Fifi Oscard Represented Generations of Actors

Fifi Oscard, also known as Fifi Steinmetz, died suddenly on Nov. 12. She was 85 years old.

This vibrant, determined and thoughtful woman was esteemed by generations of actors and writers whom she represented in her nearly 50 years at the Fifi Oscard Agency. Among her clients, she was proud to include Orson Welles, Alexander Scourby, George Plimpton, Arthur Ashe, William Shatner, Jack Palance, Art Buchwald, Arnold Rampersad, Leon Redbone, the playwright Margaret Edson and other luminaries who would credit Fifi as their first agent. Under Fifi's aegis, projects as diverse as the feature films Fame and Donnie Brasco and the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Series came into being.

Fifi was passionate about people, theatre, literature and politics and was a source of inspiration for many. She served on the board of directors of the Mercantile Library of New York, the New York Hall of Science and the Avignon/New York Film Festival. She was also on the Council of the Temple of Understanding and a member of the Cosmopolitan Club, the Coffee House, The Women's Forum and the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 from the League of Professional Theatre Women for her countless contributions to the American theatre.

Fifi is survived by her son, Eric Steinmetz, and his wife, Sylvie; six grandchildren, Victoria Steinmetz, Alexandra Galantic and her husband, John, Cyrele Steinmetz, Graham Murray and his wife, Susan, Shepherd Murray and his wife, Margo, and Ian Murray; and five great-grandchildren, Alexi, Zachary, Cooper, Tucker and Saylor.

The family kindly requests all donations be made to the Mercantile Library, 17 East 47th street, New York, NY 10017 (the phone number is 212-755-6710).

The memorial service will be held at the Cosmopolitan Club in New York city on Friday, Dec. 9, at 4 p.m. The club address is 122 East 66th street (the phone number is 212-734-5950).