# Alley Mills

Allison Mills (born May 9, 1951), also known as Alley Bean, is an American actress, known for her roles on television. She starred as Norma Arnold, in the coming-of-age ABC comedy series, The Wonder Years (1988–1993). In 2006 she began playing the role of Pamela Douglas, the sister of the late Forrester matriarch Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery), on the CBS soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. From 2022 to 2024, Mills also portrayed antagonistic Heather Webber on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital, for which she received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series.

## Early life and education

Mills was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father was television executive Ted Mills, and her mother, Joan (née Paterson) Mills Kerr, was an author and editor for American Heritage magazine. Her stepmother was actress Genevieve (Ginette Marguerite Auger), and her stepfather was Chester B. Kerr, a director of Yale University Press. She has one sister, Hilary Mills Loomis, and one brother, Tony Mills. Mills made her television debut as a child performer appearing in The Patti Page Show and later performed in Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Mills received a B.A. magna cum laude in drama and art history from Yale University in 1973 (becoming one of the first female undergraduates) and an M.A. from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

## Career

Mills began her career appearing in episodes of television series Mr. Novak and The Leslie Uggams Show, before making her big screen debut playing minor role in the 1970 comedy-drama film, Diary of a Mad Housewife. During the 1970s, Mills performed in a number of stage productions, such as Off-Broadway's A Colliers Friday Night, The Little Foxes, Voices, The Idol Makers and Says I, Says He. In 1979 she was cast opposite Martin Short in the short-lived sitcom The Associates, where she played an attorney. In 1983 she starred opposite John Candy in the comedy film Going Berserk and the following year appeared in the comedy film Young Lust. During the 1980s also made guest appearances in television series Lou Grant, Newhart, Moonlighting and Punky Brewster. In 1982 she had four-episode arc in the NBC police drama, Hill Street Blues as Tracy Renko.
In 1988, Mills was cast as Norma Arnold, the mother of Fred Savage's character in the ABC comedy series, The Wonder Years, from 1988 to 1993. The show received positive reviews and won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. In 1989, Mills also began co-hosting the ABC daytime talk-show, Home. The Wonder Years ended in 1993 after six seasons and 114 episodes. During the 1990s, Mills acted in a number of made-for-television movies, such as Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted (1992), Tainted Blood (1993) opposite Raquel Welch, Moment of Truth: Caught in the Crossfire (1994), Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare (1995), and Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan (1995) starring Elizabeth Montgomery in her last screen appearance. From 1993 to 1997, Mills had a recurring role in the CBS Western series, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman as Marjorie Quinn, Dr. Michaela Quinn's sister. She had previously appeared in the series as a saloon girl. In 2000, Mills co-starred in the ABC miniseries, The Beach Boys: An American Family. She also appeared in Roseanne, Touched by an Angel, NYPD Blue, Popular, Girlfriends, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Strong Medicine and Yes, Dear.
In December 2006, Mills joined the cast of CBS daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful under contract as Pamela Douglas, the estranged sister of Stephanie Douglas Forrester. But in March 2007, after making only a handful of appearances, her character went insane, was confined to a mental hospital, and then disappeared from the show. Mills reprised the role on recurring status in 2007 and 2008, and by December 2008, was added to the opening credits as a contract player. In November 2019, it was reported that Mills was off contract with the show. Mills made a return appearance to The Bold and the Beautiful in August 2021. During her time on soap, Mills also acted in a number of Hallmark Channel movies, such as Reluctant Nanny and Appetite for Love.
In October, 2022, Mills replaced Robin Mattson as legacy character Heather Webber on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She later made recurring returns to soap. In 2023, Mills received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series for General Hospital. Also in 2023, Mills guest-starred alongside her The Wonder Years co-star, Dan Lauria, in an episode of Fox series Fantasy Island.

