for the remainder of it's none year run. She was second to Charles Nelson Riely in the top spot. She became known for her risque dialonge on the show & was very popular.
Brett Somers married Jack Kugman in 1953, and they had two sons together. The couple separated in 1974 but were never divorced & remained friends their entire lives. Brett passed away in 2007 from cancer at age 83, in Westport Connecticut.
_________________________
Miriam Welby played by actress Eleanor Donahue (1972-1975). Miriam was the lovely, elegant love interest & safe to say girl friend of Felix Unger. Miriam lived upstairs, from Felix & Oscar in the same building.
Miriam would play in 17 episodes, second only to Al Molinaro's Murray the Cop character in a supporting role for most appearances. Welby was a clever choosing of her last name, since at the time Marcus Welby M.D. was a popular show starring Robert Young who played Donahue's father on Father Knows Best n the 1950's.
Mary Eleanor Donahue was born April 19th, 1937 in Tacoma, Washington. She was a child actress starring in Vaudville, as a dancer. She played in many roles in the 1940's as a child in film.
In the 1950's she landed the role as the eldest daughter of Robert Young & Jane Wyatt on Father Knows Best (1954-1960). Although innocent her role as a teenage girl in the fifties was very important. She also landed the role of Elle Walker a Pharmacist & love interest of Andy Taylor on the Andy Griffith show. After one season she was asked to be released from her three year contract.
She would make appearances on "The Flying Nun" "Star Trek" "Have Gun Will Travel" "Dr. Kildare" "The Rookies" "Police Woman" & "SWAT". After the Odd Couple role she landed the part of Jane Mulligan on the short lived series "Mulligan's Stew".
After that it was "Barnaby Jones" "Mork & Mindy" One Day At a Time" "Fantasy Island" "Hotel" "Happy Days" "Love Boat" "Days of Our Lives" & recurring roles on "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" "Young & Restless" "Eek the Cat" & "Get A Life". She also had a part in the Julia Roberts, Richard Gere 1990 film; "Pretty Woman".
In 1998 she wrote a book about her life in Hollywood & provided more than 150 recipes.
_________________________________
Dr. Nancy Cunnigham played by actress Joan Hotchkis. Nancy Cunnigham became the love interest of Oscar Madison after she was filling for Dr. Melnitz. Nancy appeared in 11 episodes of the second season & then was never heard from again.
Joan Hotchkis was born September 21st, 1927 in Los Angeles, California. Hotchkis appeared in television shows; "My World & Welcome To It" "Bewitched" "Charlies Angels" "Medical Center" "Marcus Welby" "Barnaby Jones" "Lou Grant" & "St. Elsewhere".
Hotchkis did theater work as well as solo performances into the late 1990's. Her second solo work: Elements of Flesh: Or Screwing Saved My Ass (1996) was about aging & sexuality. Joan is an active activists for the arts & has helped put together many gala events. She is a a life long member of the Actors Studio.
___________________________________________________________
_______________________
Edna Unger played by two actresses.Edna Unger is Felix & Gloria Ungers daughter. She loves her father even though he's a pest. Her 11th birthday gets in the way of Oscar's poker game with a bunch of drinking, smoking sportswriters. Even the clown hired for her party gets drunk & gets into Oscars poker game. In the end Uncle Oscar saves the day after a rain out party in Central Park.
As Edna gets older all she wants to do is meet boys. At one point she dates a reform school kid, that Oscar was a "big brother" too. Later with a Doney Oatman playing the role, she becomes a baseball umpire just to meet boys.
Finally she falls in love with singer Paul Williams and runs away from home just to follow him. As she gets older she gets closer to Uncle Oscar & thinks he's cooler than her own dad. Edna was played by two actresses, first by Pamelyn Ferdin (the reddish hair girl) and then by Doney Oatman (the blonde).
Pamelyn Ferdin (Edna #1 appeared in three episodes 1971-1972). she was a child star who appeared in countless TV shows: "The Brady Bunch" 'the Monkees" "My Three Sons" 'Star Trek" "Bewitched" "Family Affair" "Mannix" "Chips" "Lassie" 'Andy Griffith" "The Flying Nun" 'Gunsmoke" "Marcus Welby" "Vesa$" "the Streets of San Francisco" & many more.
She was also in "Andy Williams, Bob Hope & Jerry Lewis" TV specials. She also had a regular spots as Cookie Bumstead in the show "Blondie" (1968-1969), Sally Simms on the "Paul Lynde Show" (1972-1973) & "Lassie" the series in 1973.
She was the voice of Lucy Van Pelt in the 1969 "A boy Named Charlie Brown" & "Play It Again Charlie Brown" . She was also the voice of Sally in 1971's "The Cat In the Hat" & Fern in Charolette's Web (1973).
On top of all this she appeared in Barbie commercials too. She quit acting in the early 80's, became a nurse, married a surgeon & now lives in Connecticut. Ferdin is also a big animal rights activist.
