Joyce DeWitt
Encyclopedia
Joyce Anne DeWitt is an American
actress most famous for playing Janet Wood
on the ABC
sitcom Three's Company
.
, and grew up in Speedway, Indiana
, a suburb of Indianapolis
, where she competed in speech and debate through the Indiana High School Forensic Association. After she received a bachelor's degree
in theater from Ball State University
, she moved to California
to earn her master's degree
from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
. Contrary to reports, she has never painted actor Abe Vigoda
's garage doors, and has never met the man. While performing in summer stock
in the year following her graduation, a director and UCLA Theater professor convinced her to go to California for the school's MFA
program.
DeWitt is best known for her role as Janet Wood
during the 1977–1984 run of the sitcom
Three's Company
, a job she obtained after being cast in the show's second pilot.
After Three's Company ended in 1984, DeWitt appeared in an episode of Finder of Lost Loves
in 1984, after which she quit acting for several years. She resumed acting with a part in a production of Noises Off at Michigan's Cherry County Playhouse in June 1991. She later appeared in the 1995 TV comedy film Spring Fling!, and made appearances in "The Pinky Protocol", a 1997 episode of Pinky and the Brain
, an episode of Cybill
, and a cameo on the penultimate episode of Living Single
. Her 2000s works includes TV shows such as Hope Island, 18, The Nick at Nite Holiday Special, and Call of the Wild.
DeWitt would go on to co-produce and host the 2003 NBC-TV television film Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company
, with actress Melanie Deanne Moore portraying her during her time on Three's Company. In late 2008, she also earned a part in an independent film called Failing Better Now.
As of 2011, DeWitt was starring in the play Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating & Marriage on in New York.
ed in El Segundo, California
, and cited for drunken driving
. According to press reports, police
pulled her over after she drove past a barricade near a park. An officer arrested the actress after he observed signs she had been drinking and administered a field sobriety test. She was booked at the police station, cited, and released on her own recognizance. On May 27, 2010, she pleaded no contest to one count misdemeanor and was placed on three years' probation and ordered to undergo a nine-month alcohol program. She was also ordered to pay a $510 fine, plus penalty assessments. In exchange for her plea, a second misdemeanor count was dismissed.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress most famous for playing Janet Wood
Janet Wood
Janet Wood is a fictional character on the television sitcom Three's Company played by Joyce DeWitt.-Fictional character biography:Janet and Chrissy shared an apartment in Santa Monica, California, and needed a third roommate to pay the rent after their old roommate, Eleanor, got married and moved...
on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
sitcom Three's Company
Three's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
.
Early life
Joyce Dewitt, who is of no relation to actress Fay DeWitt, was born April 23, 1949 in Wheeling, West VirginiaWheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and grew up in Speedway, Indiana
Speedway, Indiana
Speedway is a town in Wayne Township, Marion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 12,881 at the 2000 census. Speedway is the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, from which the town derives its name, and is a complete enclave of Indianapolis....
, a suburb of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, where she competed in speech and debate through the Indiana High School Forensic Association. After she received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in theater from Ball State University
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
, she moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to earn her master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
Career
DeWitt began appearing on stage at the age of 13. While attending university, she worked as a secretary until her debut on BarettaBaretta
Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma...
. Contrary to reports, she has never painted actor Abe Vigoda
Abe Vigoda
Abe Vigoda is an American movie and television actor. Vigoda is well known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in The Godfather, and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish on the sitcom television series Barney Miller from 1975–1977 and on its spinoff show Fish that aired from February 1977 to...
's garage doors, and has never met the man. While performing in summer stock
Summer Stock
For the article about the theatre genre, see Summer stock theatre.Summer Stock is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical made in 1950. The film was directed by Charles Walters and stars Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, and Phil Silvers...
in the year following her graduation, a director and UCLA Theater professor convinced her to go to California for the school's MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
program.
DeWitt is best known for her role as Janet Wood
Janet Wood
Janet Wood is a fictional character on the television sitcom Three's Company played by Joyce DeWitt.-Fictional character biography:Janet and Chrissy shared an apartment in Santa Monica, California, and needed a third roommate to pay the rent after their old roommate, Eleanor, got married and moved...
during the 1977–1984 run of the sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Three's Company
Three's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
, a job she obtained after being cast in the show's second pilot.