## Personal life

Mills was married to author, film, television and stage actor Orson Bean from 1993 until his death in 2020.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1970 | Diary of a Mad Housewife | Women's lib girl | |
| 1983 | Going Berserk | Nancy Reese | |
| 1984 | Young Lust | Sheila Danner | |
| 2002 | Jane White Is Sick & Twisted | Mom | |
| 2002 | Never Get Outta the Boat | Jean | |
| 2004 | Tricks | Ruth | |
| 2009 | A Golden Christmas | Katherine Wright | |
| 2011 | Satin | Rose Wells | |
| 2012 | Hating Breitbart | Herself | |
| 2014 | Maybe Someday | Martha Donnelly | |
| 2014 | Dr. Quinn, Morphine Woman with Jane Seymour | Marjorie Quinn | Short film |
| 2016 | Wake Up America! | Senior | Short film |
| 2019 | The Fiddling Horse | Ethel Truman | |
| 2022 | Last Chance Charlene | Lorenna | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | The Waltons | Nancy | Episode: "The Obsession" |
| 1979 | Kaz | | Episode: "They've Taken Our Daughter" |
| 1979–1980 | The Associates | Leslie Dunn | Main role |
| 1980 | Rape and Marriage: The Rideout Case | Wanda | Movie |
| 1981 | A Matter of Life and Death | Allison Cross | Movie |
| 1981 | Lou Grant | Lisa | Episode: "Search" |
| 1982 | Making the Grade | Sara Conover | Main role |
| 1982 | Hill Street Blues | Tracy Renko | 4 episodes |
| 1983 | Newhart | Professor | Episode: "Sprained Dreams" |
| 1983 | The Other Woman | Amy Vitelli | Movie |
| 1983 | Prototype | Dr. Rebecca Bishop | Movie |
| 1985 | The Atlanta Child Murders | Amy Kennear | Miniseries |
| 1986 | Maggie | Charlotte Farnsworth | Movie |
| 1986 | Moonlighting | Claire | Episode: "The Man Who Cried Wife" |
| 1987 | Mr. President | Pat | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1987 | I Married Dora | Janine Desmond | Episodes: "Where There's a Will, There's No Way", "West Coast Story" |
| 1987 | Punky Brewster | Donna Deaton | Episodes: "Open Door, Broken Heart: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 1988 | To Heal a Nation | Sue, Stone Worker | Movie |
| 1988–1993 | The Wonder Years | Norma Arnold | Main role |
| 1989 | I Love You Perfect | TBA | Movie |
| 1990 | ABC Afterschool Special | Linda | Episode: "Testing Dirty" |
| 1992 | Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted | Carol Willis | Movie |
| 1992–1994 | Vicki! | Herself | Guest host |
| 1993 | Tainted Blood | Mrs. Patterson | Movie |
| 1993–1997 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Saloon Woman | 1 episode (uncredited) |
| 1993–1997 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Marjorie Quinn | Recurring role, 11 episodes |
| 1994 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Carol Oliver | Episode: "Love in the Dark Ages" |
| 1994 | Moment of Truth: Caught in the Crossfire | Royce Payne | Movie |
| 1995 | Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare | Portia | Movie |
| 1995 | Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan | Julie Cresta | Movie |
| 1998 | Touched by an Angel | Liz | Episode: "Last Dance" |
| 1999 | Profiler | Amber Wiley | Episode: "Inheritance" |
| 1999–2000 | Popular | Robin John | Episodes: "Wild, Wild Mess", "Ch-Ch-Changes", "The Consequences of Falling" |
| 2000 | The Beach Boys: An American Family | Audree Wilson | Movie |
| 2000 | NYPD Blue | Sonya Morrow | Episode: "This Old Spouse" |
| 2001–2005 | Yes, Dear | Jenny Ludke | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2002 | Girlfriends | Lynn's Mother | Episode: "Don't Leave Me a Loan" |
| 2002–2003 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Diana Spellman | Episodes: "The Whole Ball of Wax", "Soul Mates" |
| 2003 | Strong Medicine | Rhonda LaCouer | Episode: "Prescriptions" |
| 2006–2019, 2021- | The Bold and the Beautiful | Pamela "Pam" Douglas | Main role; recurring role |
| 2011 | 3 Holiday Tails | Katherine Wright | |
| 2015 | Appetite for Love | Tallulah Jones | TV movie |
| 2015 | Reluctant Nanny | Irene | |
| 2019 | Teachers | Joanna Bennigan | 2 episodes |
| 2022- | General Hospital | Heather Webber | Recurring role |
| 2023 | Fantasy Island | Vivian Hutchinson | Episode: "War of the Roses (And the Hutchinsons)" |