Joyce Bulifant

Joyce Bulifant
Bulifant on a 1975 episode ofThe Mary Tyler Moore Show
Born	Joyce Collins Bulifant (1937-12-16)December 16, 1937 Newport News, Virginia,U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1959–present
Spouses	James MacArthur ​ ​ (m.1958;div.1968)​ Edward Mallory ​ ​ (m.1969;div.1974)​ William Asher ​ ​ (m.1976;div.1993)​ Glade Bruce Hansen ​ ​ (m.2000;div.2001)​ Roger Perry ​ ​ (m.2002; died 2018)​
Children	3, includingJohn Mallory Asher

Joyce Collins Bulifant(born December 16, 1937)is an American actress and author. In addition to recurring roles on television, includingThe Mary Tyler Moore Showas Marie Slaughter, Bulifant is recognized for film roles inThe Happiest MillionaireandAirplane!and as a frequent panelist ongame shows,includingChain Reaction,Match Game,andPassword Plus.

Early years

Bulifant was born inNewport News, Virginia.She attendedSolebury SchoolinNew Hope, Pennsylvania,graduating in 1956 in the same class as her first husband,James MacArthur,son ofHelen HayesandCharles MacArthur.She then studied acting at theAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Theatre

Bulifant'sBroadwaycredits includeTall Story(1958) andThe Paisley Convertible(1966).

She appeared inGlad Tidings;Auntie Mame;Gentlemen, The Queens!;andUnder the Yum-Yum Tree.

She has written and performed autobiographical shows,Life Upon the Wicked StageandRemembering Helen Hayes with Love,about her former mother-in-law, Helen Hayes, as well asLillian Gish.

Television

Regular cast

One of Bulifant's earliest roles on television was as a dancer onArthur Murray's Dance Party(1950–1960).She played Timmie Barnes inToo Young to Go Steady(1959),Mary Gentry inTom, Dick and Mary(1964–1965),Marie Slaughter onThe Mary Tyler Moore Show(1970–1977),Peggy Wilson onLove Thy Neighbor(1973),Lois onIt's a Man's World(1962–1963),Marsha Patterson onThe Bill Cosby Show(1969–1971),and Marjorie Martin onBig John, Little John(1976–1977).She was heard as the voice of Queen Vanda on the syndicated cartoon seriesSport Billy(1982).She was also a regular on CBS’s “Flo,” as Flo’s best friend Miriam Willoughby from 1980 to 1981.

Guest appearances

Bulifant guest-starred as Jessica inTales of Wells Fargo,episode "Fraud," in 1961, in addition to episodes ofChanning;Empire;The Virginian;Bonanza;Gunsmoke;Wagon Train;Destry Rides Again;The Real McCoys;McHale's Navy;Dr. Kildare;Naked City;Police Woman;My Three Sons;Love, American Style;The Facts of Life;Harper Valley PTA;The Bad News Bears;Alice;Three's Company;The Joey Bishop Show;andThe Donald O'Connor Show.

She played an intended murder victim in a 1961 episode ofBoris Karloff'sThriller(episode: "An Attractive Family" ).

She starred opposite her future husband,Roger Perry,in a 1962 pilot forGeneral Electric Theatercalled "The First Hundred Years"and withEva Le GallieneinThe Play of the Week'sThérèse Raquin.She played Jenny Logan, the incorruptible wife of Tom Logan, played byFrank Aletter,both of whom were being tempted by Mr. Lucifer, played byFred Astaire,and Mr. Lucifer's assistant, Iris Hecate, played byElizabeth Montgomery,in "Mr. Lucifer", a 1962 episode ofAlcoa Presents.

She played innocent defendant Nancy Banks in thePerry Mason1964 episode "The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands", the second of two appearances on that show.

She played Miriam Willoughby onFloandDavid Spade's mother onJust Shoot Me!

From 1994 to 1997, she played Emily Wallace, the mother of her real-life sonJohn Asher's character inWeird Science.

Television movies

Bulifant appeared inHanging by a Thread,Better Late Than Never,Little Women,Charley's Aunt,andThe Shining.

Game shows

Bulifant appeared as a frequent guest on game shows includingName That Tune,Password,Match Game,Crosswits,Tattletales,To Tell the Truth,$25,000 Pyramid,andDecisions Decisions,along withDavid Letterman.

The Brady Bunch

Bulifant was the original choice for the role of Carol Brady on ABC'sThe Brady Bunch,but the part ultimately went toFlorence Henderson.

