Meanest Moms Ever On Screen! - Price Prediction

In popular culture, it’s often said that “Mother knows best,” but there are several films and series that dispute this notion. Here are some fictional mothers who were downright rude, cruel, and even wicked – I’m grateful I never had to endure their parenting style in my real life.

In common belief, “Mother knows best,” but various movies and TV shows present a different perspective. Below are some of the most unkind, abusive, and downright villainous fictional moms I’m thankful never had to experience growing up with.

Margaret White (Carrie)

In Brian DePalma’s 1976 film version of Stephen King’s Carrie, Sissy Spacek portrays the title character who has telekinetic powers that could potentially harm others. However, it’s not Carrie who is the antagonist; instead, that role belongs to her mother, Margaret, played by Piper Laurie in an Oscar-nominated performance. Margaret is shown as an abusive and fanatical religious figure with a twisted sense of reasoning, using cruel punishment on her daughter whom she views as a form of retribution for her own past transgressions.

Lucille Bluth (Arrested Development)

Among the members of the Bluth Family from Arrested Development, it’s rare to find someone who doesn’t have an amusingly detestable character. The most contemptible of them all could possibly be Lucille (played by Jessica Walter), whose self-centered, snobbish attitude leads her to manipulate and harshly criticize everyone she claims to care about, particularly her offspring, who often bear the brunt of her actions.

Momma Lift (Throw Momma From The Train)

In the 1987 dark comedy film “Throw Momma from the Train,” directed by and starring Danny DeVito as Owen Lift, a character who strikes an unusual deal: he offers to kill Larry Donner’s (played by Billy Crystal) ex-wife in return for help eliminating his own mother. It’s challenging not to feel sympathetic towards Owen when Anne Ramsey makes her Oscar-nominated debut as the boisterous, unpleasant, domineering, and physically abusive Momma Lift.

Livia Soprano (The Sopranos)

Every character in the show “The Sopranos” has distinctive traits, yet Livia Soprano (Nancy Marchand) seems devoid of any particular standout qualities. Despite this, her son Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a gangster, sought therapy to cope with the emotional turmoil from his difficult upbringing under her roof. However, Livia’s most heinous act against him occurred when he was an adult – she attempted to manipulate events for his murder.

Lady Tremaine (Cinderella)

In many versions of the famous fairy tale “Cinderella,” her wicked stepmother stands out as particularly cruel for treating an innocent young woman so unfairly. However, Eleanor Audley’s portrayal in the 1950 Disney animated classic is arguably the most terrifying and intimidating, striking fear into viewers.

Selina Meyer (Veep)

In Armando Iannucci’s witty political satire, Veep, the character Selina Meyer, portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, employs and mistreats numerous individuals to climb the ladder within the U.S. Government. Unfortunately for her own daughter, Catherine (played by Sarah Sutherland), she endures the brunt of Selina’s harsh words and is frequently manipulated for political gain in her campaigns.

Mary Jones (Precious)

A remarkable demonstration of a comedian delivering an exceptional dramatic portrayal is seen in Mo’Nique’s Academy Award-winning role as Mary Jones, the troubled mother character in Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire. In this performance, she not only physically and verbally torments her teenage daughter (portrayed by Gabourey Sidibe), but also passively allows her husband to exploit her, later blaming her for the predicament and accusing her of being responsible for “taking her man.

Cersei Lannister (Game Of Thrones)

In the realm of George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, numerous noble royals produce offspring with reprehensible traits, and the same is true for those who have despicable parents. One notable instance is Cersei Lannister, portrayed by Lena Headey in HBO’s adaptation of “Game of Thrones,” a woman known for her cruelty, who also gave birth to children with similar sadistic tendencies. Tragically, these children met unfortunate demises as a consequence of their mother’s manipulative actions.

Joan Crawford (Mommie Dearest)

Without a doubt, Faye Dunaway’s portrayal of Joan Crawford in the 1981 film adaptation of “Mommie Dearest,” penned by the actress’s adopted daughter, Christina, is often considered the epitome of memorable movie mothers. However, it’s important to note that this character, while not entirely fictional, is rooted in fact.

Cookie Lyon (Empire)

As a cinephile, I can’t help but rave about how masterfully Lee Daniels and Danny Strong’s critically acclaimed series, Empire, exposes the ruthless world of the music industry – a reality that Cookie Lyon, portrayed brilliantly by Taraji P. Henson, encapsulates perfectly. As a record executive and former inmate, she doesn’t shy away from using her kids as pawns to boost her power within our fictional company, Empire Entertainment.