Doney Oatman (Edna #2 also in three episodes 1972-1975) had a short acting career appearing in "ABC Afterschool Specials" "Maude" "The Rockford Files" "Eight Is Enough" "The Waltons" & "Charlies Angels" in 1977. Not much more is known of Doney Oatman beyond this point, as she kind went off into obscurity. This one photo to the left was found, that's about it.
________________________________________________
Leonard Unger played by two different actors.
Felix & Gloria Ungers son is Leonard Unger. Leonard also "honks" like his father, when he gets upset, but unlike his father he loves frogs, & sports. Uncle Oscar coaches his football team & he looks up to him. Just like there were two different Ednas, there were two different Leonards as well. The first Leonard was played first young actor; Willie Aames and the second by a young Leif Garrett.
Willie Aames (Leonard #1 played in one episode in 1971) He was born Albert William Upton in Newport Beach, California.
He too appeared in many other
TV shows such as "Love Boat' "Adam 12" "Medical Center" "ABC
After school Specials" "Little House" "Cannon" "Courtship of Eddies
Father". He was the voice of Jamie Boyle, on "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" (1972-1974) & had regular parts on "Swiss Family Robinson"(1975-1976) "We'll Get By" & "Family" (1976-1877).
Aames became most famous for his role on the TV show "Eight is Enough" (1977-1981) as Tommy Bradford and "Charles In Charge" as Buddy Lembeck (1984-1990).
Aames battled drug & alcohol addiction for some twenty years. He eventually went sober became a born again Christian &created as well as starred in the TV show "Bible man". He was married twice & has two children.
Leif Garret (Leonard #2- played in two episodes 1974-1975) Leif Per Nervik was born November 8th, 1961 in Hollywood California.
He is the brother of Dawn Nervik who played Dodie Douglas on My Three Sons.
Leif would play in the movie "Bob & Carol Ted &Alice" with Natalie Wood in 1969. He also played the protagonist's son in all three Walking Tall movies & has a recurring role on the show "Family".
Garret became another teen idol with his fame in movies, TV & music when he scored with his 1976 album Leif Garrett. The single "I was Made For Dancin" became a top ten hit. He would also have a small part in the classic film; "The Outsiders" in 1983.
Leif Garret had relationships with lovely ladies such as Nicolett Sheridan, Tatum O'Neil, Kristy McNichol & Justine Bateman.
In 1979 he crashed his car, while on Qualudes and left his friend a paraplegic. Garrett promised to look after his friend, but the family sued Garret for $25 million. He settled for $7 million & the friendship was done. The two reunited for a VH1 "Behind the Music" special & all was forgiven. Garret was arrested three more times from 1999-2010 for some kind of drug possession.
________________________________________
Speed was a poker obsessed friend of Oscar Madison. While the crew was arrested by friend Murray the Cop for an illegal poker game, we learn Speed's real name was Homer.
Gary Walberg was born June 10th 1921 in Buffalo New York. His acting career began in the 1950's, he would be a regular on Peyton Place (1965-1968) Odd Couple (13 appearances) Gunsmoke (10 episodes) Lassie (7 episodes) & Quincy with Jack Klugman (1976-1983).
He made notable appearances on the Twilight Zone (1959 episode- Where Is Everybody) Rawhide, the Rifleman, Perry Mason, Ben Casey, Star Trek (1966 episode Balance of Terror as Commander Hansen) & Green Acres (1969 episode Reincarnation of Ed as a Sheriff).
Also appearances on Mod Squad, Medical Center,, SWAT, Police Story , Mannix, Columbo (1971) Kojak (1974) Love American Style (4 times 1971-1973) The Tony Randall Show, Hotel & Murder She Wrote. His last appearance was on the Odd Couple (Together Again) TV Movie in 1993.
Walberg was married three times & passed away in 2012 at age 90.
____________________________
Vinny was another one of Felix & Oscar's poker buddies starting from Season One.
Larry Gelman was born November 3rd 1930 in Brooklyn New York. Gelman was a solid character actor with 113 credits to his name, still active into his eighties. He is best known for being Vinny on the Odd Couple (12 episodes) Dr. Bernie Tupperman on the Bob Newhart Show (13 episodes 1972-1976) , Dr. Binder on Maude (6 episodes 1976-1978) Officer Bernstein on Eight Is Enough (6 episodes 1977-1981) & four appearances on Barney Miller.
He began in the sixties with credits on popular shows like Batman (1968 episode NOra Clavicle & the Ladies Crime Club as a bank manager) . The Monkees (three episodes (Christmas Show 1967 / Captain Crocodile 1967 as a salesman & Ive Got A Little Song Here 1967- as a director).
Also I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart, the Flying Nun, Nanny & the Professor, Mary Tyler Moore, Rhoda, Kojak, Quincy, Love Boat, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Facts of Life, One Day at a Time, Archie Bunkers Place, CHIPS, Hill Street Blues, Remington Steele, Cagney & Lacey, Mr. Belvedeere, ER & Night Court.
He also was in the films Mr Saturday Night, Dreamscape, Wholly Moses, Topper, the Frisco Kid, Funny Girl & Weird Science. This year he turned 85.