Pam Dawber – Then
Pam Dawber is actually famous for roles in two different 1980s sitcoms. She first starred as Mindy McConnell alongside the then-unknown Robin Williams in Mork & Mindy from 1978 until 1982, and then played Samantha Russel in My Sister Sam from 1986-1988.
Pam Dawber – Now
While she was best known for her work in television, Pam Dawber also has a few movie roles under her belt, having starred in numerous films including 1992’s Stay Tuned and 1999’s I’ll Remember April. In her most recent work, Dawber reunited with the late Robin Williams in 2014 in an episode of his comedy series The Crazy Ones. Unfortunately, the show was canceled shortly afterward. She also made a guest appearance in a 2016 episode of The Odd Couple.
Pam Dawber – Now
Tempestt Bledsoe – Then
Tempestt Bledsoe is best known for the role she landed when she was just 11 years old in 1984 on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show as Vanessa Huxtable, the fourth child of Cliff and Clair Huxtable. Bedsoe stayed on The Cosby Show, appearing on a regular basis until its final season in 1992. She was also featured as her original character Vanessa in A Different World, a spin-off of The Cosby Show, which ran from September 1987 until July 1993.
Tempestt Bledsoe – Now
Starting in the mid 1990s, Tempestt Bledsoe hosted her own daytime talk show called The Tempestt Bledsoe Show. She has appeared in Oxygen’s Husband for Hire, Disney Channel’s animated series, The Replacements, and VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club. The Style Nework reached out to Bledsoe in 2010 and she became the new host of Clean House. Bledsoe holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from New York University and is currently in a relationship with Darryl M. Bell who co-starred on A Different World.
Marisa Tomei – Then
Marisa Tomei began her career as an actress when she dropped out of Boston University to take a brief gig on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns from 1983 until 1985. She portrayed Marcy Thompson, a controversial teenager who accused Dr. Bob Hughes of inappropriate conduct. Tomei then moved on to a regular role in A Different World, a spin-off of The Cosby Show. She portrayed Maggie Lauten for 21 episodes in 1987 before moving on to bigger and better things.
Marisa Tomei – Now
As one of the most relevant and recognizable names on our list, Marisa Tomei is no stranger to the big screen, having been featured in numerous major motion pictures almost every year since the 1990s. Some of her most famous credits include 1992’s My Cousin Vinny, 2003’s Anger Management, 2008’s The Wrestler, and 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. With nearly twenty major movie awards already won and two 2018 films already in post-production, Tomei is showing no signs of slowing down.
Mary Tyler Moore – Then
Mary Tyler Moore’s television career began with the role of “Happy Hotpoint”, a tiny dancing elf featured in commercials for Hotpoint appliances in the 1950s. Moore continued working in minor television roles until Carl Reiner cast Moore in The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1961. Four years after the show’s end, Moore pitched her own sitcom along with her husband Grant Tinker and CBS liked what they saw. The Mary Tyler Moore Show ran from 1970-1977, with ratings in the top 20 for six years.
Mary Tyler Moore – Now
Mary Tyler Moore remains a household name to this day. She continued to act in television, film, and theater throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. On January 25, 2017, Moore sadly passed away from cardiopulmonary arrest due to pneumonia at the age of 80. She will forever be remembered as an amazing actress who pushed boundaries with characters who broke the stereotypical images of women and denounced gender norms. She was also an active philanthropist and advocate for animal rights.
Kim Fields – Then
Prior to her most famous role as Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey, Kim Fields co-starred in a sitcom called Baby, I’m Back, which only lasted 13 episodes and didn’t even air until the late 1980s. Fields also appeared in a Mrs. Butterworth’s commercial and in 2 episodes of Good Times. From 1979 until 1988, Fields acted on The Facts of Life. Fields was actually so short that the producers put her on roller skates most of the time to avoid difficult camera angles.
Kim Fields – Now
During her time on TheFacts of Life, Fields sang and released two songs, “He Loves Me He Loves Me Not”, and “Dear Michael”, both of which became minor hits. Today, Fields boasts an impressive resume as both a talented actress as well as director. Most recently, she joined the cast of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta for season eights but did not return for season nine. She also participated in season 22 of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in 8th place.
Kirstie Alley – Then
Before Kirstie Alley took on her best know role of Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom Cheers, she played Lieutenant JG Saavic in 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Alley started on Cheers in 1987 and stayed until the series finale in 1993. For her portrayal of Rebecca Howe, Alley won both a Primetime Emmy Award as well as a Golden Globe. Alley also had a number of roles in movies during the late 1980s and through the 1990s.
