Mary Scheer

Mary Scheer (born March 19, 1963) is an American actress and comedienne. She is best known as one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series MADtv and for playing Marissa Benson on iCarly.

MADtv
Scheer was one of the original nine cast members of MADtv when the series debuted in 1995. She came to the show with a background in sketch comedy from her Groundling days. During her tenure, Scheer developed characters like chain smoker Mrs. Jewel Barone, Cabana Chat host Dixie Wetsworth, Connie Linder, Debbie Dander, Lily Don, and Mrs. Vigor (Killer Grandma).

Scheer also performed impressions of celebrities and public figures during her tenure on MADtv. Some of Scheer's impressions included: U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, Demi Moore, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Griffin, Mary Tyler Moore, Melissa Joan Hart, Ashley Olsen, Candice Bergen, Fran Drescher, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Thompson, Frances Bavier, Irene Vernon, Lisa Malosky, Ashley Judd, and Barbara Feldon. However, Scheer is most famous for her impersonation of Barbra Streisand in the MADtv spoof video "Terms Of Imprisonment," where she portrays Streisand as an egomaniac who abuses her co-star, Whitney Houston. Scheer is also famous for her impersonation of Gillian Anderson's Dana Scully in the "XXX Files" sketch.

During season two of MADtv, Scheer became visibly pregnant and continued to perform on the show. After giving birth, Scheer finished the second and third seasons of the show. She left the show in 1998, after spending three seasons with the show.

Impressions
Scheer had made several impressions on MADtv or Invader Zim:


 * Janet Reno
 * Demi Moore
 * Susan Sarandon
 * Kathy Griffin
 * Mary Tyler Moore
 * Irene Vernon
 * Lisa Malosky
 * Ashley Judd
 * Barbra Feldon
 * Barbra Streisand
 * Dana Scully
 * Natalie Horler, Aaliyah, and Gwen Stefani on an Invader Zim episode, Attack of the Saucer Morons

Other projects
Besides MADtv, Scheer has appeared in several television shows. Her credits include Reno 911!, Primetime Glick, X-Chromosome, and Dropping Out. As of March 2006, Scheer's most recent television role is the character Aunt Louise in the Fox comedy series Free Ride. She also plays a recurring role on iCarly as Mrs. Marissa Benson, the extremely overprotective mother of Freddie Benson.

After leaving MADtv, and an absence of several years, in 2001, she appeared in the films Elvira's Haunted Hills, The New Women and Chump Change. Scheer's most recent film is It Can Always Get Worse Kathy.

Besides onscreen appearances, Scheer has become a voice actress, lending her voice to numerous commercials and several animated projects like Family Guy and King of the Hill. Scheer's voice also appears in the animated feature film, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Scheer performed all female voices in Spike TV's humorous game show MXC (she was credited as portraying Everygirl). In season four, she became MXC's supervising producer.