Joyce DeWitt
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Joyce Anne DeWitt (born April 23, 1949) is an American actress most famous for her role as Janet Wood on the television situation comedy Three's Company.
Dewitt was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Paul and Shirley DeWitt, and has Swedish, Italian and Irish ancestry. She became almost as famous for her disappearance after the series as she did for her Three's Company role; after the series, she did not appear as a regular player on any television series, which led to a number of "Whatever Happened to Joyce DeWitt?" retrospectives in newspaper entertainment columns and television gossip shows [1] [2]. This was also parodied on an episode of Family Guy, when Brian finds DeWitt hiding in a wicker basket in a bazaar reminiscent of Indiana Jones. Surprised, Brian remarks, "Joyce DeWitt!? So that's where you've been!" To which she promptly responds with a "Shhh." In an episode of Pinky and the Brain, DeWitt is revealed to be the ruler of the Earth.
Years later, Joyce DeWitt would reveal that she turned her back on Hollywood and show business because of the "disrespectful treatment" she received from the producers of "Three's Company". She also co-produced and hosted the television film Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company (2003) with actress Melanie Deanne Moore portraying her during her time on "Three's Company" series.
She and her former Three's Company co-star Suzanne Somers have had an acrimonious relationship (caused by Somers' mid-season salary negotiation ploy in 1980) and, according to many sources, still do not speak to each other. However, she and Priscilla Barnes (Somers's replacement on the show) became lifelong friends.
Famous for refusing to do any scenes bare-legged (she always wore either pantyhose or tights), she became a paid endorser for L'Eggs hosiery in the late 1970s. DeWitt dated actor LeVar Burton, but her parents did not approve of the interracial romance, and it ended after six months. [3] She lived with actor Ray Buktenica in the late 1970's before the relationship ended.[4]
Although she was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Joyce grew up in Speedway, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. After she received a bachelor's degree from Ball State University, she moved to California to earn her masters degree from the University of California at Los Angeles. While attending UCLA, she worked part-time as a house painter and once was hired to paint actor Abe Vigoda's garage doors. This painting job spawned a friendship between DeWitt and Vigoda which has endured to the present day.[citation needed]
[edit] Trivia
- Joyce DeWitt has taken part in the majority of the DVD Extras on the Three's Company DVDs (Season 2+).
- Joyce appeared as herself in an episode of the Canadian cult sit-com Twitch City in 1998. The episode was titled "I look like Joyce DeWitt"
- Joyce DeWitt appeared for a week in 2004 on Hollywood Squares to promote the TV Land/Nick @ Nite Line-up by representing Three's Company.
- Joyce was a part of the ABC Team for several installments of Battle of the Network Stars.
- Joyce took part in a holiday special on Nick @ Nite in 2005.
- Joyce took part in a parody of Desperate Housewives on TV Land's Awards.
