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Alison La Placa

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Alison La Placa
Born (1959-12-16) December 16, 1959 (age 64)
OccupationActress
Years active1983-2019
Spouse
(m. 1992)

Alison La Placa (born December 16, 1959)[1] is an American actress best known for playing Linda Phillips on the sitcom Duet and its spin-off Open House, and the recurring role of Joanna, Rachel Green’s boss who dated Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends.

Biography

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Early life and career

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Born in Lincolnshire, Illinois,[2] a suburb of Chicago,[3] La Placa is a graduate of Stevenson High School.[4]

Shortly after moving to Hollywood, La Placa landed the role of Elyse in the sitcom version of Barry Levinson's dramedy movie Diner (1982).[5][6] That pilot did not get picked up, and soon thereafter La Placa got a role in the made-for-TV movie Listen to Your Heart (1983).[7]

Later career

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The following year, La Placa earned a regular spot on the short-lived sitcom Suzanne Pleshette Is Maggie Briggs (1984).[7] She had a small role in the movie Fletch (1985),[8] and subsequently played the starring role of Linda Phillips on the sitcoms Duet (from 1987 to 1989) and Open House (from 1989 to 1990).[9] La Placa played opposite Kirstie Alley in the comedy movie Madhouse (1990), with co-star John Larroquette.[10]

La Placa has guest-starred on series including Family Ties, Cheers, ER and Desperate Housewives. She was a regular on Stat (1991), The Jackie Thomas Show (1992), Tom (1994),[11] and the NBC sitcom The John Larroquette Show (from 1994 to 1996).[7][12][13] La Placa has guest-starred on animated series such as Batman: The Animated Series and Johnny Bravo.

She played the character Andrea in the television series Boston Legal in two episodes in season 4 ("Glow in the Dark" and "Rescue Me"). She appeared in Malcolm in the Middle as Barbara in the episode "Convention" and in a recurring role in 'Til Death as Beth, Joy's co-worker.[citation needed] She also guest starred in the CBS sitcom Mom.

Personal life

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She has been married to television actor/director Philip Charles MacKenzie (her co-star on Open House) since 1992.[14]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1984 Voyage of the Rock Aliens Diane Credited as Alison Laplaca
1985 Fletch Pan Am Clerk
1990 Madhouse Claudia

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1983 Listen to Your Heart Lynn Television film
1984 Diner Elyse Television short
1984 Maggie Briggs Melanie Bitterman Episode: "A New Leaf"
1984 Family Ties Barbara Episode: "Fabric Smarts"
1985 Cheers Paula Nelson Episode: "Behind Every Great Man"
1985 Brothers Annie Todson Episode: "The Shoop Shoop Shop"
1985 Murder: By Reason of Insanity [es] Janet Landry Television film (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
1986 Remington Steele Joan Kendall Episode: "Steele in the Running"
1986 Second Serve Nightclub Singer Television film
1987 Our House Ann Tollfeson Episode: "The Best Intentions"
1987 Fame Ms. Audrey Fleming Episode: "The Crimson Blade"
1987 The $25,000 Pyramid Herself Aired November 23, 1987 to November 27, 1987
1987-1989 Duet Linda Phillips Main role (seasons 1-3)
1989-1990 Open House Linda Phillips Main role (season 1)
1991 Stat Dr. Elizabeth Newberry Main role (season 1)
1991 In The Nick of Time Susan Rosewell Television film
1992-1993 The Jackie Thomas Show Laura Miller Main role (season 1)
1994 Batman: The Animated Series Baby-Doll / Mary Louise Dahl Voice, episode: "Baby-Doll" (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
1994 Tom Dorothy Graham Main role (season 1)
1994-1996 The John Larroquette Show Catherine Merrick Recurring role; 49 episodes
1997 Duckman Marion Voice, episode: "With Friends Like These"
1997 Temporarily Yours Lily Greer Episode: "By Design"
1997 Johnny Bravo Lois/Brunette Voice, episode: "Going Batty/Berry the Butler/Red Faced in the White House" (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
1997 Friends Joanna Recurring role; 3 episodes (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
1998 7th Heaven Carolyn Fulton Episode: "...And a Nice Chianti"
1999 Hercules Additional voices Episode: "Hercules and the Odyssey Experience"
2000 Malcolm in the Middle Barbara Episode: "Convention" (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
2001 Nathan's Choice Pilot Television short
2002 ER Female Lawyer Episode: "Lockdown"
2006 Desperate Housewives Rita Patterson Episode: "The Miracle Song" (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
2007 The O.C. Dr. James Episode: "The Groundhog Day" (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
2007 Grey's Anatomy Mrs. Nolston Recurring role; 2 episodes (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
2008 Boston Legal Andrea Michele Recurring role; 2 episodes (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
2008-2010 'Til Death Beth Recurring role; 3 episodes (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
2009 Lie to Me Diane Ktretschmer Episode: "Do No Harm" (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
2009 Without a Trace Mary Whitman Episode: "Voir Dire" (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
2010 15 Minutes Goldie Television short
2011 Man Up! Caroll Episode: "Acceptance"
2012 Up All Night Gail Reinhold Episode: "Preschool Auction" (credited as Alison LaPlaca)
2014 Mom Louanne Episode: "Forged Resumes and the Recommended Dosage" (credited as Alison LaPlaca)