Pamela Voorhees (Friday The 13th)

Essentially, Pamela Voorhees, as portrayed by Betsy Palmer in the 1980 horror film classic Friday the 13th, isn’t inherently a wicked mother. Instead, it was her profound love for her son that led to the murders she committed, which she believed were responsible for his tragic drowning. Evidence of Pamela’s nurturing nature can be seen in the strange resurrection of her son Jason and his subsequent desire to continue killing, seemingly as a means to avenge his mother and honor her memory by targeting debauched teenagers.

Marie Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)

In the popular TV sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Peter Boyle portrays Frank Barone, who is often harsh towards his sons Ray (Ray Romano) and Robert (Brad Garrett). Unlike his wife Marie, he doesn’t infantilize them even as adults. Doris Roberts’ award-winning role as Marie might be an exceptionally critical mother-in-law, constantly belittling Ray’s wife Debra (Patricia Heaton), apparently at any given opportunity.

Lavona Golden (I, Tonya)

As a movie reviewer, I’d rephrase that as follows: In my opinion, Allison Janney’s Oscar-winning performance as Lavona Golden, Tonya Harding’s mother in “I, Tonya”, lies in her convincing portrayal of pushing the Olympic figure skater (Margot Robbie) towards greatness. Yet, it’s striking how she never acknowledges her role in cultivating unsportsmanlike behavior, relentless verbal and physical mistreatment, or her shrewd manipulations.

Evelyn Harper (Two And A Half Men)

Holland Taylor delivers an explosive, Emmy-nominated portrayal four times over as the icy and vengeful Evelyn Harper on Two and a Half Men. It’s not hard to understand why her sons, the commitment-shy Charlie (Charlie Sheen) and the perpetually unhappy Alan (Jon Cryer), turned out the way they did, considering what it might have been like to live under her roof.

Petunia Dursley (The Harry Potter Movies)

Petunia Dursley (Fiona Shaw), a character from ‘Harry Potter’, is often seen as particularly detestable due to her poor parenting skills, which manifest in multiple ways. Instead of disciplining her son, Dudley (Harry Melling), she indulges him excessively, causing harm. However, her treatment of her namesake nephew (Daniel Radcliffe) is appalling; she confines him in a cupboard under the stairs as punishment and forces him to serve as a domestic slave within their home.

Colleen Donaghy (30 Rock)

Elaine Stritch garnered five Emmy nominations for portraying the stern and relentlessly critical mother of Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), Colleen, on 30 Rock. An incident occurred where Jack accidentally hit her with his car. Due to her challenging personality, it took him eight minutes to decide to dial 9-1-1 for assistance.

Ruth DeWitt Bukater (Titanic)

In the Titanic film, Frances Fisher portrays Ruth DeWitt Bukater, a character who serves as a powerful illustration of an overbearing, snobbish, and controlling movie mother. A notable transgression is her strong-arming Rose (Kate Winslet) into marrying the detestable Cal (Billy Zane), solely for the social standing it would bestow upon their family.

Brianna Barksdale (The Wire)

In “The Wire,” D’Angelo Barksdale (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) is struggling to cross over to the side of lawfulness due to the influence of his mother, Brianna (Michael Hyatt). She persistently manipulates her son into making sacrifices for their criminal family enterprise, such as enduring a lengthy prison term in place of his uncle Avon (Wood Harris).

Eleanor Shaw Iselin (The Manchurian Candidate)

Uncovering the truth that you were manipulated into being a political assassin is utterly terrifying. Learning that your own mother was part of the plot, as Eleanor Shaw Iselin does to her son Raymond in the 1962 film The Manchurian Candidate, is nothing short of heart-wrenching.

Endora (Bewitched)

One humorous aspect of the show Bewitched was often provided by Agnes Moorehead as Endora, a bold witch who never hesitated to voice her disdain towards her mortal son-in-law Darrin Stephens (first portrayed by Dick York and later by Dick Sargent). It’s clear that Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) also experienced Endora’s dominance, making one wonder about the mischievous antics she might have endured during her upbringing.

Mrs. Robinson (The Graduate)

Viewing “The Graduate” from Elaine Robinson’s (Katharine Ross) standpoint intensifies the 1967 dramedy’s disquieting journey. It’s already distressing when her mother (portrayed by Anne Bancroft) tries to sabotage her relationship with Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), but learning that he is also involved with her mother feels like a terrifying dream.

