# Cynthia Stevenson

Cynthia Stevenson (born August 2, 1962) is an American actress. She first played a leading role in the syndicated parody comedy series My Talk Show (1990–91), before starring in a number of sitcoms, including Bob (CBS, 1992–93), Hope & Gloria (NBC, 1995–96), and Oh Baby (Lifetime, 1998–2000).
Stevenson made her big screen debut in Robert Altman's 1992 satirical film The Player. She later has appeared in a number of films including Forget Paris (1995), Home for the Holidays (1995), Happiness (1998), Air Bud: Golden Receiver (1998) and its sequels, and Agent Cody Banks (2003) and its sequel. Stevenson also starred in the Showtime comedy-drama Dead Like Me (2003–04) and the ABC comedy-drama Men in Trees (2006–08).

## Early life, family and education

Stevenson was born in Oakland, California, on August 2, 1962, and raised in the small (1.7 sq mi (4.4 km$^2$)) city of Piedmont, enclaved within Oakland.
The family relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, when she was 10 years old. She lived there until she was 20 years old.
She attended the University of Victoria, in British Columbia.

## Career

In 1986, Stevenson made her television debut as a cast member of the syndicated sketch comedy show Off The Wall. In 1987, she appeared in an episode of Max Headroom. She later starred in the made-for-television movies A Father's Homecoming and Double Your Pleasure, and played a leading role alongside Suzie Plakson in the 1989 pilot for Married to the Mob. Also in 1989, she appeared as Norm Peterson's high-strung secretary Doris in two episodes of Cheers.

### 1990s

Stevenson played a leading role in the short-lived syndicated comedy series My Talk Show from 1990 to 1991. The following year, she was cast alongside Bob Newhart and Carlene Watkins in the CBS sitcom Bob). The series was canceled after two seasons. Also in 1992, she made her big screen debut in the comedy film The Player directed by Robert Altman. She later had roles in a number of comedy films, including Watch It (1993), Forget Paris (1995), Home for the Holidays (1995), Live Nude Girls (1995), Happiness (1998), Air Bud: Golden Receiver (1998) and its sequels. From 1995 to 1996, she starred as Hope, a high-strung television producer, in the NBC sitcom Hope and Gloria, which ran for two seasons and 35 episodes. In 1998, she played Jane Conrad, former wife of astronaut Pete Conrad in the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. Later that year, Stevenson began starring as a single working woman who decides to have a child through artificial insemination in the Lifetime comedy series, Oh Baby. The series ended in 2000.

### 2000s–present

Stevenson played mother of Frankie Muniz's character in the 2003 spy comedy film Agent Cody Banks and in its sequel Agent Cody Banks 2 the following year. From 2003 to 2004, she was a regular cast member in the Showtime dark comedy-drama series Dead Like Me, playing lead character George (Ellen Muth)'s mother. In 2009, she starred in its sequel film, Dead like Me: Life After Death. In April 2006, she completed filming a sitcom pilot for CBS called You've Reached the Elliotts, starring opposite Chris Elliott as his wife, which was not picked up by the network. She had a recurring role on the Showtime drama series The L Word, and co-starred with Judy Davis in the 2006 comedy-drama film A Little Thing Called Murder. She also appeared in Six Feet Under, Monk and in multiple episodes of According to Jim. She also appeared in films Neverwas (2005), Full of It (2007), Will You Marry Me? (2008), I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009) and Case 39 (2009).
From 2006 to 2008, Stevenson starred in the ABC comedy-drama series, Men in Trees, which was taped in Vancouver. In April 2009, she co-starred opposite Bob Saget on the short-lived ABC sitcom Surviving Suburbia. In 2010, she had a recurring role as Shiri Appleby's character's mother on The CW drama series Life Unexpected. In 2010, she also appeared in the music video for the song "Fuckin' Perfect" by Pink.
Stevenson appeared in Shonda Rhimes dramas Grey's Anatomy in 2010, Off the Map and Private Practice in 2011, Scandal in 2013, and from 2018 to 2020 played Pam Walsh, Connor's mother on How to Get Away with Murder. In 2014, she played villainous housekeeper in the Lifetime television film Killing Daddy and in 2015, starred alongside Ed Begley Jr. in the TBS comedy series Your Family or Mine.

