Joyce Bulifant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joyce Bulifant
Joyce Bulifant in 1975
Born	Joyce Collins Bulifant (1937-12-16) December 16, 1937 (age 87) Newport News, Virginia, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, Author
Years active	1959–present
Spouse(s)	James MacArthur ​ ​ (m. 1958; div. 1968)​ Edward Mallory ​ ​ (m. 1969; div. 1974)​ William Asher ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1993)​ Glade Bruce Hansen ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2001)​ Roger Perry ​ ​ (m. 2002; died 2018)​
Children	3, including John Mallory Asher

Joyce Collins Bulifant (born December 16, 1937) is an American actress and author. She is known for her roles on TV shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where she played Marie Slaughter. Joyce also appeared in movies such as The Happiest Millionaire and Airplane!. Many people also know her from being a frequent guest on popular game shows like Match Game.

Early Life and Education

Joyce Bulifant was born in Newport News, Virginia. She went to Solebury School in New Hope, Pennsylvania. She finished school in 1956. Her first husband, James MacArthur, was in the same class. James was the son of famous actress Helen Hayes. After high school, Joyce studied acting. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Acting on Stage

Joyce Bulifant has performed in many plays. She appeared on Broadway, which is a very famous theater area in New York City. Her Broadway shows include Tall Story (1958) and The Paisley Convertible (1966).

She also acted in other plays like Auntie Mame. Joyce has even written and performed her own shows. These shows were about her life and her memories of her former mother-in-law, Helen Hayes.

TV Shows and Movies

Joyce Bulifant has had many roles on television. She was a regular cast member on several shows. One of her first TV jobs was as a dancer. This was on Arthur Murray's Dance Party in the 1950s.

Regular TV Roles

Joyce played Timmie Barnes in Too Young to Go Steady (1959). She was Mary Gentry in Tom, Dick and Mary (1964–1965). A well-known role was Marie Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977). She also played Peggy Wilson on Love Thy Neighbor (1973). Joyce was Lois on It's a Man's World (1962–1963). She played Marsha Patterson on The Bill Cosby Show (1969–1971). Another role was Marjorie Martin on Big John, Little John (1976–1977). She also voiced Queen Vanda in the cartoon Sport Billy (1982). From 1980 to 1981, she was Miriam Willoughby on CBS’s Flo.

Guest Appearances

Joyce Bulifant has appeared as a guest star on many popular TV shows. These include Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and Wagon Train. She was also on My Three Sons and The Facts of Life. She played Nancy Banks in an episode of Perry Mason in 1964. Later, she played David Spade's mother on Just Shoot Me!. From 1994 to 1997, she played Emily Wallace. This was on the show Weird Science. Her real-life son, John Asher, played a character on that show too.

TV Movies

Joyce Bulifant has also acted in several TV movies. Some of these include Hanging by a Thread, Better Late Than Never, and Little Women.

Game Show Fun

Joyce was a very popular guest on many game shows. She appeared often on shows like Match Game, Password, and Chain Reaction. She was also on Tattletales and To Tell the Truth.

The Brady Bunch Role

Did you know Joyce Bulifant was almost Carol Brady? She was the first choice for the role on The Brady Bunch. But the part eventually went to Florence Henderson.

Film Roles

Joyce Bulifant is famous for her movie roles too. She played Rosemary in the Disney movie The Happiest Millionaire. In this film, she sang a song called "Bye-Yum Pum Pum." She also appeared in the funny 1980 comedy Airplane!.

Her son, John Asher, has directed her twice. These movies were Diamonds and Tooken. She also appeared in a short comedy film called The Haircut.

Awards and Honors

Joyce Bulifant received a Theatre World Award in 1961–1962. This was for her acting in the play Whisper to Me.

In 2014, Joyce and her husband Roger Perry received a special honor. They got a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. This is in Palm Springs, California.

Personal Life

Joyce Bulifant has been married five times. Her first husband was actor James MacArthur. They had two children together, Mary and Charles. Her second husband was Edward Mallory. They had one child, John Mallory Asher. Her third husband was TV director William Asher. He adopted her son John. Her fourth marriage was to Glade Bruce Hansen. Her fifth husband was actor Roger Perry. They were married until Roger passed away in 2018.

Joyce also has a grandson named Evan Joseph Asher. He is the son of her son John and actress Jenny McCarthy.

Helping Others

Joyce Bulifant found out she had dyslexia when she was in her 40s. Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects reading. Since then, she has worked hard to support dyslexia research. She even wrote two musicals about it. They are called Gifts of Greatness and Different Heroes, Different Dreams.

She also started the Hans Christian Andersen Award. This award honors people with dyslexia who have done great things. Some people who have received this award include Whoopi Goldberg. Joyce herself received an award in 2015 from The Dyslexia Foundation.

For many years, Joyce has also been involved with Childhelp. This is a non-profit group that helps prevent child abuse. She is a Celebrity Ambassador for them. She also supports research for autism.

Filmography

Theatre

Film

Television