Amanda Bearse
Amanda Bearse | |
|---|---|
 Bearse at GalaxyCon Louisville in 2019 | |
| Born | August 9, 1958[1] Winter Park, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse | Carrie Schenken |
| Children | 1 |
Amanda Bearse (born August 9, 1958) is an American actress, comedian and director. She starred in the 1985 supernatural horror film Fright Night, and later starred as Marcy Rhoades D'Arcy in the Fox sitcom Married... with Children (1987–1997). Bearse later began working as television director, directing over 90 episodes of comedy series.
Early life
[edit]Bearse grew up in Winter Park, Florida. After she graduated from Winter Park High School in 1976, her family moved to Atlanta.[2][3] She attended Rollins College, Birmingham Southern College and Young Harris College, where she received an associate of arts degree.[4] Bearse studied acting at New York City's Neighborhood Playhouse under instructor Sanford Meisner.[5]
Career
[edit]Bearse made her television debut playing the role of Amanda Cousins in the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children from 1982 to 1983. The following year, she had small role in the comedy film Protocol starring Goldie Hawn, and later landed a role in the sex comedy Fraternity Vacation. In 1985, Bearse played the female leading role in the supernatural horror film Fright Night.[1] She returned to television with guest-starring role in the ABC drama series, Hotel in 1986. The following year, she was cast as Marcy Rhoades (later Marcy D'Arcy), the feminist next-door neighbor in the Fox sitcom Married... with Children opposite Ed O'Neill and Katey Sagal. The series ran to 1997; becoming one of the longest running sitcoms in television history.[6]
Bearse studied directing at the American Film Institute and the University of Southern California.[5] She began directing television while appearing on Married...with Children, and from 1991 to 1997, she directed 31 episodes of the show. She also directed episodes of Reba, Mad TV, Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher, Malcolm & Eddie, Pauly, The Tom Show, The Jamie Foxx Show, Dharma & Greg, Veronica's Closet, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, Jesse (1999; starring her Married...with Children costar Christina Applegate), Jessie (2011), and Ladies Man. In 2005, she directed The Sperm Donor, a pilot for NBC starring Maggie Wheeler. In 2006, Bearse teamed with Rosie O'Donnell to produce and direct The Big Gay Sketch Show, which debuted on Logo on April 24, 2007.
Bearse appeared as an actress in only two films in the 1990s: The Doom Generation and Here Come the Munsters (both 1995). She returned to acting in 2011, appearing in two episodes of Lifetime comedy-drama series, Drop Dead Diva. In 2020, she starred in the German comedy horror film, Sky Sharks, making her first film appearance in 25 years. In 2022, Bearse played Luke Macfarlane's mother in the romantic comedy film, Bros.[7][6][8]
Personal life
[edit]Bearse has been publicly out as lesbian since 1993[9] and has a daughter, Zoe.[10]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | First Affair | Karen | Television film |
| 1984 | Protocol | Soap Opera Actor | |
| 1985 | Fraternity Vacation | Nicole Ferret | |
| 1985 | Fright Night | Amy Peterson | |
| 1988 | Goddess of Love | Cathy | Television film |
| 1995 | Here Come the Munsters | Mrs. Pearl | Television film |
| 1995 | The Doom Generation | Barmaid | |
| 2003 | Give or Take an Inch | Charlotte | Short film |
| 2020 | Sky Sharks | Marjorie Phelps | |
| 2022 | Bros | Anne Shepard | |
| TBA | Tapawingo | Ramona Skoog |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–1983 | All My Children | Amanda Cousins | Series regular |
| 1986 | Hotel | Jean Haywood | Episode: "Triangles" |
| 1987–1997 | Married... with Children | Marcy D'Arcy / Marcy Rhoades / Mandy | Series regular, 259 episodes; also director for 31 episodes[11] |
| 1990 | The Earth Day Special | Marcy D'Arcy | Television special |
| 1992 | Likely Suspects | Episode: "Addicted to Murder" | |
| 2001 | Nikki | Marcy Rhoades | Episode: "Technical Knockup" |
| 2011 | Drop Dead Diva | Judge Jodi Corliss | Episodes: "Prom" and "You Bet Your Life" |
| 2013 | Anger Management | Rita | Episode: "Charlie and the Ex-Patient" |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Amanda Bearse - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com.
- ^ "Amanda Bearse Winter Park: Actress speaks about city roots". Articles.orlandosentinel.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
- ^ "Married With Children star reminisces about her childhood in Winter Park". Watermarkonline.com. 10 April 2013. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
- ^ "11 Notable Alumni of Young Harris College [Sorted List]". EduRank.org - Discover university rankings by location. August 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "Amanda Bearse". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 2022-11-05. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- ^ a b Patterson, Denny (October 11, 2022). "A Chat with 'Bros' & 'Married... with Children's' Amanda Bearse -". OUT FRONT. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (October 4, 2021). "Billy Eichner's 'Bros' Rom-Com Adds Traiblazing 'Married… With Children' Actress Amanda Bearse". Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
- ^ "Amanda Bearse, an LGBTQ+ Icon, Reemerges in 'Bros'". www.advocate.com. October 28, 2022. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
- ^ "Bearse comes out of the closet". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. October 17, 1993. p. 20H.
- ^ Chidzonga, Tichafa (2020-01-06). "Glimpse into 'Married... With Children's Amanda Bearse's Life with Lesbian Partner & Their Kids". news.amomama.com. Archived from the original on 2021-05-08. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (October 4, 2021). "Billy Eichner's 'Bros' Rom-Com Adds Traiblazing 'Married… With Children' Actress Amanda Bearse". Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
External links
[edit]- ‹The template AllMovie name is being considered for deletion.› Amanda Bearse at AllMovie
- Amanda Bearse at IMDb
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1958 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- 20th-century American comedians
- 21st-century American comedians
- 20th-century American LGBTQ people
- 21st-century American LGBTQ people
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- American television directors
- American women comedians
- American women film directors
- American women television directors
- American lesbian actresses
- Lesbian comedians
- Actresses from Orlando, Florida
- Comedians from Florida
- LGBTQ people from Florida
- People from Winter Park, Florida
- Birmingham–Southern College alumni
- Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre alumni
- Winter Park High School alumni
- Young Harris College alumni
- Film directors from Florida
- LGBTQ television directors
- American LGBTQ comedians