Dorothy Lyman facts for kids

Dorothy Lyman is an American actress, director, and producer. She is famous for her roles in TV shows like Another World, All My Children, Generations, and the popular sitcom Mama's Family.

Dorothy Lyman's Acting Journey

Early Life and First Steps

Dorothy Lyman was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 18, 1947. Her father, Hector H. Lyman, worked as a stockbroker. Dorothy started her acting career in 1971. Her first role was as Julie Stark in the soap opera A World Apart.

She later appeared in other soap operas. From 1972 to 1973, she played Elly Jo Jamison in The Edge of Night. She also played Gwen Parrish Frame in Another World from 1976 to 1980, and again in 1989.

Winning Awards for Her Roles

One of Dorothy's most well-known soap opera roles was Opal Sue Gardner in All My Children. She played this character from 1981 to 1983. Her performance earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards. She won for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in 1982. The next year, in 1983, she won for Outstanding Lead Actress.

Dorothy also appeared in other daytime dramas. She played Rebecca Whitmore in Generations from 1990 to 1991. She was also Bonnie Roberts in The Bold and the Beautiful from 1991 to 1992.

Starring in Mama's Family

In 1983, Dorothy Lyman became very popular for her role as Naomi Harper. She played this character on the sitcom Mama's Family for all six seasons. During this time, she was also still acting on All My Children. She would fly between New York City and Los Angeles each week. She called this busy time "All My Paychecks" because she was earning money from both shows.

Other TV Appearances

While working on Mama's Family, Dorothy also appeared in other TV shows. She was in an episode of Tales from the Darkside in 1985. She played Ralphie's mother in the 1988 film Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss. She also appeared in ALF and Hunter in 1988 and 1989.

Behind the Camera: Directing and Producing

After Mama's Family ended in 1990, Dorothy Lyman started working behind the scenes. She became a producer and director for the TV show The Nanny. She directed and produced 75 episodes, including most of the third, fourth, and fifth seasons. She even made a special guest appearance on the show.

Dorothy also had a recurring role on Bob, a show starring Bob Newhart.

Movie Roles and Recent Work

Dorothy Lyman has also appeared in several movies. She had small roles in films like I Love Trouble (1994) and Blow (2001). She was also seen in the 2006 films World Trade Center and The Departed.

In 2007, she guest-starred in Battlestar Galactica. She played Starbuck's mother. She also appeared on Reba as the main character's mother. More recently, she was in The Blacklist in 2019.

Dorothy has also performed a one-woman show called My Kitchen Wars. This show was based on a book by Betty Fussell.

Dorothy Lyman's Family Life

Dorothy Lyman has been married twice. From 1971 to 1983, she was married to director and actor John Tillinger. They have two children together. Their daughter, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, is a producer who has been nominated for Academy Awards. Their son, Sebastian Tillinger, is an actor.

Dorothy's second marriage was to French film producer Vincent Malle. They were married from 1987 to 2001 and have one son.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of the movies and TV shows Dorothy Lyman has been in:

Movies

• 1971: The 300 Year Weekend as Jean
• 1980: Night of the Juggler as Nurse Jenny
• 1988: Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss as Mom (Television film)
• 1993: Ruby in Paradise as Mildred Chambers
• 1994: I Love Trouble as Suzie
• 2001: Blow as Judge
• 2006: World Trade Center as Allison's Mother
• 2006: The Departed as Woman at Bar
• 2008: Split Ends (Director and producer)
• 2009: The Northern Kingdom (Director and producer)
• 2016: Blind as Judge
• 2019: Vault as Ma

Television Shows

• 1971: A World Apart as Julie Stark
• 1972-1973: The Edge of Night as Elly Jo Jamison
• 1976-1980, 1989: Another World as Gwen Parrish Frame
• 1981-1983: All My Children as Opal Cortlandt (Won two Emmy Awards)
• 1983-1990: Mama's Family as Naomi Oates Harper (125 episodes)
• 1990-1991: Generations as Rebecca Whitmore #2
• 1991-1992: The Bold and the Beautiful as Bonnie Roberts
• 1993-1998: The Nanny (Director and producer, 74 episodes)
• 2002: Reba as Helen
• 2007: Battlestar Galactica as Socrata Thrace
• 2019: The Blacklist as Delaine Uhlman
• 2022: The Girl from Plainville as Donna Roy