Albertson was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, the daughter of Russian-born Jewish immigrants Flora Craft and Leopold Albertson. Her brother was actor Jack Albertson. Albertson’s mother, a stock actress, supported the family by working in a shoe factory.

Albertson was best known as Phyllis Stephens, Darrin’s neurotic, interfering mother on the television sitcom Bewitched, who invariably ended her stays at the Stephens’ home by saying to her husband, “Frank, take me home. I’ve got another sick headache.”

A memorable early film role was as a proper banker’s wife who is repulsed by the bucolic title characters in Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (1955). Albertson appeared in at least one episode of the courtroom drama series, Perry Mason: as Carrie Wilson in the season 6, 1962 episode entitled “The Case of the Hateful Hero”.[4] She also played Donald Hollinger’s mother on That Girl, Howard Sprague’s mother on The Andy Griffith Show, Miss Ramsey on Hazel, Dick Van Dyke’s mother on The New Dick Van Dyke Show, and Mrs. Van Hoskins, a wealthy woman whose jewels are stolen, in the screwball comedy, What’s Up, Doc? (1972).

Her son George Englund was once married to Cloris Leachman.

She died of Alzheimer’s disease on September 28, 1982, at the age of 81, in Santa Monica, California. Her ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean. Her brother Jack Albertson, who died ten months before and was also cremated, also had his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean.