Jan Miner, who had a long career on the New York stage but was best known as Madge the manicurist in Palmolive commercials, died Sunday in Bethel, Conn. She was 86.
Palmolive’s commercials featured her as Madge, who praised the gentleness of its dish detergent to a customer surprised to find her hands were soaking in it. She played the character for 27 years. Meanwhile, she appeared in repertory productions at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford for six seasons.
From the 1940s to the 1980s, Ms. Miner was never far from productions on and off Broadway or on out-of-town stages.
She often shared the stage with her husband of 35 years, Richard Merrell, an actor and writer, who died in 1988.
Ms. Miner was born in Boston and trained for the stage with Lee Strasberg, among others.
Her film credits included “Lenny” and “Mermaids.”
She made the Palmolive commercials in French, German, Danish and Italian.
“I’d dip my hands in Palmolive the rest of my life,” Ms. Miner said, because it left her free to pick and choose her theater roles.
