She was portrayed by Cloris Leachman. Ida hasn't changed much over the years and in a display of almost undeniable evil she went as far as drugging a wealthy chinese man in order to effectively force him into marrying her - making him happy around everyone, even the unpleasant Ida. She also began drugging Malcolm's entire family (even baby Jamie) when they tried to stop her scheme but this proved to be her scheme's undoing because she used all the drugs on them, the chinese man came out of it just in time and ran off.