She’s probably been on other shows, but Mary Elizabeth Ellis of the “Santa Clarita Diet” reminds me of an actress from the 70’s whose name I can’t remember and it’s driving me crazy. She typically played a mom character and I associate her with sitcoms like “The Love Boat” but she wasn’t a regular cast member (I don’t think).
Here’s Mary.
TIA.
Meredith Baxter from Family Ties maybe?
Or Sandy Duncan from The Hogan Family?
Nope I know who they are thinking of… the lady who played Lassies mom.
Wow. I really give crappy clues. It turns out that she was never on “The Love Boat” but was married to Gavin McCleod on “Mary Tyler Moore Show” so maybe that’s where I made that connection.
I was about to say that she reminds me of The Waitress on It’s Always Sunny (which I know isn’t a show from the 70s), only to find out that there’s a good reason for that. It’s the same actress. :smack:
As soon as you said “mom 70s”
This is who id thought it would be
Me too, for some reason.
Fun trivia: Joyce Bulifant was originally cast as Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch. Reportedly, after Ann B. Davis landed the role of Alice, the producers decided the two were too similar in demeanor, so they brought in the more reserved Florence Henderson instead.
It was the picture that gave it away to me. Not right away, but I thought it looked enough like Joyce Bulifant to take a guess.
I think we can all agree that her performance in Airplane is the peak of her career. And to complete the trivia circle, that’s Jill Whelan as her daughter, who was also Gavin MacLeod’s daughter on The Love Boat.
That would be Maureen Robinson, who was lost in space for three years, then changed her name, moved to Hooterville and practiced medicine.
She reminds me of Mira Sorvino.
FWIW the photo in the OP of Mary Elizabeth Ellis reminded me of Gwyneyth Paltrow. The Wikipedia photo of Joyce Bulifant made me think she was the actress who played Mrs. Voorhees in the original Friday the 13th movie, who was actually played by Betsy Palmer.
Carolyn Rhea, younger version.
Joyce Bulifant was also a semi-regular on The Match Game.
I would have guessed Florence Henderson, but everyone knows Henderson’s lightning tattoo was on her left breast, not her wrist.
Not from the 70’s but she looks a bit like Melissa Joan Hart.
