Zelda Rubinstein

Zelda Rubinstein Profile Photo

Characters played by Zelda Rubinstein

Tangina Barrons — Poltergeist (1982)

Eccentric spiritual medium guiding families through hauntings.

Tangina Barrons — Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

Native American spiritual medium who guides the family and reveals Kane's dark history.

Mrs. Collinwood — Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

The local librarian. She is casually suggested by Eugene to be killed as a stinger kill to draw Kelly Curtis out of hiding. Leslie follows through with the murder.

Madame Serina — Teen Witch (1989)

Madame Serina is a seer who meets Louise Miller after Louise enters her home seeking a telephone. She identifies Louise as a witch, explains her inherited powers, provides a spell book, and prepares a popularity potion. Later, Madame Serina teaches Louise that self-belief, rather than dependence on magic, is the true key to power.

Alice Pressman, the Mother — Anguish (1987)

In the film-within-a-film The Mommy, she is an overbearing mother who hypnotizes her son, John, into murdering people so he can harvest their eyes for her. She is brought to the besieged theater by police to negotiate with John, but is accidentally shot and killed by law enforcement. Her on-screen death directly triggers the real-life Killer's enraged rampage.

Tangina Barrons — Poltergeist III (1988)

Experienced psychic and spiritual guide aiding the Freelings. Provides lore on Kane and attempts to protect Carol Anne from the Other Side.

Ralph's Mother (voice) — The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1986)

Caring mother figure who worries about Ralph's dangerous escapades.

Mother Clodah — Little Witches (1996)

Mother Clodah is a strange nun with a distinctive birthmark who receives meals from Faith. Faith prays with her and avoids one of Jamie's spells during their encounter. Jamie wrongly believes Mother Clodah is the guardian and poisons her meal, causing her death.

Butterfingers O'Malley — The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991)

Minor character in the sequel, brief appearance.

Career Overview

Zelda Rubinstein has 37 screen credits in a career dating back to 1979. Their work spans 4 cinematic universes — most prominently Poltergeist with 3 titles. Signature works include Poltergeist, Anguish, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.

Personal Facts

Known For
Acting
Gender
female
Known Credits
37
Birth Date
1933-05-28
Birth Place
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Known For

Associated Universes

Universe traveler — spans 4 universes

Frequent Collaborators

Credits

Content sources

Related entry on Wikidata (Q187345), public domain (CC0).