Mindy Sterling

Mindy Lee Sterling was born on July 11, 1953, in Paterson, New Jersey, into a family with a background in entertainment; her father, Dick Sterling, was an actor and comedian, and her mother, Florence Adele “Bookie” Sterling, was a dancer. Growing up in Miami, Sterling initially overcame shyness by participating in high school drama programs. She graduated from Miami Norland Senior High School in 1972 and pursued an acting degree at Miami Dade College. Her early career included a recurring role on the children’s series “Dusty’s Treehouse” around 1973. In the 1980s, she joined The Groundlings, a notable L.A.-based comedy troupe, which further honed her comedic skills.

Sterling gained significant recognition for her role as Frau Farbissina, Dr. Evil’s domineering yet memorable sidekick, across the “Austin Powers” film trilogy, starting with “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” in 1997. She reprised the role in “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” (1999) and “Austin Powers in Goldmember” (2002). This cinematic exposure led to further film appearances, including “Drop Dead Gorgeous” (1999) and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000). On television, Sterling has had prominent roles such as Ms. Francine Briggs in “iCarly” (2007–2012) and Principal Susan Skidmore in “A.N.T. Farm” (2011–2013). She also played Linda Schwartz on “The Goldbergs” from 2017 to 2023.

Her extensive voice-acting career includes characters like Miss Endive in “Chowder” (2007–2010), Lin Beifong in “The Legend of Korra” (2012–2014), and Morgana in the Nickelodeon version of “Winx Club” (2012). She has contributed additional voices to animated films such as “Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2006), “Mars Needs Moms” (2011), “Monsters University” (2013), and “Minions: The Rise of Gru” (2022). Sterling received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations in 2017 for her work in short-form comedy or drama series, specifically for “Con Man” and “Sex & Execs”. She continues to appear in various television and film projects, with recent guest roles in “St. Denis Medical” (2024) and upcoming voice work in “Phineas and Ferb” (2025).