Dena Dietrich, Actress Who Played Mother Nature In Margarine Commercials, Dies At 91

Actress Dena Dietrich, who many will recognize from her time as Mother Nature in the popular [...]

By Matthew Aguilar

Actress Dena Dietrich, who many will recognize from her time as Mother Nature in the popular Chiffon margarine commercials campaign, has passed away at the age of 91. Dietrich died of natural causes in a Los Angeles health care facility (via Deadline), and her death was confirmed by SAG-AFTRA, who posted a small tribute on Twitter honoring her many years of service to the organization. They wrote "We mourn the passing of Dena Dietrich, former SAG National Board member for nearly a decade and prolific character actor who taught us, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature."

Dietrich became a favorite on television screens everywhere when she first debuted as the spokesperson for Chiffon in 1971. Her catchphrase of "it's not nice to fool Mother Nature" became synonymous with the brand, as did the look of the commercials, all of which was designed by D'Arcy Masius Benton and Bowles advertising agency.

Dietrich would try some butter and then would be told by the narrator that it was Chiffon margarine, not butter. She would then deliver that famous line, and this campaign would run for years.

She also appeared in a variety of television projects along the way, including Adam's Rib, Welcome Back Kotter, The Ropers, Thirtysomething, The Golden Girls, Sisters, Murphy Brown, and Mad About You.

She was also fond of the stage, appearing on Broadway in The Prisoner of Second Avenue and Here's Where I Belong. She would also make the jump to film, appearing in projects like The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder, The Wild Party, and the Mel Brooks helmed History of the World: Part I.

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