After Three's Company ended in 1984, DeWitt appeared in an episode of Finder of Lost Loves
Finder of Lost Loves
Finder of Lost Loves is an American drama series aired by the ABC network during the 1984-1985 season.-Synopsis:After Cary Maxwell's wife Kate dies, he decides to set up a private detective agency specializing in reuniting clients with a former loved one...
in 1984, after which she quit acting for several years. She resumed acting with a part in a production of Noises Off at Michigan's Cherry County Playhouse in June 1991. She later appeared in the 1995 TV comedy film Spring Fling!, and made appearances in "The Pinky Protocol", a 1997 episode of Pinky and the Brain
Pinky and the Brain
Pinky and the Brain is an American animated television series.The characters Pinky and the Brain first appeared in 1993 as a recurring segment on the show Animaniacs...
, an episode of Cybill
Cybill
Cybill is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995 to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the series revolves around Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of two and struggling actress in her 40s, who has never gotten her show...
, and a cameo on the penultimate episode of Living Single
Living Single
Living Single is an American television sitcom which aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 29, 1993 to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.Throughout its run, Living...
. Her 2000s works includes TV shows such as Hope Island, 18, The Nick at Nite Holiday Special, and Call of the Wild.
DeWitt would go on to co-produce and host the 2003 NBC-TV television film Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company
Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company
Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company is a 2003 American made-for-television movie, made by NBC, documenting the success of the sitcom Three's Company, as well as the interpersonal conflicts that occurred among its staff and cast...
, with actress Melanie Deanne Moore portraying her during her time on Three's Company. In late 2008, she also earned a part in an independent film called Failing Better Now.
As of 2011, DeWitt was starring in the play Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating & Marriage on in New York.
Charity work
DeWitt participated with members of the House and Senate at the Capitol Hill Forum on Hunger and Homelessness, and has hosted presentations for the Family Assistance Program of Hollywood. She hosted the International Awards Ceremony at the White House for the Presidential End Hunger Awards, and co-hosted, with Jeff Bridges, the World Food Day Gala at the Kennedy Center.Legal issues
On July 4, 2009, DeWitt was arrestArrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
ed in El Segundo, California
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
, and cited for drunken driving
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
. According to press reports, police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
pulled her over after she drove past a barricade near a park. An officer arrested the actress after he observed signs she had been drinking and administered a field sobriety test. She was booked at the police station, cited, and released on her own recognizance. On May 27, 2010, she pleaded no contest to one count misdemeanor and was placed on three years' probation and ordered to undergo a nine-month alcohol program. She was also ordered to pay a $510 fine, plus penalty assessments. In exchange for her plea, a second misdemeanor count was dismissed.
Television
- BarettaBarettaBaretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma...
(1975) - Jill - Most Wanted (1976)
- Three's CompanyThree's CompanyThree's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
(1977–1984) - Janet Wood/Dawson - With This Ring (1978) - Jilly Weston
- SupertrainSupertrainSupertrain is an American television drama/adventure series that ran on NBC from February 7 to May 5, 1979. Nine episodes were made, including a 2-hour pilot episode.-Overview:...
(1979) - Natalie Smithburne - The RopersThe RopersThe Ropers is an American sitcom that ran from March 13, 1979 to May 22, 1980 on ABC. The series is a spinoff of Three's Company and based on the British sitcom George and Mildred...
(1979) - Janet Wood - The Love BoatThe Love BoatThe Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
(1979) - Jackie Landers - The B.B. Beegle ShowThe B.B. Beegle ShowThe B.B. Beegle Show was a pilot for a proposed television series; it was broadcast in January 1980, but no series followed.Produced by Joseph Barbera, this show was intended to be Hanna-Barbera's version of The Muppet Show, with a cast of puppet characters and appearances by human guest-stars;...
(1980) - Herself - Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty (1980) - Love God's Date
- Finder of Lost LovesFinder of Lost LovesFinder of Lost Loves is an American drama series aired by the ABC network during the 1984-1985 season.-Synopsis:After Cary Maxwell's wife Kate dies, he decides to set up a private detective agency specializing in reuniting clients with a former loved one...
(1984) - Lynn Powell - The Berenstain Bears (1985–1987) - voices
- Spring Fling! (1995) - Linda Hayden
- Living SingleLiving SingleLiving Single is an American television sitcom which aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 29, 1993 to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.Throughout its run, Living...
(1998) - Herself - Hope Island (2000) - Laetitia Barton, Laverne Cranston
- The Nick at Nite Holiday Special (2003) - Miss DeWitt, The Housekeeper
- The 3rd Annual TV Land Awards (2005) - Susan Mayer