Fans of classic television were left rubbing their eyes this week after a prolific actress from the 1980s and 1990s was spotted in Los Angeles looking almost completely unrecognisable.
A Casual Outing for a TV Icon
The star in question is Alison La Placa, now 66, who stepped out in a relaxed, low-key ensemble while running errands. The actress, who remains strikingly beautiful decades after her breakout role in the 1988 sitcom Duets, was photographed in a simple brown jacket with matching trousers and a tan scarf.
This understated look was a world away from the glamorous costumes she wore alongside Kirstie Alley and John Larroquette in the 1990s comedy Madhouse. It was an even more dramatic departure from one of her most memorable parts: Joanna, Rachel Green's demanding Bloomingdale's boss on Friends.
Joanna famously dated Chandler Bing, played by the late Matthew Perry, before her character was killed by a taxi in Season 4. La Placa's versatile career also includes showcasing her cover-girl looks on hit shows like Cheers, Grey's Anatomy, Malcolm in the Middle, and Mom.
From Chicago Suburbs to Hollywood Screens
La Placa's journey to television fame began far from the Hollywood spotlight. She grew up in Lincolnshire, a Chicago suburb, in what she described in a 1994 New York Times interview as a "typical, upper-middle-class suburban household."
Despite training in musical theatre, she moved to Los Angeles in 1983 and pivoted decisively to television. She quickly began racking up guest spots, commercials, and roles in made-for-TV movies. Her first major weekly series role came as Linda Phillips in 'Duet' from 1987 to 1989, playing a sharp-tongued yuppie wife and mother.
Her career continued to ascend in the 1990s. In 1994, she was cast as Tom Arnold's wife on his CBS sitcom Tom, a pairing she likened to "classic Abbott and Costello." She defended the match at the time, praising Arnold and his then-wife Roseanne Barr as "very warm and very available."
A Steady Career and Private Life
La Placa's filmography is a testament to her steady work ethic and adaptability. Beyond her sitcom fame, she appeared in the comedy film 'Fletch' in 1985 and lent her voice to animated series like Batman: The Animated Series. She also secured recurring roles on popular shows including Boston Legal.
Off-screen, La Placa has enjoyed a long and stable private life. She is married to actor-director Philip Charles MacKenzie, whom she met on the set of Open House. The couple maintains a low-key existence in Los Angeles, focusing on their home life and staying well clear of typical Hollywood drama.
Reflecting on her craft during her peak television years, La Placa once stated that "Sitcom is musical theatre without the music," and expressed her mission to "make a worthwhile contribution to sitcom and legitimize it a little." Based on her enduring legacy across some of television's most beloved shows, it's a mission she undoubtedly accomplished.
