Patricia Richardson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patricia Richardson
Richardson after the 1994 Emmy Awards
Born	Patricia Castle Richardson (1951-02-23) February 23, 1951 (age 74) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
Education	Southern Methodist University (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1974–present
Known for	Jill Taylor in Home Improvement
Spouse(s)	Ray Baker ​ ​ (m. 1982; div. 1995)​
Children	3

Patricia Castle Richardson, born on February 23, 1951, is an American actress. She is most famous for playing Jill Taylor in the TV show Home Improvement. For this role, she was nominated for four Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. She also received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her work in the movie Ulee's Gold (1997).

Early Life and School Days

Patricia Richardson went to several different schools. These included Holton-Arms School and Hockaday School. She graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1972. While there, she was friends with classmates Beth Henley and Stephen Tobolowsky.

Stephen Tobolowsky was supposed to be in Home Improvement. However, he had other work plans when the show started. He was the one who first suggested Patricia Richardson for the role of Jill Taylor. This happened after another actress was thought to be too serious for the part.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out on Stage

Patricia Richardson began her acting journey in 1974. She was an understudy for the role of Gypsy Rose Lee in a Broadway show called Gypsy: A Musical Fable. She also played small parts in the chorus. For the next ten years, she worked in different theaters. She also appeared in commercials and other plays in New York.

Early TV and Movie Roles

She had roles in TV shows like The Equalizer and Kate & Allie. She was even in an episode of The Cosby Show with her real-life husband. In that episode, she played a woman having her ninth child. Patricia Richardson also appeared in the movies Christmas Evil and C.H.U.D.. In 1989, she was a radio station owner in an episode of Quantum Leap.

In 1983, she moved to Los Angeles for a short time. She worked on a TV show called Double Trouble. She decided not to return for a second season. Instead, she went back to New York to perform in a play. Later, Allan Burns, who helped create The Mary Tyler Moore Show, brought her back to Los Angeles. She starred in two more TV shows he produced: Eisenhower and Lutz and FM. Both shows ran for 13 episodes.

Becoming a Star in Home Improvement

In 1991, Patricia Richardson got her big break. Just three months after having twins, she became the last-minute choice for Jill Taylor. This was her most famous role on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement. She earned four Emmy nominations for this role. She also received two Golden Globe nominations.

While working on Home Improvement, she co-hosted the Emmy Awards with Ellen DeGeneres. She also starred in TV movies like Undue Influence and Sophie and the Moonhanger. In 1997, she earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination. This was for her first major movie role in Ulee's Gold.

Richardson and co-star Tim Allen on-stage at the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards with late night host Jay Leno seated.

Later TV and Film Work

In 2002, Richardson joined the medical drama Strong Medicine. She played a new character, Dr. Andy Campbell. She was nominated for two Prism Awards for her work on this show. After three seasons, she took on a recurring role. She played Sheila Brooks in the last two seasons of The West Wing. Sheila Brooks was a campaign manager for a presidential candidate.

Richardson appeared in the first season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2008, she was an executive producer for a documentary. It was called Long Story Short. In 2010, she was in a TV movie called The Jensen Project. In 2011, she appeared in Bringing Ashley Home. In 2012, she starred in the movie Beautiful Wave. The next year, she was in the Hallmark Channel movie Smart Cookies. Since then, she has filmed several independent movies. She also made two more Hallmark Channel movies, Friend Request and Snow Bride.

Reuniting with Tim Allen

In 2015, Patricia Richardson guest-starred on the TV show Last Man Standing. She played Helen Potts and reunited with her former Home Improvement co-star, Tim Allen. In the episode, it was revealed that one of Helen's sons was named Randy. Randy was played by another Home Improvement co-star, Jonathan Taylor Thomas. She returned as Helen Potts in the next season.

Theater and Leadership Roles

In 2015, she ran for president of SAG-AFTRA. This is a big union for actors and performers. She had already served on the board for one term. She lost the election by a small number of votes. However, she was re-elected to the National and Local Los Angeles Boards of SAG-AFTRA.

In 2016, Richardson returned to the stage. She performed in the play Steel Magnolias. This play was directed by Marsha Mason. It also starred Elaine Hendrix, Lucy DeVito, Jessica Walter, and Susan Sullivan. On June 9, 2016, this play became the highest-earning show ever at the Bucks County Playhouse.

Personal Life

Patricia Richardson married actor Ray Baker in 1982. They had three children together: Henry, Roxanne, and Joseph. They divorced in August 1995. Patricia Richardson is also the godmother of actress Betty Gilpin.

Richardson had a long relationship with Mark Cline. He was a retired psychologist. They had met when they were both students at Southern Methodist University.

Patricia Richardson has served on the Board of Directors for "Cure PSP" for many years. She is also their national spokesperson. Cure PSP is an organization that helps people with certain brain diseases. These include progressive supranuclear palsy. Her father passed away from PSP in 2005.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows