# Dorothy Lyman

Dorothy Lyman (April 18, 1947) is an American television actress, director, and producer. She is most known for her work as Gwen Frame on Another World, on All My Children as the original Opal Sue Gardner, as Rebecca Whitmore on Generations, and on the sitcom Mama's Family as Naomi Harper.

## Life and career

Lyman was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Violet E. (née Brightwell) and Hector H. Lyman, who was a stockbroker. She is Protestant. Jill Larson, who succeeded Lyman in the role of Opal on All My Children, and she attended the same high school. She debuted on her first soap opera, A World Apart, as flower child Julie Stark in 1971. Several years later, Dorothy appeared as Elly Jo Jamison, an evil relation of wealthy Orin Hillyer's, (1972-1973) on The Edge of Night, and as architect Gwen Parrish Frame (1976–1980, 1989) on Another World.
Her most notable soap opera role, though, was on All My Children as Opal Sue Gardner (1981-1983), for which she received two Emmy Awards—as Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series in 1982 and for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series in 1983. Lyman performed characters on other soap operas including Rebecca Whitmore (1990–1991) on Generations, and Bonnie Roberts (1991–1992) on The Bold and the Beautiful.
In 1983, Lyman became well known for her role as Naomi Harper on the sitcom Mama's Family, a role she played for the full six seasons. In an appearance on Vicki Lawrence's talk show Vicki!, Lyman noted that she continued to perform on All My Children concurrently with the beginning of Mama's Family's production, flying back and forth each week between New York City and Los Angeles. While the commute was brutal, she remembered it fondly, referring to that stage of her career as "All My Paychecks".
During this time, Lyman appeared in the Tales from the Darkside television series in the "In the Cards" episode (1985). She also played Ralphie's mother in Jean Shepherd's Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss from 1988, appeared in ALF as Maura Norris in the episode "Tequila" (1988), and in Hunter as Sgt. Carol James Meyers in the episode "The Pit" (1989).
When Mama's Family ended its run in 1990, Lyman went behind the camera, producing and directing 75 episodes of The Nanny (all episodes of the third and fourth seasons, and all but four episodes of the fifth), even making a special guest appearance on the Fran Drescher sitcom. Lyman also had a recurring role on Bob, Bob Newhart's third series.
On the big screen, she made a cameo appearance in I Love Trouble, a film starring Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts. She made another cameo appearance in the 2001 film Blow starring Johnny Depp. She was seen in the 2006 films World Trade Center and The Departed.
In 2007, Lyman guest-starred in the third season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica as Starbuck's mother. She made a guest appearance on Reba, playing the titular character's mother. She appeared in The Blacklist in the season-six episode "The Pawnbrokers".
Lyman performed My Kitchen Wars in Hollywood and New York as a one-woman show based on the book by Betty Fussell.

## Personal life

From 1971 to 1983, Lyman was married to director and actor John Tillinger; they have two children, including daughter Emma Tillinger Koskoff, who is an Academy Awards-nominated producer. Her son, Sebastian Tillinger, is an actor. From her second marriage to French film producer Vincent Malle, Lyman has a son.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | The 300 Year Weekend | Jean | |
| 1980 | Night of the Juggler | Nurse Jenny | |
| 1984 | Summer Fantasy | Dr. Nancy Brannigan | |
| 1988 | Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss | Mom | Television film Nominated — CableACE Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries |
| 1988 | The People Across the Lake | Ruth Mortimer | |
| 1990 | Camp Cucamonga | Millie Schector | Television film |
| 1993 | Ruby in Paradise | Mildred Chambers | |
| 1993 | Jack the Bear | Mrs. Morris | |
| 1993 | Young Goodman Brown | Sarah Good | |
| 1994 | Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story | Dorothy | Television film |
| 1994 | I Love Trouble | Suzie | |
| 1997 | Dinner and Driving | Rita | |
| 2001 | Blow | Judge | |
| 2006 | World Trade Center | Allison's Mother | |
| 2006 | The Departed | Woman at Bar | |
| 2008 | Split Ends | | Director and producer |
| 2009 | The Northern Kingdom | Nan | Director and producer |
| 2015 | Bad Hurt | Mrs. Salisbury |
| 2016 | Blind | Judge | |
| 2018 | The Price for Silence | Wendy Moro | |
| 2018 | Bullitt County | The Mrs. |
| 2019 | Back Fork | Susie | |
| 2019 | Vault | Ma | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | A World Apart | Julie Stark | Series regular |
| 1972-1973 | The Edge of Night | Elly Jo Jamison | Series regular |
| 1975 | One Life to Live | Sister Margaret | |
| 1976-1980, 1989 | Another World | Gwen Parrish Frame | Series regular |
| 1981-1983 | All My Children | Opal Cortlandt | Series regular Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1983) Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1982) |
| 1985 | Tales from the Darkside | Catherine | Episode: "In the Cards" |
| 1985 | Heart's Island | Johnie Baylor | Pilot |
| 1988 | ALF | Maura Norris | Episode: "Tequila" |
| 1989 | Hunter | Sgt. Carol James Meyers | Episode: "The Pit" |
| 1983-1990 | Mama's Family | Naomi Oates Harper | Series regular, 125 episodes |
| 1990-1991 | Generations | Rebecca Whitmore | Series regular |
| 1991-1992 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Bonnie Roberts | Series regular |
| 1991-1993 | Life Goes On | Mary McKenna | 9 episodes |
| 1993 | Bodies of Evidence | Claudia Brooks | Episode: "Shadows" |
| 1993 | Bob | Patty Fleisher | 3 episodes |
| 1994 | Picket Fences | Miriam Thorne | Episode: "Cold Spell" |
| 1995 | Sisters | Dr. Deborah Rosen | Episode: "A Lullaby to My Father" |
| 1995 | Hope & Gloria | Maxine | Episodes: "My Mamma Done Told Me" and "Love with an Improper Stranger" |
| 1995 | Murder, She Wrote | Norma Shey | Episode: "The Secret of Gila Junction |
| 1993-1998 | The Nanny | | Director and producer, 74 episodes |
| 2001 | Days of Our Lives | Contessa Dorothea DiLyman | Special guest star |
| 2002 | Reba | Helen | Episode: "Meet the Parents" |
| 2002 | V.I.P. | Granny Goshen | Episode: "Valley Wonka" |
| 1999-2002 | The Practice | Dr. Diane Starger | 3 episodes |
| 2002 | Judging Amy | Ms. Patterson | Episode: "Cause for Alarm" |
| 2003 | CSI: Miami | Vivian Kensington | Episode: "Dead Zone" |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Principal Parker | Episode: "Alien" |
| 2007 | Battlestar Galactica | Socrata Thrace | Episode: "Maelstrom" |
| 2009 | Law & Order | Judge Dorothy Carr | Episode: "Reality Bites" |
| 2015 | Elementary | Belinda | Episode: "Absconded" |
| 2016 | Divorce | Bridget | Episode: "Christmas" |
| 2018 | FBI | Jilly Peters | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2019 | The Blacklist | Delaine Uhlman | Episode: "The Pawnbrokers (No. 146/147)" |
| 2022 | The Girl from Plainville | Donna Roy | Episode: "Turtle" |