Amanda Bearse is an American actress, comedian and director. She starred in the 1985 supernatural horror film Fright Night, and later starred as Marcy Rhoades D'Arcy in the Fox sitcom Married... with Children (1987–1997). Bearse later began working as a television director, directing over 90 episodes of several comedy series.
Early life
Bearse grew up in Winter Park, Florida. After she graduated from Winter Park High School in 1976, her family moved to Atlanta. She attended Rollins College and graduated from Birmingham Southern College.
Career
Bearse made her television debut playing the role of Amanda Cousins in the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children from 1982 to 1983. The following year, she had a small role in the comedy film Protocol starring Goldie Hawn, and later landed a role in the sex comedy Fraternity Vacation. In 1985, Bearse played the female leading role in the supernatural horror film Fright Night. She returned to television with a guest-starring role in the ABC drama series, Hotel in 1986. The following year, she was cast as Marcy Rhoades (later Marcy D'Arcy), the feminist next-door neighbor in the Fox sitcom Married... with Children opposite Ed O'Neill and Katey Sagal. The series ran to 1997, becoming one of the longest running sitcoms in television history.
Bearse studied directing at the American Film Institute and the University of Southern California.
Personal life
Bearse has been publicly out as lesbian since 1993 and has a daughter, Zoe.
thumb|Bearse in 2005
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1983
|First Affair
|Karen
|Television film
|-
|1984
|Protocol
|Soap Opera Actor
|
|-
|1985
|Fraternity Vacation
|Nicole Ferret
|
|-
|1985
|Fright Night
|Amy Peterson
|
|-
|1988
|Goddess of Love
| Cathy
|Television film
|-
|1995
|Here Come the Munsters
|Mrs. Pearl
|Television film
|-
|1995
|The Doom Generation
|Barmaid
|
|-
|2003
|Give or Take an Inch
|Charlotte
|Short film
|-
|2020
|Sky Sharks
|Marjorie Phelps
|
|-
|2022
|Bros
|Anne Shepard
|
|-
|2024
|Tapawingo
|Ramona Skoog
|
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1982–1983
| All My Children
|Amanda Cousins
|Series regular
|-
|1986
|Hotel
|Jean Haywood
| Episode: "Triangles"
|-
|1987–1997
| Married... with Children
| Marcy D'Arcy / Marcy Rhoades / Mandy
|Series regular, 259 episodes; also director for 31 episodes
|-
|1990
|The Earth Day Special
| Marcy D'Arcy
|Television special
|-
|1992
| Likely Suspects
|
|Episode: "Addicted to Murder"
|-
|2001
|Nikki
|Marcy Rhoades
|Episode: "Technical Knockup"
|-
|2011
| Drop Dead Diva
|Judge Jodi Corliss
|Episodes: "Prom" and "You Bet Your Life"
|-
|2013
|Anger Management
| Rita
|Episode: "Charlie and the Ex-Patient"
|}