<P> Margaret ' Peggy ' Biggs ( Rondi Reed ) is Mike 's mother . She is very controlling and traditional , as well as grumpy and cranky . Peggy frequently expects Mike to do her bidding at the drop of a hat , which made her initially cold toward Molly becoming a part of Mike 's life . She has since warmed up some to Molly , and began working as a lunch lady at Molly 's school in Season 2 . Her tendency to lie when the truth is n't kind to her connected with that job when she told Molly she had `` retired '' ; she 'd actually been fired for being impossible to work with . Mike usually plays along with her revisionist history , but finally gets pushed too far in this case and tells Peggy she got fired because she is bitter , toxic and unlikable by anyone . She is divorced , living alone with her dog `` Jim '' ( she even turned over Mike 's old room to Jim ) and often talks about her ex-husband , Jack , leaving her and running away with a `` whore '' . Her longtime courtship of a sweet - natured and unsuccessful fellow Catholic named Dennis ended badly when she finally decided she was ready for them to have sex , only to realize he 'd suffered a heart attack and died . A shocked Peggy tried to blame it on a sour lemon cake Molly had prepared for her birthday , only to have a no - longer - afraid Molly jab Peggy about her ham - fisted efforts to cover up her death - blocked seduction of Dennis . Despite her obvious disdain for Jack , the two sleep together after Mike and Molly 's wedding rehearsal , but Peggy dumps him immediately after . She has a gift for writing that Molly surprisingly discovered during her own successful effort to start a career as an author , and Peggy 's sordid past romantic exploits become the basis for Molly 's second novel . Peggy reveals that she has always felt guilty for leaving her abusive home at an early age , while her mother was stuck with a drunken batterer for a husband . She also has a sister who still lives in their hometown with whom she has feuded since their teenage years , but they eventually reconciled in Season 5 . As the series ends , Peggy remained both manipulative and decent - hearted , from playing on tension between Molly and Mike when she suffers a heart attack that Mike felt Molly caused ( Peggy confirmed she did n't ) and nearly getting her ass kicked by Joyce when she tries to guilt Mike into moving back home , but being reassured by Mike that while he wo n't move back home then or ever he still will make sure she 's part of her grandchild 's life . </P>
<P> Margaret ' Peggy ' Biggs ( Rondi Reed ) is Mike 's mother . She is very controlling and traditional , as well as grumpy and cranky . Peggy frequently expects Mike to do her bidding at the drop of a hat , which made her initially cold toward Molly becoming a part of Mike 's life . She has since warmed up some to Molly , and began working as a lunch lady at Molly 's school in Season 2 . Her tendency to lie when the truth is n't kind to her connected with that job when she told Molly she had `` retired '' ; she 'd actually been fired for being impossible to work with . Mike usually plays along with her revisionist history , but finally gets pushed too far in this case and tells Peggy she got fired because she is bitter , toxic and unlikable by anyone . She is divorced , living alone with her dog `` Jim '' ( she even turned over Mike 's old room to Jim ) and often talks about her ex-husband , Jack , leaving her and running away with a `` whore '' . Her longtime courtship of a sweet - natured and unsuccessful fellow Catholic named Dennis ended badly when she finally decided she was ready for them to have sex , only to realize he 'd suffered a heart attack and died . A shocked Peggy tried to blame it on a sour lemon cake Molly had prepared for her birthday , only to have a no - longer - afraid Molly jab Peggy about her ham - fisted efforts to cover up her death - blocked seduction of Dennis . Despite her obvious disdain for Jack , the two sleep together after Mike and Molly 's wedding rehearsal , but Peggy dumps him immediately after . She has a gift for writing that Molly surprisingly discovered during her own successful effort to start a career as an author , and Peggy 's sordid past romantic exploits become the basis for Molly 's second novel . Peggy reveals that she has always felt guilty for leaving her abusive home at an early age , while her mother was stuck with a drunken batterer for a husband . She also has a sister who still lives in their hometown with whom she has feuded since their teenage years , but they eventually reconciled in Season 5 . As the series ends , Peggy remained both manipulative and decent - hearted , from playing on tension between Molly and Mike when she suffers a heart attack that Mike felt Molly caused ( Peggy confirmed she did n't ) and nearly getting her ass kicked by Joyce when she tries to guilt Mike into moving back home , but being reassured by Mike that while he wo n't move back home then or ever he still will make sure she 's part of her grandchild 's life . </P>
who plays mike 's mom on mike & molly
who plays mike 's mom on mike & molly
Rondi Reed
Rondi Reed