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.
