Pamela Dawber (born October 18, 1951)[1] is an American actress best known for her lead television sitcom roles as Mindy McConnell on Mork & Mindy (1978–1982) and Samantha Russell on My Sister Sam (1986–1988).
Pam Dawber | |
|---|---|
 Dawber in 2012 | |
| Born | Pamela Dawber October 18, 1951 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, producer, singer |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
editDawber was born in Detroit, the older of two daughters of Thelma M. (née Fisher) and Eugene E. Dawber, a commercial artist.[2] She went to Reid Elementary School in Goodrich and attended North Farmington High School and Oakland Community College (OCC), with the intention of transferring to a four-year college.[3] She deferred her studies at OCC to do some modeling work and eventually dropped out after deciding to go into modeling full-time.
Career
editDawber moved to New York City and was initially a 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 for the title role in Tabitha, a 1977–1978 situation comedy spun off from Bewitched, but the role instead went to Lisa Hartman. However, ABC executives were impressed enough with her to enroll her in its "talent development" program, which paid its participants until they could find appropriate roles. Garry Marshall recruited her from this program.
Breakthrough: Mork & Mindy
editDawber's professional breakthrough came when Marshall chose her, despite her having relatively little acting experience and not having auditioned for the part, as one of the two title characters of the ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy, which ran from 1978 to 1982. She portrayed Mindy McConnell, the comedic foil and eventual love interest for the extraterrestrial Mork from the planet Ork, played by a then-unknown Robin Williams. The show was very popular in its debut season, when it averaged at number three in the Nielsen ratings for the year.[5] The only major difficulty for her on set was that she often found it impossible to maintain the proper composure in character in the face of her co-star's comedic talent. Also, pressure came from the ABC network to sexualize her character as the series progressed, which Dawber successfully resisted, with Williams's support.
The Pirates of Penzance
editDawber sang in a 1980s Los Angeles Civic Light Opera production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, based on the Joseph Papp/New York Shakespeare Festival production. Her role, as Mabel, had been played by Linda Ronstadt in the New York run of the show. In the summer of 1982, Dawber performed the role of Mabel at the Minskoff Theatre in New York.
My Sister Sam
editFrom 1986 to 1988, Dawber again had the title role in a television series, playing Samantha Russell in the CBS sitcom My Sister Sam, co-starring Rebecca Schaeffer. The series was a success in its first season, but it suffered a ratings drop in its second after moving to Saturday night. My Sister Sam was canceled in April 1988, with half of the second season's episodes never shown on CBS, but eventually broadcast (along with all previous episodes) on USA Network.
In July 1989, over a year after the show's cancellation, Schaeffer was shot and killed in front of her apartment in Los Angeles by Robert John Bardo, an obsessed fan who had stalked her for three years. Dawber was reportedly "devastated" by her former co-star's death.[6] Dawber and her other surviving My Sister Sam co-stars, Joel Brooks, David Naughton and Jenny O'Hara, all participated in a filmed public service announcement about gun violence prevention, and Dawber herself became a gun control advocate.
Film work
editAlthough mostly known for her television work, Dawber has starred in several films, including the comedy movie Stay Tuned (1992) with John Ritter and the period movie I'll Remember April (1999), alongside husband Mark Harmon.
Return to television
editIn 1997, Dawber starred in the short-lived sitcom Life... and Stuff on CBS.[7]
In 2014, she reunited with Robin Williams on his comedy series The Crazy Ones as a love interest of Williams's character.[8][9] The reunion failed to improve ratings, and it was canceled shortly afterwards. Williams, already suffering from Lewy body disease by this time, died by suicide later that year.
Dawber is a national spokeswoman for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Garry K. Marshall, the film-and-television comedy writer-producer-director who enabled Dawber's professional breakthrough, died in 2016. That year, Dawber made a guest appearance on The Odd Couple in a tribute episode to Marshall, along with other Marshall alumni Ron Howard, Garry's sister Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams, Anson Williams, Don Most and Marion Ross.
