Amy Yasbeck

Amy Yasbeck
Yasbeck in 2019
Born	Amy Marie Yasbeck (1962-09-12) September 12, 1962 Blue Ash, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1985–present
Spouse	John Ritter ​ ​ (m. 1999; died 2003)​
Children	1

Amy Marie Yasbeck (born September 12, 1962) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Casey Chappel Davenport on the sitcom Wings from 1994 to 1997, and for having played the mermaid Madison in the television film Splash, Too in 1988 (the role originated by Daryl Hannah in the film Splash). She has guest starred in several television shows and appeared in the films House II: The Second Story, Pretty Woman, Problem Child, Problem Child 2, The Mask, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It.

Early life

Yasbeck was born in Blue Ash, Ohio, the daughter of Dorothy Louise Mary (née Murphy), a homemaker, and John Anthony Yasbeck (Arabic: جون أنتوني يَزبك), a butcher and grocery store owner. Her father was of Lebanese descent, while her mother was of Irish ancestry. As a child, Yasbeck was featured on the package art for the Betty Crocker Easy-Bake Oven. Years later, in 2000, she was presented with a new Easy-Bake Oven on the show I've Got a Secret, for which she was a regular panel member.

She spent her primary and secondary years at two different Catholic schools: Summit Country Day School and Ursuline Academy. She then enrolled in the theater program at the University of Detroit but didn't graduate. In 1983, after the deaths of both of her parents, her father from a heart attack and her mother from emphysema, Yasbeck moved to New York City.

Career

Early in her acting career, she appeared in Rockhopper, an unsold television pilot from 1985. Yasbeck has had guest-starring roles in many television shows, including Dallas, Spies, Werewolf, J.J. Starbuck, Magnum, P.I., China Beach, and Murphy Brown. She auditioned for the role of Elaine Benes on Seinfeld. She played Olivia Reed for four months between 1986 and 1987 on the long-running daytime drama Days of Our Lives. She also played the starring role of the mermaid Madison in the Disney television film Splash, Too in 1988 (the role of Madison was originated by Daryl Hannah in the 1984 film Splash). Yasbeck also had starring roles in the sitcoms Wings, Alright Already, and Life on a Stick and in movies such as House II: The Second Story, Pretty Woman, Problem Child, Problem Child 2, and The Mask. She has twice worked with Mel Brooks: in 1993's Robin Hood: Men in Tights and 1995's Dracula: Dead and Loving It.

Yasbeck also appeared once on the hit DCOS That's So Raven as the mother of the character Chelsea. The episode originally aired on September 22, 2006.

In late 2007, plans surfaced of a potential That's So Raven spin-off featuring Yasbeck and Anneliese van der Pol, who portrayed her daughter, with occasional appearances by Raven-Symoné. The show was scrapped due to van der Pol signing onto a Broadway play, and Yasbeck wanting to take a break from acting to focus on her family.

She was a contestant on the syndicated version of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? in 2010.

Personal life

Yasbeck is the widow of actor John Ritter, with whom she had worked in several projects. She first met him at director Dennis Dugan's house during a read-through of their film Problem Child.

Yasbeck and Ritter also starred together in Problem Child 2 (1991) and guest-starred together in an episode of The Cosby Show that aired in 1991. Ritter also guest-starred on Wings as Yasbeck's estranged husband in the season-seven episode "Love Overboard". The couple had a child together in 1998, and they married the following year on September 18, 1999, at the Murphy Theatre in Wilmington, Ohio.

On September 11, 2003, Ritter experienced chest pain and extreme nausea while rehearsing for 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. He was taken to the hospital by paramedics. Initially, Ritter was thought to be suffering a heart attack. At 10:48 that night, Ritter died. The cause of death was later determined to be an aortic dissection stemming from a previously undiagnosed congenital heart defect.

Yasbeck gave her blessing to the continuation of the sitcom, as 8 Simple Rules, where it was ultimately decided that Katey Sagal's character would assume the lead role as a widow.

Yasbeck appeared on Larry King Live on June 16, 2008, to discuss heart disease.

On the September 5, 1990, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, she said that her "great-great-great uncle" Charles Webb Murphy was the owner of the Chicago Cubs during their 1907 and 1908 championships.

