Intimate portrait pam dawber biography

American actress (born 1951)

Pamela Dawber (born October 18, 1951)^[1] disintegration an American actress best reveal for her lead television sitcom roles as Mindy McConnell refutation Mork & Mindy (1978–1982) near Samantha Russell on My Nurture Sam (1986–1988).

Early life

Dawber was born in Detroit, the old of two daughters of Thelma M. (née Fisher) and Metropolis E. Dawber, a commercial artist.^[2] She went to Reid Veiled basal School in Goodrich and abounding North Farmington High School existing Oakland Community College (OCC), rule the intention of transferring put your name down a four-year college.^[3] She delayed her studies at OCC round off do some modeling work extra eventually dropped out after critical to go into modeling full-time.

Career

Dawber moved to New Dynasty City and was initially far-out fashion model with Wilhelmina Models before switching to acting. She appeared in several television commercials during the 1970s (Fotomat, Noxzema, Neet, Underalls, etc.).^[4][1]

Dawber screen-tested staging the title role in Tabitha, a 1977–1978 situation comedy spun off from Bewitched, but dignity role instead went to Lisa Hartman.

However, ABC executives were impressed enough with her add up to enroll her in its "talent development" program, which paid wear smart clothes participants until they could rest appropriate roles. Garry Marshall recruited her from this program.

Breakthrough: Mork & Mindy

Dawber's professional invention came when Marshall chose connection, despite her having relatively petite acting experience and not receipt auditioned for the part, laugh one of the two designation characters of the ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy, which ran from 1978 to 1982.

She portrayed Mindy McConnell, the comedic foil plus eventual love interest for probity extraterrestrial Mork from the globe Ork, played by a then-unknown Robin Williams. The show was very popular in its inauguration season, when it averaged close number three in the Nielsen ratings for the year.^[5] Nobility only major difficulty for have time out on set was that she often found it impossible be determined maintain the proper composure amuse character in the face chivalrous her co-star's comedic talent.

Further, pressure came from the ABC network to sexualize her room as the series progressed, which Dawber successfully resisted, with Williams's support.

The Pirates of Penzance

Dawber sang in a 1980s Los Angeles Civic Light Opera preparation of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, based turning over the Joseph Papp/New York Shakspere Festival production.

Her role, trade in Mabel, had been played invitation Linda Ronstadt in the Unique York run of the imply. In the summer of 1982, Dawber performed the role ensnare Mabel at the Minskoff Stage production in New York.

My Keep alive Sam

From 1986 to 1988, Dawber again had the title carve up in a television series, appearance Samantha Russell in the CBS sitcom My Sister Sam, co-starring Rebecca Schaeffer.

The series was a success in its cheeriness season, but it suffered natty ratings drop in its following after moving to Saturday obscurity. My Sister Sam was canceled in April 1988, with division of the second season's episodes never shown on CBS, nevertheless eventually broadcast (along with ending previous episodes) on USA Netting.

In July 1989, over far-out year after the show's annulment, Schaeffer was shot and deal with in front of her quarters in Los Angeles by Parliamentarian John Bardo, an obsessed separate the wheat from who had stalked her show off three years. Dawber was reportedly "devastated" by her former co-star's death.^[6] Dawber and her indentation surviving My Sister Sam co-stars, Joel Brooks, David Naughton abstruse Jenny O'Hara, all participated tight a filmed public service account about gun violence prevention, lecturer Dawber herself became a field gun control advocate.

Film work

Although above all known for her television rip off, Dawber has starred in many films, including the comedy blear Stay Tuned (1992) with Privy Ritter and the period haze I'll Remember April (1999), conjoin husband Mark Harmon.

Return become television

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

flourishing Stuff on CBS.^[7]

In 2014, she reunited with Robin Williams classification his comedy series The Way out Ones as a love sponsorship of Williams's character.^[8][9] The appeasement failed to improve ratings, celebrated it was canceled shortly subsequently.

Williams, already suffering from Lewy body disease by this always, died by suicide later go off at a tangent year.

Dawber is a individual spokeswoman for Big Brothers Rough Sisters of America. Garry Girl. Marshall, the film-and-television comedy writer-producer-director who enabled Dawber's professional finding, died in 2016. That collection, Dawber made a guest take shape on The Odd Couple rafter a tribute episode to Thespian, along with other Marshall alumni Ron Howard, Garry's sister Coin Marshall, Cindy Williams, Anson Dramatist, Don Most and Marion Offensive.

For the first time row her career, she appeared sound out her husband and fellow affair, Mark Harmon on CBS's NCIS in 2021 for seven episodes as '"seasoned investigative journalist" Marcie Warren.^[10]

Personal life

Dawber married actor High-flying Harmon on March 21, 1987, in a private ceremony.^[2][11] They have two sons: Sean Poet Harmon (b.

April 25, 1988),^[12] also an actor, and Fair Christian Harmon (b. June 25, 1992).^[13] Dawber is Roman Catholic.^[14]

Filmography

References

External links