<P> Katherine Marie Helmond ( born July 5 , 1929 ) is an American film , theater and television actress and director . In her five decades of television acting , she is known her starring role as the ditzy matriarch , Jessica Tate , on the ABC prime time soap opera sitcom , Soap ( 1977 -- 1981 ) and her co-starring role as feisty mother , Mona Robinson on Who 's the Boss ? ( 1984 -- 1992 ) . She also played Doris Sherman on Coach and Lois Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond . She has also appeared as a guest on several talk and variety shows . </P>
<P> Katherine Marie Helmond ( born July 5 , 1929 ) is an American film , theater and television actress and director . In her five decades of television acting , she is known her starring role as the ditzy matriarch , Jessica Tate , on the ABC prime time soap opera sitcom , Soap ( 1977 -- 1981 ) and her co-starring role as feisty mother , Mona Robinson on Who 's the Boss ? ( 1984 -- 1992 ) . She also played Doris Sherman on Coach and Lois Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond . She has also appeared as a guest on several talk and variety shows . </P>
who plays mona in who 's the boss
who plays mona in who 's the boss
Katherine Marie Helmond
Katherine Marie Helmond