Birthday: March 6, 1948.
Birthplace: New York.
Occupation: Actress.
Current homes: Los Angeles and New York.
Marital status: Single.
Working on: Playing Thelma on Amen, Saturday nights on NBC.
Worst job: Selling mattresses by phone.
Favorite performer: Lily Tomlin.
Personal hero: My father. He owned a grocery store, and a robber came in and shot him four times. Everyone thought he would die, but he was back on his feet in six months. He became Superman to me.
I’m better than anyone else when it comes to: Being an optimist. I can turn any situation into a joke.
I’d give anything to meet: Robert DeNiro.
A really great evening to me is: Having a discussion with new people. I’m the most opinionated person in the world.
The worst advice my mother ever gave me was: “You have to pay for everything you do.” It’s true, but she never told me how much you have to pay and how quickly.
People who knew me in high school thought I: Could always make them feel better.
I knew I was a grown-up when I: Worked three jobs to support myself.
My most irrational act: Before Amen, I was stressed out because my career wasn’t moving fast enough. One day I got a residual check for $50, and I took half of it and bought boxes and started to pack up my things. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I had to move.
Behind my back my friends say: “She’s pushy, bossy and loud.”
If I’ve learned one thing in life, it’s: Be happy every day because any day could be your last one.