Irina Derevko (Alias)

For a more genuine insight into the lifestyle of a spy, I’d advise steering clear of James Bond films and instead opt for the popular ABC series, “Alias,” starring Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow, a double agent. Her life was shaped by traumatic experiences from an early age, such as her mother, Irina Derevko (played by Lena Olin), feigning her own death. However, nothing could fully prepare her for the betrayal that came when her mother, working for the KGB, turned against her daughter.

Beverly Sutphin (Serial Mom)

In John Waters’ 1994 dark comedy masterpiece, Serial Mom, Beverly Sutphin (played by Kathleen Turner) is the primary character. This suburban housewife adores her own children dearly and would never dream of causing them harm. Yet, she shows no remorse when taking violent actions against others to protect her kids, which only complicates matters further.

Maya Lewis (Scandal)

In a nutshell, Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, spent her life and profession on Scandal, resolving crises. Contrastingly, Olivia’s mother, Maya Lewis (Khandi Alexander), surprisingly, has spent her life causing crises. Interestingly, Olivia was unaware of this fact for nearly two decades, under the belief that her mother had passed away during that period.

Mrs. Windle Vale (Now, Voyager)

In the 1942 drama directed by Irving Rapper, titled “Now, Voyager“, Bette Davis portrays Charlotte Vale, a woman yearning for self-reliance, tirelessly seeking escape from her domineering mother (played by Gladys Cooper), who frequently demeans her with harsh words about being a family disgrace. Interestingly, Mrs. Vale’s inability to tolerate her daughter challenging her authority culminates on the very day she experiences a fatal heart attack.

Ida Welker (Malcolm In The Middle)

In the TV show “Malcolm in the Middle,” Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) might appear as a tough mom at first glance, but looking back, she endured much while rearing her five sons, including Hal (played by Bryan Cranston). I hold Lois in high regard, but I can’t help but feel contempt for her mother, Ida (Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman), who is a cold, manipulative, and truly dreadful character to the core.

Zinnia Wormwood (Matilda)

1996’s film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel Matilda features Mara Wilson in the leading role of a young girl endowed with psychic abilities yet burdened with disdainful grown-ups, including her negligent parents. Her mother, Zinnia Wormwood (portrayed by Rhea Perlman), is a self-absorbed, shallow narcissist, while her father, played by Danny DeVito who also directs the film, shares her contemptible qualities.

Dr. Beverly Hofstadter (The Big Bang Theory)

The majority of characters on CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” have mothers with assertive personalities, but none compare to Leonard Hofstadter’s (Johnny Galecki). His mother, psychologist Beverly Hofstadter (Christine Baranski), showed little affection towards him and seemed to view him as a subject for her experiments rather than a child.

Alice Ward (The Fighter)

2010 saw Melissa Leo deliver an Oscar-winning act in the critically acclaimed, factual boxing film “The Fighter.” In this role as Alice Ward, she skillfully portrayed a mother who prioritized her sons’ boxing careers – Micky (Mark Wahlberg) and Dicky (Christian Bale) – over their overall well-being.

Constance Langdon (American Horror Story)

Jessica Lange, often seen as a recurring actor in “American Horror Story,” has portrayed a delightful assortment of characters across the series’ seasons. Yet, among these roles, Constance Langdon, her character from the very first season, stands out as particularly chilling. Her poor parenting methods and unwillingness to accept responsibility for them have led to a trail of chaos within her household and among those impacted by the actions of her children.

Lilly Dillon (The Grifters)

It could be thought that Lilly Dillon (Anjelica Huston) would feel content knowing that her son, Roy (John Cusack), has fallen in love with Myra (Annette Bening), as they both share a profession in deceit. Yet, Lilly is the kind of mother who doubts any woman is worthy of her son, leading to her devising a plan to eliminate Myra in the 1990’s film “The Grifters“.

Norma Bates (Bates Motel)

In Alfred Hitchcock’s groundbreaking 1960 thriller, Psycho, we don’t physically encounter Norma Bates, but through her son Norman’s (Anthony Perkins) violent acts that mirror her appearance, it seems she was challenging to coexist with. The A&E series, Bates Motel, delves into the intricate relationship between Norma (Vera Farmiga) and young Norman (Freddie Highmore), a relationship marked by deception, manipulation, and violence.

2025-05-27 13:40