## Personal life

Stevenson married director Tom Davies in 1992; the couple met in 1991, on the set of The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag, when she filmed a brief uncredited appearance.
She returned to reside in one of her childhood hometowns, Vancouver, when she worked there from 2001 to 2008.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | To the Moon, Alice | Perky Girl | Short film |
| 1992 | The Player | Bonnie Sherow | |
| 1993 | Watch It | Ellen | |
| 1995 | Forget Paris | Liz | |
| 1995 | Home for the Holidays | Joanne Larson Wedman | |
| 1995 | Live Nude Girls | Marcy | |
| 1998 | Happiness | Trish Maplewood | National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble |
| 1998 | Air Bud: Golden Receiver | Jackie Framm | |
| 2002 | Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch | Jackie Framm | DVD Exclusive Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2003 | Agent Cody Banks | Mrs. Banks | |
| 2003 | Air Bud Spikes Back | Jackie Framm | |
| 2004 | Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London | Mrs. Banks | |
| 2005 | Neverwas | Sally | |
| 2006 | Air Buddies | Jackie Framm | |
| 2007 | Full of It | Mrs. Leonard | |
| 2008 | Snow Buddies | Jackie Framm | |
| 2009 | Dead Like Me: Life After Death | Joy Lass | |
| 2009 | Reunion | Emily | |
| 2009 | I Love You, Beth Cooper | Mrs. C | |
| 2009 | Case 39 | Nancy | |
| 2009 | Jennifer's Body | Chip's Mom | |
| 2012 | Tiger Eyes | Bitsy Kronick | |
| 2018 | Baja | Josey Johnson | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Off the Wall | Various | Syndicated sketch comedy show |
| 1988 | A Father's Homecoming | Toni | Television movie |
| 1989 | Newhart | Nancy | Episode: "Shoe Business Is My Life" |
| 1989 | Married to the Mob | Marie Scarlotti | Unsold television pilot |
| 1989 | Double Your Pleasure | Nicole | Television movie |
| 1989 | Cheers | Doris | Episodes: "The Two Faces of Norm" and "Feeble Attraction" |
| 1990 | Booker | Penny | Episode: "Hacker" |
| 1990 | Empty Nest | Amy | Episode: "Everything But Love" |
| 1990–1991 | My Talk Show | Jennifer Bass | Main role, 59 episodes |
| 1991 | Major Dad | Anita | Episode: "Flying Solo" |
| 1992–1993 | Bob | Trisha McKay | Main role, 28 episodes |
| 1995 | Dream On | Abby Kaplow | Episode: "Off-Off Broadway Bound" |
| 1995–1996 | Hope and Gloria | Hope Davidson | Main role, 35 episodes |
| 1998 | From the Earth to the Moon | Jane Conrad | Television miniseries |
| 1998 | Ally McBeal | Hayley Chisolm | Episode: "Alone Again" |
| 1998–2000 | Oh Baby | Tracy Calloway | Main role, 44 episodes |
| 2003–2004 | Dead Like Me | Joy Lass | Main role, 28 episodes |
| 2005 | Six Feet Under | Joy Solomon | Episode: "The Silence" |
| 2005 | Joan of Arcadia | Woman at Joan's Award Ceremony | Episode: "The Rise & Fall of Joan Girard"; uncredited |
| 2006 | You've Reached the Elliotts | Tracy Elliott | Unsold television pilot |
| 2006 | A Little Thing Called Murder | Beverly Bates | Television movie |
| 2006 | The L Word | Roberta Collie | 3 episodes |
| 2006 | Monk | Dianne Brooks | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Class Reunion" |
| 2003–2007 | According to Jim | Cindy Devlin | 4 episodes |
| 2006–2008 | Men in Trees | Celia Bachelor | Main role, 27 episodes |
| 2008 | Will You Merry Me? | Marilyn Kringle | Television movie |
| 2009 | Surviving Suburbia | Anne Patterson | Main role, 13 episodes |
| 2010 | Grey's Anatomy | Ruthie Carlin | Episode: "Blink" |
| 2010 | Life Unexpected | Laverne Cassidy | 5 episodes |
| 2011 | Off the Map | Charlene | Episode: "Hold on Tight" |
| 2011 | Chaos | Violet Green | Episode: "Defending Sophia" |
| 2011 | Private Practice | Karen | Episode: "Step One" |
| 2012 | The Soul Man | Carolyn | Episode: "How to Be a Church Lady" |
| 2013 | Scandal | Mary Nesbitt | Episode: "Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington" |
| 2014 | Killing Daddy | Emma Granger | Television movie |
| 2014 | Kingdom | Marilyn Wheeler | Episode: "Please Refrain from Crying" |
| 2014 | Sleepy Hollow | Gina Lambert | Episode: "Mama" |
| 2015 | Your Family or Mine | Jan | Main role |
| 2015 | Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories | Matt's mother | Episode: "Tornado" |
| 2018 | Supergirl | Mrs Queller | Episode: "Shelter from the Storm" |
| 2018–2020 | How to Get Away with Murder | Pam Walsh | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2021 | The Good Doctor | Senator Marian Clark | Episode: "Letting Go" |