Patricia Richardson

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Patricia Richardson
Patricia Richardson 94.jpg
Richardson after the 1994 Emmy Awards
Born Patricia Castle Richardson
(1951-02-23) February 23, 1951 (age 62)
Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1980–present
Spouse(s) Ray Baker (1982–1995; divorced)
Children Henry (b. 1985)
twins Roxanne and Joseph (b. 1991)

Patricia Castle Richardson (born February 23, 1951) is an American television and film actress best known for her portrayal of Jill Taylor on the sitcom Home Improvement.

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Early life [edit]

Richardson was born in Bethesda, Maryland, and raised in Hagerstown, Maryland, as the third daughter of Mary Elizabeth (née Howard) and Lawrence Baxter Richardson. Her sisters' names are Ann, Lynn and Cathy. Her father was a corporate executive and retired naval officer. He also owned a restaurant in Hagerstown, Maryland, called Richardson's (which has since closed but other businesses keep the building where it is).[1] Richardson attended the Holton-Arms School in Maryland and then The Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas.[2] She is a 1973 graduate of Southern Methodist University, where she was friends with classmates Beth Henley and Stephen Tobolowsky, who was slated to be a cast member of Home Improvement but had other contractual commitments when the series began filming. Tobolowsky initially suggested to producers of Home Improvement that Richardson be considered for the role of Jill Taylor after Frances Fisher was deemed too serious for the role.

Career [edit]

Richardson began as an understudy in Angela Lansbury's Broadway production of Gypsy: A Musical Fable, eventually playing several parts. With early roles in programs such as Double Trouble, The Equalizer, Quantum Leap, and Kate & Allie. She appeared in one episode of The Cosby Show in the third season. Richardson appeared in the films C.H.U.D. and You Better Watch Out before landing her breakout role in 1991 on Home Improvement after Frances Fisher tested poorly in the role of Jill Taylor. Richardson received four Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations in this role.

After Home Improvement, she appeared in several made-for-TV films and won an Independent Spirit nomination in 1997 for her first major theatrical film role in Ulee's Gold.

She also had a starring role in the Lifetime medical drama Strong Medicine, as Dr. Andy Campbell (née March).

The final two seasons of The West Wing featured Richardson in a recurring role as Sheila Brooks, campaign director for Republican presidential candidate Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda).

Richardson also appeared in the first season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2010, she appeared in a NBC made for TV film, The Jensen Project, and in 2011, she appeared in the Lifetime TV film Bringing Ashley Home, also starring AJ Cook and Jennifer Morrison. In 2011, she starred in the coming-of-age film Beautiful Wave and in the following year appeared as Lola in the Hallmark Channel TV film Smart Cookies. In 2012 Richardson filmed the film Avarice, which is as of February 2013 yet to be released.

Personal life [edit]

Richardson is divorced from actor Ray Baker. They have three children together: Henry Baker (born on February 22, 1985), and twins Roxanne Elizabeth Baker and Joseph Castle Baker (born on January 3, 1991). Richardson and Baker divorced in August 1995. Richardson has a goddaughter named Betty.

Richardson had a long-term relationship with retired psychologist Dr. Mark Cline, whom she had met when they were both students at Southern Methodist University. When she joined the cast of Strong Medicine, Richardson mentioned in an interview they lived together in her LA home. Details about when or why they broke up were never revealed.

She has also served as a spokesperson for "Cure PSP", a website that tries to raise awareness of progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and multiple system atrophy, as her father was a victim of PSP.[3]

Filmography [edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1980 You Better Watch Out Moss' mother
1981 Love, Sidney 1 episode
1984 C.H.U.D. Ad Woman
Double Trouble Beth McConnell 8 episodes
1985 ABC Weekend Special Pamela Sawyer 1 episode
Kate & Allie Pamela 1 episode
1986 Yuri Nosenko, KGB Joan Black
Spenser: For Hire Sarah Cabot 1 episode
1987 The Cosby Show Mrs. Schrader 1 episode
Hands of a Stranger Helen
The Equalizer Sandy 1 episode
1988 Eisenhower and Lutz Kay 'K.K.' Dunne 13 episodes
1989 The Parent Trap III Cassie McGuire
Lost Angels Cheryl's Mother
In Country Cindy
Quantum Leap Rachel Porter 1 episode
1989–1990 FM Lee-Ann Plunkett 13 episodes
1996 Sophie & the Moonhanger Bonnie Edgerton
Undue Influence Laurel Vega
1997 Ulee's Gold Connie Hope Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
1991–1999 Home Improvement Jill Taylor 203 episodes
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1994, 1995)
1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Annabel Hayes 1 episode
2001 Blonde Gladys Baker
Viva Las Nowhere Helen/Wanda
2002–2005 Strong Medicine Dr. Andy Campbell 59 episodes
Nominated – Prism Award for Best Performance in a Drama Series (2003)
2005 Candy Paint Linda Miller
2005–2006 The West Wing Sheila Brooks 9 episodes
2007 California Dreaming Aunt Bonnie
2009 Lost Dream Patricia
2010 The Jensen Project Ingrid
2011 Beautiful Wave Sue
Bringing Ashley Home Michelle McGee
2012 Smart Cookies Lola
Avarice Claire

References [edit]

  1. ^ Patricia Richardson Biography (1951–), Film Reference
  2. ^ NNDB. "Patricia Richardson". Retrieved 2006-08-22. 
  3. ^ Patricia Richardson, Cure PSP

External links [edit]