Jackie Joseph facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jackie Joseph
Joseph in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
Born	(1933-11-07) November 7, 1933 (age 91) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Jackie Joseph Lawrence
Education	John Marshall High School
Alma mater	UCLA
Occupation	Actress writer
Years active	1958–2019
Spouse(s)	Ken Berry ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1976)​ David Lawrence ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	3
Relatives	Bill Bateman (former-son-in-law)

Jackie Joseph (born November 7, 1933) is an American actress and writer. She is best known for her role as Jackie Parker on The Doris Day Show (1971–1973) and Audrey in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), as well as a supporting role in Gremlins (1984).

Early life

Joseph was born in Los Angeles County, California. Her mother was 19 at the time of Joseph's birth, and her father had died three months earlier. She studied at Los Angeles' John Marshall High School and UCLA.

Acting career

Joseph began her career as a featured performer and singer in the Billy Barnes Revue of 1958, with future husband and actor Ken Berry.

Joseph's roles on television programs included Miss Oglethorpe on Run, Buddy, Run, Jackie Parker on The Doris Day Show, Sandy on The All New Popeye Hour. She was also a regular on The Bob Newhart Show and The Magic Land of Allakazam.

She is also known for portraying Audrey Fulquard in the original version of The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), as well as Charlene Hensley in Hogan's Heroes (1966), Sheila Futterman in Gremlins (1984) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), Mrs Kirkland in Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985) and Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987), and the voice of Melody in the animated series Josie and the Pussycats and Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space.

She played the love interest of Willie (played by Bob Denver) in the film Who's Minding the Mint? (1967). Her other film work includes roles in A Guide for the Married Man (1967), With Six You Get Eggroll (1968), The Split (1968), The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969), The Cheyenne Social Club (1970), Get Crazy (1983), and Small Soldiers (1998).

Joseph's other television credits include The Andy Griffith Show (Season 4 Episode 17: "My Fair Ernest T. Bass" as Ramona Ankrum), The Dick Van Dyke Show (two appearances), That Girl, F Troop (Season 1 Episode 17: "Our Hero, What's His Name" as Corporal Randolph Agarn's girlfriend Betty Lou MacDonald), Hogan's Heroes (Season 1 Episode 28: "I Look Better in Basic Black" as Charlene Hemsley), McHale's Navy, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (four appearances), Petticoat Junction (1967 episode: 'A House Divided'), CHiPs (in a two-part episode), Full House and Designing Women (as Mary Jo's mother). She also appeared for a week on the game show Match Game '74. Although she appeared only once on the 1964 sitcom My Living Doll, as one of the few surviving actors to appear on the series she participated in a retrospective featurette included on the 2012 DVD release of the series.

Other activities

In 1977, Joseph became a fashion show producer, staging the Western Children's Brand Wagon show. An audience of 600 watched youngsters model one garment each from 85 companies.

Personal life

Joseph married her first husband, Ken Berry, on May 29, 1960. On November 29, 1962, their son, Joseph Larson Berry, was born but died six days later on December 5, 1962. They then adopted two children, John (b. 1964–2016) and Jennifer (b. 1965–2020). Joseph and Berry divorced in June 1976.

She married David Lawrence in 2003. Her son John died of brain cancer in 2016 at the age of 51, and her daughter Jennifer died in 2020 of natural causes at the age of 55.

Joseph protested in a picket line in front of Disney offices with actor Adam Arkin and his wife Michelle during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

Filmography