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Amanda Bearse

 
Director: Amanda Bearse
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Aug 09, 1958 in Winter Park, Florida
  • Occupation: Director, Actor
  • Active: '80s-'90s
  • Major Genres: Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Fright Night, Married... With Children, The Big Gay Sketch Show: Season 01
  • First Major Screen Credit: Fright Night (1985)

Biography

Best known for her portrayal of Marcy Rhoades D'arcy, the manic, feminist/careerist neighbor on the long-running series Married...With Children, Amanda Bearse is also a prominent spokesperson for lesbian and gay rights in the entertainment industry and a very busy director on television. Born in Winter Park, FL, Bearse came to acting through high school and community theater and later moved to New York, where she studied acting with Sanford Meisner. Her first major acting role was as Amanda Cousins on the daytime drama All My Children from 1982 to 1984. Her early film appearances consisted of small roles in features such as First Affair (made for television), Protocol, Fright Night, and Fraternity Vacation, before Married...With Children came along in 1987. Originally, her portrayal and image were that of a perky supporting player but as the series evolved, the writing for her character did as well and her portrayal became harder, much funnier, and much edgier. Bearse also studied directing at the American Film Institute and U.S.C., and most viewers were less aware of the fact that from the middle of the series' run, she became one of the program's regular directors and also wrote several scripts. During this period she emerged as a spokesperson for gay and lesbian rights, declaring her sexuality openly in October 1993, as part of National Coming Out Day. After the end of the series' run of ten seasons, Bearse concentrated largely on directing, on sitcoms such as Ladies Man, Dharma and Greg, and Two Guys and a Girl, among other programs. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Amanda Bearse
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Amanda Bearse
Born August 9, 1958 (1958-08-09) (age 51)
Winter Park, Florida, U.S.
Occupation Actress, Director, Comedienne
Years active 1980–present
Spouse(s) Dell Pierce

Amanda Bearse (born August 9, 1958) is an American actress, director and comedian. She is known for her role as neighbor Marcy D'Arcy (formerly Marcy Rhoades) on Married... with Children, a sitcom that ran in the United States between 1987 and 1997, and for her performance in the 1985 horror film Fright Night.

Contents

Career

Bearse studied acting at New York City's Neighborhood Playhouse under instructor Sanford Meisner. Her initial success came with the role of Amanda Cousins on the soap opera All My Children between 1981 and 1984. During and after that time she appeared in a string of independent and B-movies, including Protocol (1984), Fright Night and Fraternity Vacation (both 1985). Her big break came in 1987, when she was cast as Marcy Rhoades (later Marcy D'Arcy) on the hit Fox TV sitcom Married... with Children. She played the role until the show's end in 1997, and became known to television audiences. In the mid-1990s, Bearse also appeared in the films The Doom Generation and Here Come the Munsters.

Bearse took up the challenge of television and film directing while appearing on Married... with Children. Between 1991 and 1997, she helmed over 30 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 (starring her former Married... with Children co-star Christina Applegate), and Ladies Man. In 2005, she directed The Sperm Donor, a pilot for NBC starring Maggie Wheeler and In 2006, Bearse teamed with Rosie O'Donnell to direct The Big Gay Sketch Show, that debuted on Logo on April 24, 2007.

Personal life

Bearse was born in Winter Park, Florida, and was also raised in Atlanta, Georgia.[1] She attended Young Harris College. She has been publicly out as a lesbian since 1993 (though it was only alluded to on Married...With Children in an episode where Marcy's cousin, Mandy [played by Bearse in a dual role], comes to visit and reveals to Al Bundy that she's a lesbian). She lives in Atlanta with her adopted daughter Zoe and is currently directing for Logo. She currently attends Georgia State University.[2]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ Amanda Bearse Biography (1958-)
  2. ^ http://www.afterellen.com/archive/ellen/People/amandabearse.html

External links

v • d • e
Married... with Children
Episodes • Quotes
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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Director. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Amanda Bearse".  Read more

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