Wrongful death lawsuit

After John Ritter's death, Yasbeck filed a $67 million wrongful death lawsuit against Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center and several doctors who treated him, alleging they misdiagnosed his condition and contributed to his death. Several of the defendants settled out of court for a total of $14 million, including Providence St. Joseph, which settled for $9.4 million. On March 14, 2008, a jury split 9–3 in favor of the doctors, clearing the physicians of any wrongdoing.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987	House II: The Second Story	Lana
1990	Pretty Woman	Elizabeth Stuckey
	Problem Child	Florence "Flo" Healy
1991	Problem Child 2	Annie Young
1992	The Nutt House	Diane Nutt
1993	Robin Hood: Men in Tights	Maid Marian
1994	The Mask	Peggy Brandt
1995	Home for the Holidays	Ginny Johnson Drewer
	Dracula: Dead and Loving It	Mina Seward
1998	Denial	Claudia
	The Odd Couple II	Stewardess
2012	Little Women, Big Cars	Meg
	Little Women, Big Cars 2

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1985	Rockhopper	Sonia Petrova	Unsold TV pilot
1986–1987	Days of Our Lives	Olivia Reed	—
1987	Dallas	Mary Elizabeth	2 episodes
	Spies	Margo	Episode: "Right or Wrong"
	Werewolf	Deidra	Episode: "Nothing Evil in These Woods"
	J.J. Starbuck	Doreen	Episode: "Pilot"
1987–1988	Magnum, P.I.	Diana	4 episodes
1988	China Beach	Airplane Stewardess	Episode: "Pilot"
	Splash, Too	Madison Bauer	Television film
1989	Trenchcoat in Paradise	Nan Thompson	Television film
	Murphy Brown	Young Lady in Bar	Episode: "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?"
	Little White Lies	Vicki	Television film
	Generations	Carla	—
1990	Midnight Caller	Mary Lou Harper	Episode: "The Hostage Game"
	Poochinski	Frannie Reynolds	Unsold TV pilot
1990, 1993	Matlock	Model Lauren Chadwick / Cheryl Atkinson	2 episodes
1991	Murder, She Wrote	Connie Canzinaro	Episode: "Family Doctor"
	Dillinger	Elaine	Television film
	The Cosby Show	Alicia Evans	Episode: "Total Control"
1992	Get a Life	Evelyn	Episode: "Girlfriend 2000"
	Designing Women	Tiffany	Episode: "A Little Night Music"
	Quantum Leap	Frankie Washarskie	Episode: "Stand Up"
1993	Street Justice	Nancy	Rpisode: "The Wall"
1994	Diagnosis: Murder	Karen Davis	Episode: "The Restless Remains"
	Dave's World	Julie	Episode: "The Funeral"
1994–1997	Wings	Casey Chappel Davenport	—
1995	Platypus Man	Wendy	Episode: "Pilot"
1996	Bloodhounds II	Sharon	Television film
	Sweet Dreams	Laura Renault	Television film
1997–1998	Alright Already	Renee	—
1998	Dead Husbands	Betty Lancing	Television film
1999	It's Like, You Know...	Karen	Episode: "The Sweet Smell of Success"
2002	House Blend	Sally Harper	TV pilot
2003	Just Shoot Me!	Skyler	Episode: "For the Last Time, I Do"
2005	Life on a Stick	Michelle Lackerson	—
2006	That's So Raven	Joni Daniels	Episode: "The Ice Girl Cometh"
2007	Shorty McShorts' Shorts	Danielle	Voice, episode: "Flip-Flopped"
2010	Hot in Cleveland	Hailey Nash	Episode: "The Sex That Got Away"
2013	Bones	Diana Malkin	Episode: "The Archaeologist in the Cocoon"
	Modern Family	Lorraine	Episode: "Larry's Wife"
2015	Workaholics	Annette	Episode: "Gramps Demamp Is Dead"
2016	Pretty Little Liars	Claudia	Episode: "Do Not Disturb"

Books

• Yasbeck, Amy (September 7, 2010). With Love and Laughter, John Ritter. New York: Gallery Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-9841-1.

External links

• Amy Yasbeck at IMDb
• Amy Yasbeck at the TCM Movie Database
• Amy Yasbeck at AllMovie