References

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  1. ^ Last, Eugenia (December 16, 2005). "Horoscope: Celebrities Born on This Day". Daily Record. p. E3. ProQuest 2373140832. Hallee Hirsh, 18; Michael McCrary, 34; Sam Robards, 44; Alison La Placa, 46. See also:
    • Hart, Steven (December 16, 1997). "Tuesday People: Today's Birthdays". Home News Tribune. p. A2. ProQuest 2273417277. Actress Alison LaPlaca is 38. Actor Benjamin Bratt is 34. Rhythm and Blues singer Michael McCrary (Boyz II Men) is 26.
  2. ^ Editors of Chase's (2018). Chase's Calendar of Events 2019: The Ultimate Go-to Guide for Special Days. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 601. ISBN 978-1-64143-263-4.
  3. ^ Post, Douglas (September 2009). "From Across the Country: National Reports: Chicago". The Dramatist. p. 61. ProQuest 2411495. Synopsis: The Marriot Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) is highlighted.
  4. ^ Nenni, Pete. "Stevenson grads make a name for themselves in television roles", Daily Herald (Arlington Heights), May 13, 2003.
  5. ^ Barbato, Joan (April 15, 1984). "'Maggie Briggs' TV Series Break for Former Parsippany Resident". Daily Record. p. E12. ProQuest 2372217743. I'd moved to Chicago by then, and realized eventually I'd have to go out to Hollywood, but that's such an incredible move. My agent felt there were some things I had to accomplish first, but before I knew it, she was saying, 'Let's go to L.A.' She took some friends she was also representing and me out to Los Angeles for six weeks for the pilot-season auditions. I went out with two suitcases, not even knowing where I was staying, an on March 16 last year, the day I was supposed to be going back, got a pilot for 'The Diner,' a TV series based on the movie.
  6. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2020). Encyclopedia of Television Pilots: 2,470 Films Broadcast 1937-2019 (Second ed.). McFarland. p. 62. ISBN 9781476638102.
  7. ^ a b c "Alison LaPlaca Biography". Turner Classic Movies.
  8. ^ John A., Willis (1986). Screen World, Volume 37. Crown Publishers. p. 118. ISBN 9780517562574.
  9. ^ Lowe, Denise (1999). Women and American Television: An Encyclopedia. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 249. ISBN 9780874369700. Open House (1989-1990): This series took the female leads of the romantic sitcom Duet (1987-1989) and placed them on their own, reversing their starring positions. Linda (Alison La Placa), whose husband, Richard (Chris Lemmon)...
  10. ^ Maslin, Janet (17 February 1990). "Review/Film; The Bothersome Relatives Who Pay Visits and Stay". The New York Times.
  11. ^ Fretts, Bruce (March 11, 1994). "Alison Laplaca of 'Tom'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  12. ^ Hornaday, Ann (20 March 1994). "UP AND COMING: Alison LaPlaca; What's a Woman Like You Doing in a Barn Like This?". The New York Times.
  13. ^ "NEWEST ``LARROQUETTE' STAR LIKES FEEL OF GROWN-UP SHOW". Greensboro News & Record. October 14, 1994. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  14. ^ Castro, Peter (May 15, 1995). "A Place to Call Home". People. Vol. 43, no. 19. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009.
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