If you spent any part of the 2010s glued to Nickelodeon, you know the scream. It’s loud. It’s sudden. It usually involves a toaster, a mirror, or a complete lack of understanding of how "The Internet" works. Marilyn Harris Smith—often credited simply as Marilyn Harris—is the woman behind that chaos.
She played Andre Harris’s grandmother on Victorious, and honestly, she stole every single scene she was in. You've probably seen the memes. "Andre, there's a ceiling in the kitchen!" or her legendary fear of the "little people" in the television. But while she’s a Gen Z icon for her portrayal of a woman who lost her grip on reality in the funniest way possible, her career isn't just a collection of sitcom gags.
The Chaos of Andre’s Grandma (and Why We Love It)
It’s rare for a guest character to become the heartbeat of a show’s lore. In Victorious, Andre (played by Leon Thomas III) was the grounded, talented friend. His grandmother was the polar opposite. Marilyn Harris Smith brought a specific, high-energy physical comedy to the role that felt dangerous.
You never knew if she was going to attack a refrigerator or try to eat a shower curtain.
What most people get wrong is thinking she was just a "crazy" character. If you look closer at the Marilyn Harris Smith movies and tv shows filmography, you see a performer who knows exactly how to play against the straight man. She wasn't just shouting; she was reacting to a world that moved too fast for her. It was brilliant.
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A Career Beyond the Hollywood Arts High School
While Nickelodeon is where she hit the mainstream, Marilyn Harris Smith has been working in the industry for a lot longer than you might think. She’s one of those "hey, I know her!" actors. You see her face, and you instantly feel like you’ve seen her in a procedural or a drama before. And you probably have.
- The Shield (2002): She appeared in the gritty FX drama as Florence. Talk about a tonal shift. One minute you’re in the dark underbelly of a corrupt LAPD unit, the next you’re screaming about oatmeal on a kids' show.
- Victorious (2010–2013): This is her most "famous" role. She appeared in multiple episodes, including the big crossover special iParty with Victorious.
- Decker (2017): She popped up in this cult-classic parody series, showing that her comedic timing didn't skip a beat years after her Nickelodeon stint.
- Not Easily Broken (2009): A jump to the big screen. In this Bill Duke-directed drama, she played a minor but memorable role.
Breaking Down the Filmography
Looking at the list of Marilyn Harris Smith movies and tv shows, it's clear she thrives in the "character actor" lane. These are the actors who make a living being the most interesting person in the room for five minutes.
She's appeared in First Born (2007) and Repos (2006). If you go back to her earlier work, you'll find her credited under names like Marilyn A. Harris or Marilyn Anita Harris. It’s a common thing in Hollywood—names get shifted, middle initials get dropped, but the talent remains.
I actually find it kinda fascinating how she transitioned from more serious, "background" roles in shows like The Shield to becoming a caricature of high-strung anxiety. Most actors try to move toward "serious" work as they age. She did the opposite. She leaned into the absurd.
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Why She’s Trending Again in 2026
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. With the 2024 and 2025 waves of Nickelodeon documentaries and the constant talk of Victorious reboots, Marilyn Harris Smith is being rediscovered. Fans on TikTok and Instagram are obsessed with her "unhinged" energy.
There was actually a recent interview where she discussed working with a young Ariana Grande. She mentioned how she "embraced the crazy" because the writers kept giving her more ridiculous things to do. If the fans loved the screaming, she was going to scream louder. That’s a pro move.
Real Talk: The "Andre’s Grandma" Legacy
There’s a theory in the Victorious fandom that Andre’s grandmother wasn't always like that. In the episode where the gang gets trapped in Beck’s RV, Andre mentions she gave him advice "before she lost her mind."
It adds a weirdly sweet layer to a character that could have just been a one-note joke. Marilyn played the role with a frantic sincerity. She wasn't trying to be funny; she was genuinely terrified of the "people in the box." That’s why it worked.
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What to Watch First
If you’re looking to dive into her work, don’t just stick to the clips on YouTube.
- The Shield: Watch her in a serious setting first. It makes her comedy work even more impressive.
- Victorious - "The Birthweek Song": This is peak Grandma Harris. The interaction between her and Andre is gold.
- iParty with Victorious: Seeing her in a larger "movie" format (even if it's a TV movie) shows her ability to hold a screen alongside Kenan Thompson and the rest of the Nick heavy hitters.
Honestly, actors like Marilyn Harris Smith are the glue of the entertainment industry. They don't always get the Oscar-winning lead roles, but they create the moments we actually remember ten years later. Nobody remembers the plot of every Victorious episode, but everyone remembers the lady who thought her reflection was an intruder.
If you want to keep up with what she’s doing now, she’s actually quite active on social media under her real name. She’s been spotted at various fan conventions like SplatCon, where she finally gets to see just how much that "crazy" role meant to a whole generation of kids who are now adults.
To get the full experience of her range, start by tracking down her episode of The Shield to see her dramatic chops before revisiting the chaotic halls of Hollywood Arts.