Film

Bulifant's most popular film roles were as Rosemary in the Disney live-action featureThe Happiest Millionaire,in which she sang "Bye-Yum Pum Pum," and in the 1980 comedyAirplane!

She has twice been directed by her son,John Asher,inDiamondsandTooken,and appeared in a comedic short,The Haircut,oppositeJohn Cassavetes.

Recognition

Bulifant received aTheatre World Awardfor 1961–1962 for her performance inWhisper to Me.

In 2014, she and her husband Roger Perry were honored with a Golden Palm Star on theWalk of StarsinPalm Springs, California.

Personal life

Bulifant has been married five times:

• Her first husband was actorJames MacArthur.They married on November 2, 1958,had two children together, Mary MacArthur and Charles MacArthur,and divorced in 1967.
• Her second husband wasDays of Our LivesstarEdward Mallory.They married on September 19, 1969, and had one child,John Mallory Asher.They divorced in 1974.
• Her third husband was TV directorWilliam Asher.He adopted her son John, giving him the last name of Asher. She and Asher married August 28, 1976, and divorced in 1993.
• Her fourth marriage was to Glade Bruce Hansen; they married in 2000 and divorced the next year.
• Her fifth husband was actorRoger Perry.They married in 2002 after he divorced his wife of many years,Jo Anne Worley,and remained wed until Perry's death on July 12, 2018.

Bulifant has a grandson, Evan Joseph Asher, from her son John's marriage toJenny McCarthy.

Advocacy

Bulifant discovered she haddyslexiain her 40sand has served as a longtime advocate for dyslexia research, including writing two musicals on the subject,Gifts of GreatnessandDifferent Heroes, Different Dreams.Recipients of theHans Christian Andersen Award,which Bulifant founded to recognize dyslexics who've made a positive contribution to society, includeStephen J. CannellandWhoopi Goldberg.Bulifant herself is a recipient of the 2015 Broken Glass Award from The Dyslexia Foundation.

She has for many years been actively involved with the child abuse prevention non-profitChildhelp,including serving as a Celebrity Ambassador and as a vice-president on the National Board of Directors.

She also advocates forautismresearch.

Her memoir,My Four Hollywood Husbands,details the alcoholism of four of her spouses and her recovery from codependent relationships.

Filmography

Theatre

Year	Title	Character	Notes	ref
1959	Tall Story	Nancy	Written byHoward LindsayandRussel Crouse Suggested by the novelThe Homecoming GamebyHoward Nemerov Featuring songs by Joe Hornsby, Ben G. Allen, and Jerry Teifer Music arranged by Edward Thomas
1967	The Paisley Convertible	Amy Rodgers	Understudies:Richard Hoffman(Charlie Rodgers, Ralph Keppleman), Jen Nelson (Meg Tynan) and Mary Rausch (Amy Rodgers, Sylvia Greer)

Film

Year	Title	Character	Notes	ref
1967	The Happiest Millionaire	Rosemary	Musical filmstarringFred MacMurrayand based upon the true story ofPhiladelphiamillionaireAnthony J. Drexel Biddle.
1980	Airplane!	Mrs. Davis	Titled asFlying High!inAustralia,New Zealand,South Africa,Japanand thePhilippines
1999	Diamonds	June	Americancomedy filmdirected by her son, Asher and written by Allan Aaron Katz.
2005	Dirty Love	Mary	Written by and starringJenny McCarthyand directed by her son, Asher.
2010	Wreckage	Deputy Priest
2015	Tooken	Edna Millers
2019	I Hate Kids	Betty Bartlett

