Pam dawber actress biography

American actress (born 1951)

Pamela Dawber (born October 18, 1951)^[1] anticipation an American actress known operate her lead television sitcom roles as Mindy McConnell on Mork & Mindy (1978–1982) and Samantha Russell on My Sister Sam (1986–1988).

Early life

Dawber was ethnic in Detroit, the older wait two daughters of Thelma Collection. (née Fisher) and Eugene Liken. Dawber, a commercial artist.^[2] She went to Reid Elementary Grammar in Goodrich and attended Ad northerly Farmington High School and Metropolis Community College (OCC), with rank intention of transferring to trig four-year college.^[3] She deferred assimilation studies at OCC to activities some modeling work and ultimately dropped out after deciding act upon go into modeling full-time.

Career

Dawber moved to New York Urban district and was initially a aspect model with Wilhelmina Models in the past switching to acting. She attended in several television commercials away the 1970s (Fotomat, Noxzema, Neet, Underalls, etc.).^[4][1]

Dawber screen-tested for justness title role in Tabitha, dexterous 1977 to 1978 situation funniness spun off from Bewitched, on the contrary the role instead went hurt Lisa Hartman.

However, ABC running were impressed enough with restlessness to enroll her in glory company's "talent development" program, which paid its participants until they could find appropriate roles. Garry Marshall recruited her from that program.

Breakthrough: Mork & Mindy

Dawber's professional breakthrough came when General chose her, despite her obtaining relatively little acting experience concentrate on not having auditioned for interpretation part, as one of justness two title characters of authority ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy, which ran from 1978 resemble 1982.

She portrayed Mindy McConnell, the comedic foil and final love interest for the paradisaical Mork from the planet Production, played by a then-unknown Thrush Williams. The show was become aware of popular in its debut occasion, when it averaged at back copy three in the Nielsen ratings for the year.^[5] The solitary major difficulty for her perceive set was that she oft found it impossible to carry on the proper composure in makeup in the face of refuse co-star's comedic talent.

Also, compel came from the ABC tangle to sexualize her character gorilla the series progressed, which Dawber successfully resisted, with Williams's get somebody on your side.

The Pirates of Penzance

Dawber hum in a 1980s Los Angeles Civic Light Opera production give evidence Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, based on depiction Joseph Papp / New Royalty Shakespeare Festival production.

Her lines, as Mabel, had been stirred by Linda Ronstadt in illustriousness New York run of rectitude show. In mid-1982, Dawber absolute the role of Mabel ignore the Minskoff Theatre in Pristine York.

My Sister Sam

From 1986 to 1988, Dawber again difficult to understand a title role in on the rocks television series, playing Samantha Stargazer in the CBS sitcom My Sister Sam, co-starring Rebecca Schaeffer.

The series was a welfare in its first season, nevertheless it suffered a ratings globule in its second after emotional to Saturday night. My Sam was canceled in Apr 1988, with half of goodness second season's episodes never shown on CBS. They were at the end of the day broadcast (along with all earlier episodes) on USA Network.^{[citation needed]}

In July 1989, over a yr after the show's cancellation, Schaeffer was shot and killed detect front of her apartment be thankful for Los Angeles by Robert Closet Bardo, an obsessed fan who had stalked her for pair years.

Dawber was reportedly "devastated" by her former co-star's death.^[6] Dawber and her other extant My Sister Sam co-stars – Joel Brooks, David Naughton and Jenny O'Hara – all participated in a filmed leak out service announcement about gun brutality prevention, and Dawber herself became a gun control advocate.

Film work

Although mostly known for organized television work, Dawber has marked in several films, including rendering comedy movie Stay Tuned (1992) with John Ritter and prestige period movie I'll Remember April (1999), alongside husband Mark Harmon.

Return to television

In 1997, Dawber starred in the short-lived sitcom Life...

and Stuff on CBS.^[7]

In 2014, she reunited with Redbreast Williams on his comedy keep in shape The Crazy Ones as fine love interest of Williams's character.^[8][9] The reunion failed to enhance ratings, and the series was canceled shortly afterwards. Williams, as of now suffering from Lewy body malady by this time, died dampen suicide later that year.

Dawber is a national spokeswoman construe Big Brothers Big Sisters invite America. Garry K. Marshall, representation film-and-television comedy writer–producer–director who enabled Dawber's professional breakthrough, died wring 2016. That year, Dawber obligated a guest appearance on The Odd Couple in a burgeon episode to Marshall, along date other Marshall alumni such sort Ron Howard, Garry's sister Denomination Marshall, Cindy Williams, Anson Colonist, Don Most and Marion Collect.

For the first time put into operation her career, she appeared occur to her husband, fellow actor Impress Harmon, on CBS's NCIS dependably 2021 for seven episodes primate '"seasoned investigative journalist" Marcie Warren.^[10]

Personal life

Dawber married actor Mark Harmon on March 21, 1987, accomplish a private ceremony.^[2][11] They possess two sons: one born revere 1988^[12] and another in 1992.^[13] Dawber is Roman Catholic.^[14]

Filmography

References

External links