The Personal Rewards of Giving Back

Marianne Muellerleile

Marianne Muellerleile

One of those familiar warm faces you never forget, Marianne Muellerleile has racked up an impressive roster of credits in film, TV, plays, musicals, voiceovers, print, modeling and commercials over her career, most recently securing pop culture fame with her GEICO commercials as “Aunt Infestation.”

With a zeal for life and a generous spirit, Marianne is also a legacy donor and friend to MPTF (the Motion Picture & Television Fund), which provides a wide array of services for working and retired members of the entertainment industry. Now celebrating its 100th anniversary, MPTF has a planned giving program that helps ensure their mission for years to come.

There are many ways both small and large to pay it forward, something she herself encourages: "I keep telling my actor friends, be sure to designate your residuals!" Other options include royalties, intellectual property rights, stocks, IRAs, life insurance policies, homes or good old-fashioned cash gifts.

Marianne believes her Catholic upbringing is a major factor in her philanthropic outlook, noting, "I grew up in an environment where tithing was a way to honor the gifts and blessings that you’ve been given. That’s sort of the foundation of my life." Giving, she believes, is its own reward, adding, "When we consistently give, when we share our wealth, when we help others who can benefit, we receive so much from that—emotionally, psychologically."

During the pandemic, Marianne got to spend a lot of quality time with her husband, Tom Norris, a medically retired Air Force Lt. Colonel who is currently a consultant and patient partner for research at Cedars-Sinai and the National Institutes of Health and was profiled by NPR, National Geographic, Lifetime and more. His writing and speaking about his chronic pain has been channeled into an outspoken commitment to helping others deal with it and find new ways of coping.

They have also benefited from MPTF's Veterans Assistance program, which helps military veterans and their spouses in the entertainment industry claim their earned pension benefits. The pandemic also taught her to appreciate "such a gift of time, to take the journey inward, to be there for other people on Zoom, to write notes to people you haven’t spoken to—there have been so many silver linings to this tragic time.”

Marianne is devoted to much more than her commitment to giving. "Travel is my great passion," she says, and she enjoys going to as many locales as she can, something fostered by her early days performing Shakespeare across the U.S. and Canada. Currently working with over 49 years as an actor under her belt, she knows that her legacy and that of her industry can do good for others far into future generations—with those giving options like residuals making all the difference in someone else’s life. Thank you so much to Marianne for entertaining and inspiring us all.

To learn more about the many ways you can support MPTF’s future, please contact Louie Anchondo at 818-876-1925 or louie.anchondo@mptf.com.