Television

Year	Title	Character	Notes	ref
1961	The Play of the Week		Episode: "Therese Raquin" (S 2:Ep 24)
	Naked City	Connie Hacker	Episode: "Take and Put" (S 2:Ep 32)
1962	Thriller	Jinny Willis	Episode: "An Attractive Family" (S 2: Ep15)
	General Electric Theater	Connie Duncan	Episode: "The First Hundred Years" (S 10:Ep 34)
	Alcoa Premiere	Jenny Logan	Episode: "Mr. Lucifer" (S 2:Ep 5)
	Gunsmoke	Ellie	Episode: "Uncle Sunday" (S 8:Ep 14)
1963	My Three Sons	Rebecca Holly	Episode: "Flashback" (S 3:Ep 19)
	Empire	Betty Wormser	Episode: "The Tiger Inside" (S 1:Ep 20)
	Perry Mason	Hollis Wilburn	Episode: "The Case of the Surplus Suitor" (S 6:ep 19)
	The Real McCoys	Barbara	Episode: "The Peacemakers" (S 6:Ep 36)
	McHale's Navy	Lt. Georgianna Comstock	Episode: "Today I Am a Man!" (S 2:Ep 7)
1964	The Virginian	Nancy Mayhew	Episode: "Roar from the Mountain" (S 2:Ep 16)
	Perry Mason	Nancy Banks	Episode: "The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands" (S 7:Ep 16)
	Arrest and Trial	Alice	Episode: "A Roll of the Dice" (S 1:Ep 22)
	Destry	Sheba Hannibal	Episode: "Go Away, Little Sheba" (S 1:Ep 7)
	Wagon Train	Julie	Episode: "The Michael Malone Story" (S 7:Ep 16)
1964–65	Tom, Dick and Mary	Mary Gentry	Part of the umbrella title of a short-livedNBCexperiment comprising threesituation comediesset in aSouthern Californiaapartment complex located at the 90 Bristol Court address.
1966	Dr. Kildare	Judy Cannon	Recurring
1968	The Woody Woodbury Show	Herself	Episodes: "February 20, 1968" (S 1:Ep 127) "July 2, 1968" (S 1:Ep 223)
1969	Lancer	Cassie	Episode: "Angel Day And Her Sunshine Girls" (S 1:Ep 19)
1969–71	The Bill Cosby Show	Mrs. Patterson	Main cast
1970	Bonanza	Bonnie	Episode: "Return Engagement" (S 11:Ep 22)
1971–77	The Mary Tyler Moore Show	Marie Slaughter	Recurring
1973	Love Thy Neighbor	Peggy Wilson	Main cast American remake of theBritish sitcomLove Thy Neighbouron theABC Network.
	Love, American Style		Episode: "Love and the Awkward Age" {S 5:Ep 49)
1973–82	Match Game	Herself	Semi-regular panelist
1974	Tattletales	Herself	Episode: "March 18, 1974" (S 1:Ep 5)
	The Michele Lee Show	Gladys Gooch	Pilot(S 1:Ep 1) Only the pilot episode was aired and the series did not proceed onCBS.
	Sierra	Shirley	Episode: "Taking Cody Winslow" (S 1:Ep 3)
	Police Woman	Peggy Lakes	Episode: "Warning: All Wives..." (S 1:Ep 3)
1975–77	Match Game PM	Herself	Semi-Regular Panelist
1976	Police Story	Katie Pardnales	Episode: "Monster Manor" (S 4:Ep 8)
1976	Big John, Little John	Marjorie Martin	Recurring
1977	$20,000 Pyramid	Herself	Episode: "Joyce Bulifant & David Doyle" (S 6:Ep 11)
	Three's Company	Mrs. Cross	Episode: "Chrissy's Date" (S 2:Ep 5)
1978	$20,000 Pyramid	Herself	Episode: "Joyce Bulifant & Ron Glass" (S 6:Ep 26)
	Alice	Connie Raymond	Episode: "Who Ordered the Hot Turkey?" (S 3:Ep 9)
1979	Turnabout	9-months-expectant mother	Episode: "We're a Little Late, Folks" (S 1:Ep 3)
	The Bad News Bears	Alice	Episodes: "Three's a Crowd" (S 1:Ep 9) "Wedding Bells, part 1" (S 2: Ep 2)
	The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo	Guest	Episode: "Disco Fever Comes To Orly" (S 1:Ep 4)
1979–81	Password Plus	Herself	Recurring
1980	Chain Reaction	Herself	Celebrity guest
1980–81	Flo	Miriam Willoughby	Spin-offofAlice.
1982	Harper Valley PTA	Guest	Episode: "The Return Of Charlie's Chow Palace" (S 2:Ep 16}
1980–81	Sport Billy	Sport Lilly/Queen Vanda
1985	The Facts of Life	Margaret	Episode: "Teacher, Teacher" (S 7:Ep 4)
1987	American Playhouse	Miss Delahay	Episode: "Charley's Aunt" (S 6:Ep 14)
1994–97	Weird Science	Emily Wallace	Recurring
1999	E! True Hollywood Story	Herself	Episode: "The Brady Bunch" (S 3:Ep 21)
2001	Just Shoot Me!	Fantasia 'Fanny' Olivia Finch	Episode: "Fanny Finch" (S 5:Ep19)

External links

• Joyce BulifantatIMDb
• Joyce BulifantatAllMovie
• Joyce BulifantatTV Guide
• Joyce Bulifantat theInternet Broadway Database