Lisa Gerritsen
| Lisa Gerritsen | |
|---|---|
Gerritsen in 1975
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| Born |
Lisa Orszag December 21, 1957 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1968–1977 |
| Spouse(s) | John Rustan (m. 2000) |
Lisa Gerritsen (born December 21, 1957) is a former American child actress. She is most famous for her role as Bess, the independent-minded daughter of Phyllis Lindstrom on the 1970s television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off Phyllis.
She was born Lisa Orszag, and is the granddaughter of child actor and screenwriter True Eames Boardman, and the great-granddaughter of silent film actors True Boardman and Virginia True Boardman. Her acting career began when she was eight years old. Encouraged by her mother and grandfather, and after running the gamut of numerous casting calls, she landed her first professional role in an episode of The Doris Day Show in 1968. After The Doris Day Show, Gerritsen had guest-star or cameo appearances in several television shows including The Odd Couple, Bonanza, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Virginian and Family Affair.
She was also cast in several episodes of Gunsmoke, one of which helped her to land a regular role in the 1969 NBC comedy series My World and Welcome to It, which starred William Windom and Joan Hotchkis. The show was based on the cartoons and comedy of author James Thurber.
Gerritsen's role as the cartoonist's daughter in My World and Welcome to It was a high point in her career. The show won several awards including Emmys, although it was cancelled after only one season. Combining animation from Depatie-Freleng with live-action sit-com storylines involving cartoonist John Monroe, his wife, daughter and pets, the show's format was unusual for TV. Produced by Sheldon Leonard, the series employed top writers, directors and guest-stars, and it also featured the cartoons of James Thurber. The show's unique brand of curmudgeonly family strife and social satire included an unconventional relationship between father and daughter, and Gerritsen's performance as the genius daughter of Monroe showed range and depth.
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