For the first time in her career, she appeared with her husband and fellow actor, Mark Harmon on CBS's NCIS in 2021 for seven episodes as '"seasoned investigative journalist" Marcie Warren.[10]
Personal life
editDawber married actor Mark Harmon on March 21, 1987, in a private ceremony.[2][11] They have two sons: Sean Thomas Harmon (b. April 25, 1988),[12] also an actor, and Ty Christian Harmon (b. June 25, 1992).[13] Dawber is Roman Catholic.[14]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Sister Terri | Sister Terri | TV movie |
| 1978–1982 | Mork & Mindy | Mindy McConnell / Mandy | Main cast |
| 1979 | The Chevy Chase National Humor Test | Various | TV special |
| 1980 | The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything | Bonny Lee Beaumont | TV movie |
| 1982 | Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour | Mindy McConnell | Main cast, voice role |
| 1982 | Twilight Theatre | Missy | TV movie (segment 'Jilted Johnny') |
| 1982 | Remembrance of Love | Marcy Rabin | TV movie |
| 1983 | Through Naked Eyes | Anne Walsh | TV movie |
| 1984 | Last of the Great Survivors | Laura Matthews | TV movie |
| 1985, 1987 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Self, Pearl |
Episode: "Grimm Party" (interviews of cast), Episode: "The Little Mermaid" |
| 1985 | The Twilight Zone | Karen Billings | Episode: "But Can She Type?" segment |
| 1985 | This Wife for Hire | Marsha Harper | TV movie |
| 1985 | Wild Horses | Daryl Reese | TV movie |
| 1985 | American Geisha | Gillian Burke | TV movie |
| 1986–1988 | My Sister Sam | Samantha 'Sam' Russell | Main cast |
| 1988 | Rosie | Shelby Woods | Episode: "Shelby by the Moon" |
| 1988 | Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story | Lucy Wedemeyer | TV movie |
| 1989 | Do You Know the Muffin Man? | Kendra Dollison | TV movie |
| 1990 | The Face of Fear | Connie Weaver | TV movie |
| 1991 | Rewrite for Murder | ? | TV movie |
| 1993 | The Man with Three Wives | Robyn | TV movie |
| 1994 | Dream On | Cheryl Castorini | Episode: "From Here to Paternity" |
| 1994 | Web of Deception | Ellen Benesch | TV movie |
| 1994 | A Child's Cry for Help | Monica Shaw | TV movie |
| 1994 | The Bears Who Saved Christmas | Mom | TV movie, voice |
| 1995 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Wife | Episode: "Chip Off the Old Beast / The War's Over", voice |
| 1995 | Trail of Tears | Cheryl Harris | TV movie |
| 1995 | Kevin's Kitchen | ? | TV movie |
| 1996 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Liese | Episode: "Self-Discipline", voice |
| 1996 | A Stranger to Love | Andie | TV movie |
| 1997 | Life... and Stuff | Ronnie Boswell | Main cast |
| 1997–1998 | 101 Dalmatians: The Series | Perdita | Recurring role, voice |
| 1998 | Men in Black: The Series | ? | Episode: "The Elle of My Dreams Syndrome", voice |
| 1999 | Don't Look Behind You | Liz Corrigan | TV movie |
| 2006 | Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars | Herself | TV documentary movie |
| 2014 | The Crazy Ones | Lily | Episode: "Love Sucks" |
| 2016 | The Odd Couple | Arnette | Episode: "Taffy Days" |
| 2021 | NCIS | Marcie Warren | Recurring role (seasons 18–19) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | A Wedding | Tracy Farrell | billed as Pamela Dawber |
| 1981 | Swan Lake | Princess Odette | Voice role |
| 1992 | Stay Tuned | Helen Knable | |
| 1999 | I'll Remember April | Barbara Cooper |
References
edit- ^ a b Brant, Marley (2006). Happier Days Paramount Television's Classic Sitcoms, 1974-1984. Billboard. pp. 99–100. ISBN 978-0-8230-8933-8.99-100&rft.pub=Billboard&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-0-8230-8933-8&rft.aulast=Brant&rft.aufirst=Marley&rft_id=https://books.google.com/books?id=_3XnpqmYAxcC&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Pam Dawber" class="Z3988">
- ^ a b Bernstein, Fred (March 1987). "Dawber hits the Mark!". People. 27: 45. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
- ^ "Detroit Native Pam Dawber To Reunite With 'Mork & Mindy' Alumn Robin Williams On CBS's 'The Crazy Ones'". WWJ News. February 13, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
- ^ Marshall, Garry (1997). Wake Me When It's Funny: How to Break Into Show Business and Stay. Newmarket Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-5570-4288-0.
- ^ "Screen Source: Top TV Shows, 1970's". Arizona Macintosh Users Group. March 28, 1997. Archived from the original on October 20, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
- ^ Douglas, John E.; Olshaker, Mark (November 1, 1998). Obsession. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-0740-9. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
[Rebecca Schaeffer's] Sam costar Pam Dawber adored her and was devastated by her death.
- ^ "Review: 'Life and Stuff'". Variety. June 6, 1997.
- ^ Sara Bibel (January 24, 2014). "Pam Dawber to Reunite With Robin Williams in an Upcoming Episode of 'The Crazy Ones'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 28, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ "Pam Dawber Reunites with Robin Williams". January 24, 2014. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
- ^ Ushe, Naledi. "Mark Harmon's Wife Pam Dawber to Join Him on 'NCIS' for 4 Episodes". People. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ Earl Blackwell's Celebrity Register, 1990. Gale Research. 1990. pp. 113, 190. ISBN 978-0-8103-6875-0.
- ^ "Baby Boom". Los Angeles Times. April 27, 1988.
- ^ "In Step With...Mark Harmon". Parade. September 2008. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ "Select FIRST letter of actor's first name… P". ChristianAnswers.net. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
External links
edit- Pam Dawber at IMDb
