Julia Duffy Biography

Julia Duffy (born Julia Margaret Hinds; June 27, 1951) is an American actress from Minneapolis, Minnesota, specializing in character roles, best known as the spoiled rich girl and Dick Loudon's (played by Bob Newhart) inn maid, Stephanie Vanderkellen, on the 1980s sitcom, Newhart.

Career

Duffy's early career included parts in soap operas such as One Life to Live, The Doctors and Love of Life. Duffy also appeared in movies such as Night Warning (1981) and Cutter's Way (1981). She made an appearance on the television sitcom Cheers during the show's first season in 1982; she had been considered for the role of Diane Chambers.

In 1983, she played Princess Ariel Baaldorf in the medieval spoof Wizards and Warriors, which had a short run on the CBS television network.

Duffy joined the cast of the television series Newhart in its second season (she made an appearance in the 14th episode of the 1st season), playing the part of the self-infatuated preppy maid Stephanie Vanderkellen. It is probably her most popular role and one she played for seven seasons. She earned Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the role every year from 1984 through 1990. She also received a Golden Globe nomination and won three Viewers For Quality Television Awards for her work. Julia was actually pregnant during several episodes of Newhart. To hide it, she wore baggy clothes and stood behind furniture.

After the end of Newhart, Duffy briefly starred in the sitcom Baby Talk alongside George Clooney. (She worked again with Clooney some years later in the Coen Brothers' comedy Intolerable Cruelty). She then joined Designing Women, essentially replacing Delta Burke who was let go after quarrels with producers. Duffy played the newly-created role of Allison Sugarbaker. Duffy's season was the show's highest-rated, but producers chose not to have her return for what would be its final year.

From 1993-95, Duffy played Barb Ballantine on the short-lived comedy series The Mommies.

Duffy played Lindsay Mercer, one of the failed buyers of Winfred-Lauder and the ex-wife of "Lord Mercer" on The Drew Carey Show.

Duffy had a recurring role on the Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh as Linda Hayfer, a high school English teacher who despises Drake.

Julia Duffy had a role on the WB series Reba as Cheyenne's high school principal, Mrs. Hodge.

Duffy also starred in the television program The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as the rich mother of Jason, a boy who goes on a date with Maddie Fitzpatrick (Ashley Tisdale).

Duffy continues to do television guest spots and movies; she played Joan's mother in a January 2007 episode of Campus Ladies.

Duffy recently made a brief appearance in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson VP as the owner of a stage that LuLu wanted to rent, she also had an obsession with Elvis Presley saying that his spirit lived on in that building, but it was really rats

Duffy is a frequent guest star in the staged radio program The Thrilling Adventure Hour.

Duffy has a role in the upcoming Peter Sattler film, Camp X-Ray (film), starring Kristen Stewart and Peyman Moaadi.

Personal life

Duffy graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York in 1972. She has been married since 1984 to actor Jerry Lacy, co-star of Dark Shadows and Love of Life, and has 2 children, daughter Kerry Kathleen and son Danny. They live in Los Angeles.

Politics

She is a member of the republican party.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977	One Life to Live	Karen Wolek	Episode: "#1.7659"
1979	The Love Boat	Sandy	2 episodes
1980	Battle Beyond the Stars	Mol
1981	Lou Grant	Charlene	Episode: "Rape"
1982	Cheers	Rebecca Prout	Season 1, Episode 6, 1982
1982	Voyagers!	Nellie Bly	Episode: "Jack's Back"
1983-1990	Newhart	Stephanie Vanderkellen	163 episodes Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series (1986-88) Nominated"?American Comedy Award for Funniest Leading Female in a Comedy Series Nominated"?American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Female in a Comedy Series Nominated"?Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress " Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated"?Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1984-90)
1982	'	Mary Hale	3 episodes
1983	Simon & Simon	Jody Carmichael	Episode: "Room 3502"
1983	Wizards and Warriors	Princess Ariel	8 episodes
1984	The Love Boat	Paula	Episode: "The Last Heist"
1985	Hotel	Arlene Greenspan	Episode: "Hearts and Minds"
1991	Baby Talk	Maggie Campbell	12 episodes
1991-1992	Designing Women	Allison Sugarbaker	23 episodes
1993-1995	'	Barb Ballantine	28 episodes
1996	Pinky and the Brain	Delilah	Episode: "A Little Off the Top"
1997	Social Studies	Frances Harman	6 episodes
1999	Sabrina, the Teenage Witch	Lucy Kraft	Episode: "Mrs. Kraft"
1999	Diagnosis: Murder	Lorraine Kay	Episode: "The Roast"
2001-2002	Reba	Mrs. Hodge	4 episodes
2002	The Drew Carey Show	Lindsay Mercer	Episode: "Rich Woman, Poor Man"
2003	Intolerable Cruelty	Sarah Sorkin
2004-2006	Drake & Josh	Mrs. Hayfer	4 episodes
2005	CSI: NY	Millie Hanford	Episode: "Recycling"
2005	'	Martha Harrington	Episode: "Maddie Checks In"
2006	7th Heaven	Mrs. Porter	Episode: "Got MLK?"
2008	Wizards of Waverly Place	Mrs. Angela	Episode: "Credit Check"
2008	Together Again for the First Time	Audrey Wolders Frobisher	Television film
2008	7 Things to Do Before I'm 30	Vanessa Madisen	Television film
2010	Melissa & Joey	Myrna Sherwood	Episode: "A Fright in the Attic "
2010	La Grêve de Noël	Robert Iscove	Television film "
2011-2013	Shameless	Candace Lishman	4 episodes
2012	The League	Kevin and Taco's mom	Episode: "The Breastalyzer"