Kirstie Alley – Now
Following her work in film during the 1990s, which included roles in SiblingRivalry, It Takes Two, Deconstructing Harry, and Drop-Dead Gorgeous, Kirstie Alley returned to NBC to star in another sitcom called Veronica’s Closet. Through the 2000s, Alley appeared in a number of reality shows about her life. From 2004-2007, Alley was a spokesperson for Jenny Craig and her dramatic weight fluctuations were highly publicized. Her most recent movie role was in 2002’s Back by Midnight and 2015’s Accidental Love.
Jane Curtin – Then
Crowned as “Queen of the Deadpan”, actress and comedian Jane Curtin came on the scene as a cast member of Saturday Night Live in 1975. During her time on SNL, Curtin was praised by the show’s writer, Al Franken, for her work ethic and “strong moral center.” While most SNL stars eventually move on to the big screen, Curtin chose to remain on television, starring as single mother Allie Lowell in Kate & Alley alongside Susan Saint James from 1984 until 1989.
Jane Curtin – Now
After Kate & Alley, Jane Curtin joined the cast of another long-running television series in 3rd Rock from the Sun in 1996. She then went on to narrate two episodes of Understanding in 1997 and starred alongside Fred Savage in a short-lived ABC sitcom called Crumbs, which only ran for 13 episodes in 2006. Most recently, she’s appeared in major films I Love You, Man, and The Heat as well as in episodes of The Good Wife and Broad City.
Mindy Cohn – Then
In 1979, Mindy Cohn joined the cast of The Facts of Life as Natalie Green, one of Edna Garrett’s students. Cohn stayed on the sitcom for its entirety, until 1988. Her role as Natalie was very progressive and broke several boundaries which sitcoms that came before would rarely go near including body-image, relationships, and adoption. While Natalie Green was known for her full-figure, she was confident with a healthy self-image, saying, “Who wants to be a skinny pencil? I’d rather be a happy Magic Marker!”
Mindy Cohn – Now
Mindy Cohn’s work as Natalie on The Facts of Life earned her the 43rd spot on VH1’s List of 100 Greatest Kid Stars. Following The Facts of Life, Cohn appeared in 1986’s The Boy Who Could Fly as well as several appearances in other popular TV shows including Charles in Charge and 21 Jump Street. In her most recent work, Cohn was the voice on Velma Dinkley in the Scooby-Doo franchise from 2002 to 2015. She also plays Thelma in 2017’s Hollywood Dirt.
Nancy McKeon – Then
Before getting her big break, Nancy McKeon was featured in numerous commercials alongside her brother Philip. She also took some minor roles in soap operas in the 1970s before moving to Las Angeles with her family in 1975. McKeon was offered the role of tomboy Jo Polniaczek on The Facts of Life after impressing a casting director with her ability to cry on cue in a Hallmark greeting cards advertisement. On The Facts of Life, McKeon’s character, Jo, was short-tempered, mischievous, and somehow lovable.
Nancy McKeon – Now
Following her time as Jo Polniaczek, Nancy McKeon was almost cast as the title role in the TV adaptation of Working Girls. The role ended up going to the then-unknown Sandra Bullock. In 1994, McKeon auditioned for the role of Monica Geller in Friends, but again missed by a hair, this time to Courteney Cox. A year later, McKeon starred in her own series, Can’t Hurry Love, which only lasted one season. Her last role was in the 2011 TV film Love Begins.
Justine Bateman – Then
Justine Bateman, the older sister of famous actor Jason Bateman, began her acting career playing the superficial Mallory Keaton on Family Ties from 1982 until 1989. During her sitcom stint, she also appeared on 1984 episodes of Tales from the Darkside and It’s Your Move in addition to hosting a 1988 episode of Saturday Night Live. While her successful career as an actress would continue on for many years, the part of Mallory Keaton will always be her most notable role.
Justine Bateman – Now
After Family Ties, Justine Bateman had great success in the film, television, and theater industries. Through the 1990s she starred and guest-starred in several television shows including Lois & Clark,The New Adventures of Superman, and Men Behaving Badly. Bateman has also appeared in a number of television episodes for various programs throughout the 1990s and 2000s including Rugrats, Arrested Development, Desperate Housewives, Californication, Psych, and Modern Family among others. On tope of acting, Bateman has also remained busy writing, producing, and directing.
Shelley Long – Then
Shelley Long began acting with a Chicago comedy troupe called The Second City. In 1975 she wrote, produced, and co-hosted a local program called Sorting it Out, for which she won three Regional Emmys. Long also appeared in a number of advertisements through the 1970s and guest starred on an episode of The Love Boat. Her big break came with a role in 1979’s The Cracker Factory. This lead to several big opportunities, including her most famous role as Diane Chambers on Cheers.
