Joyce Bulifant

Joyce Bulifant (born December 16, 1937) is an American actress, most notably for her sunny "little girl"-like Southern lilt of a voice. Bulifant was a frequent panelists on the television game shows Match Game and Chain Reaction, for which she gave bizarre answers that seldom the contestants on the former.

Life and Career
Bulifant was born in Newport News in easter Virginia. In the 1960s, after appering on broadway, she guest starred in numerous television programs including ABC's Channing and NBC's Empire and ''The Virginian. Bulifant played and intended murder victim in an episode of NBC's Thriller in 1961: "An Attractive Family", and also as the innocent youung blonde defedant "Nancy Banks" in CBS's Perry Mason ''1963 episode 197: "The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands", the second of her two apperances in the Raymond Burr legal drama. Her first Perry Mason apperance that year was opposite Walter Pidgeon in "The Case of the Surplus Suitor".

In 1963, Bulifant appeared with Don Keefer as a guest star in one of the last episodes of Walter Brennan's sitcom The Real McCoys, Then on CBS. Bulifant, who has been described as "naturally funny", was the original choice for Carol Brady on ABC's The Brady Bunch, but the part ultimately went to Florence Henderson later on.

After losing that role, Bulifant accepter the role of Marsha Patterson in the half-hour NBC television series The Bill Cosby Show (1969-1971). From 1971 through 1977, she portrayed the wife of Murray Slaughter (opposite Gavin MacLeod), Marie Slaughter on CBS's The Mary Tyler Moore Show, making eleven appearances over seven seasons. During this time, Bulifant also played Majorie Martin (the wife of Herbert Martin) on the Saturday morning show Big John, Little John.

Bulifant later had a role in the short-lived series Flo, playing Flo's best friend, Miriam Willoughby. Bulifant has also appeared in the movie ''Airplane! and as David Spade's mother on the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me!, ''in addition to guest starring role on several TV shows, and as a guest panelist on numerous game shows. Bulifant appeared on GSN Live on March 21, 2008.

Bulifant has for many years been actively involved with the child abuse prevention non-profit Childhelp, including serving as a Celebrity Ambassador and as Vice-President on the National Board of Directors.

Family
Bulifant has been married five times, including to actor James MacArthur (the adopted son of Charles MacArthus and Helen Hayes) actor Edward Mallory, and producer William Asher (the former husband of actress Elizabeth Montgomery). Bulifant is also the mother of actor and director John Mallory Asher who was born from her seocnd marriage to Mallory and later adopted by her third husband Asher. In addition, Bulifant is also the ex-mother-in-law of actress Jenny McCarthy. Bulifant has also been married to actor Roger Perry (the former husband of Jo Anne Worley. In the 1960-1961 season, Perry co-starred wit Par O'Brien in the ABC sitcom Harrigan and Son.

Shows appeared

 * Match Game
 * Celebrity Sweepstakes
 * Showoffs
 * You Don't Say
 * The Riddlers (unsold pilot)
 * Decisions, Decisions (unsold pilot)
 * Password Plus
 * Chain Reaction
 * The (New) $25,000 Pyramid
 * GSN Live
 * The 2009 Game Show Awards