About
Legendary star of the silver screen and activist for the disabled community who became most widely cherished for her role as Dr. Patricia Ludwig on several seasons of the HBO drama series True Blood. She guest-starred on multiple television shows including St. Elsewhere and Schooled. She also appeared in feature films such as Tiptoes and The Disappointments Room, in both of which she performed alongside co-star Kate Beckinsale.
Before Fame
After graduating from the University of Missouri, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1980 and although she dreamt of someday becoming an actress, she established her career in teaching for the Pasadena public school district. As luck would have it, however, a fortuitous and coincidental brush with the prodigious Billy Barty led her to be cast in the 1981 film Under the Rainbow, the first of what would become a long list of acting credits over the course of her career.
Trivia
She was a passionate advocate for disabled actors like herself and she consistently strove for the entertainment industry to create more opportunities for their community. She was also an ardent lover of animals and would always welcome stray and needy cats into her home and her heart.
Family Life
After graduating from college, she made the move to Los Angeles with her mother. She publicly expressed that she was not willing to endure the "disaster" in which she had witnessed so many marriages end. Thus, she remained unmarried by choice for the entirety of her life.
Associated With
She co-starred as Kathleen with Ed Gale and Michael J Anderson in the 2002 romance film Tiptoes. She considered the late Zelda Rubinstein to be her mentor and close personal friend.
