Helen Siff, ‘Hail, Caesar!’ and ‘You Don’t Mess With the Zohan’ Character Actor, Dies at 88

Helen Siff, an actor who played in movies like "Hail, Caesar," "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," and others, passed away on Thursday in Los Angeles. She died because of problems after surgery for an illness, according to her daughter Karen Ehrenberg. She was 88 years old.

Siff acted in both big and small screen shows and on stage for the past 50 years.

 She appeared in movies such as "The Karate Kid," "Earth Girls Are Easy," "Pee-Wee's Big Top," and "Rocky." She also appeared in TV shows like "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Modern Family," "Mom," "S.W.A.T.," and "Good Trouble."

In addition, she performed in stage plays like "Lilies of the Field," "Salam Saleem," "Lost in Yonkers," and "Over the River and Through the Woods."

 She first played the role of Helga in "Grandma Sylvia's Funeral," which was an Off-Broadway show.

Helen was born in Woodmere, New York, in 1937.

 She started her career in 1976 with a commercial for Subaru, which she filmed with her twin sister Carol Infield Sender. During her career, she worked with big names like Elizabeth Taylor, James Caan, George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone, and Billy Crystal. She also worked with famous directors such as Steven Spielberg, Michael Mann, Jerry Zucker, John G. Avildsen, Joel and Ethan Coen, and Barry Levinson.

Karen Ehrenberg shared a statement that said, "Those who worked with Helen knew her not just for her talent, but for her professionalism, dedication, and kindness.

 She believed that every role, no matter how big or small, was a chance to add something valuable to the story being told."

Helen is survived by her sisters Carol Sender and Janet Maffei, her children Matt Siff, Susie Caldwell, Karen Ehrenberg, Vicki Russell, and Jenny Siff, her grandchildren Chelsea Norton, Zach Caldwell, Robert Knight, Josh Ehrenberg, Spencer Ehrenberg, Megan Ehrenberg, and Dean Russell.