Opportunity knocks for Dewitt - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 07-13-2009, 03:03 PM

Never trust the Internet.

According to various online sources, Joyce DeWitt, leggy, raven-haired starlet of juggernaut '70s sitcom Three's Company, spent her pre-Hollywood years as a contractor who, after painting the garage of Barney Miller co-star Abe Vigoda, became a sort of surrogate daughter to the actor.

"It's totally untrue. I've never even met Abe Vigoda," says the actress, on the line from her home in Santa Fe, N.M.

"I never painted his house, his garage or any other thing he has. I often wonder if he thinks I'm this crazy person who made all of this up."

This and other Wikipedia-tainted rumours (for the record, she never dated Roots star LeVar Burton, nor is she the niece of TV actress Fay DeWitt) are part of a larger mystery surrounding the long-M.I.A. DeWitt who, after serving time as one of the disco generation's top TV female role models, virtually disappeared from the spotlight, only to resurface recently as the subject of fresh, far less glamorous online attention.

Last week, news items began circulating on gossip websites about her July 4 impaired dirving arrest, accompanied by a less-than-flattering mugshot featuring the actress looking wild-eyed, teary and dishevelled. According to her publicist, she was released on her own recognizance. No bail was set, although some websites reported that it was set at $5,000.

DeWitt declined to comment on the incident. But when she sat down for an interview mere days before her arrest, she was charming, composed and willing to talk about her post-TV life and slow return to acting after a self-imposed exile. She'll be in Calgary next month starring in the Stage West production of the comedy Married Alive!. She also has a part in an indie movie called Failing Better Now that is making the rounds on the film festival circuit.

From 1977 to 1984, DeWitt – along with Suzanne Sommers and the late John Ritter – made up the cast of the saucy, screwball ABC show whose influence on pop culture still resonates today (it has never been out of syndication and is a top DVD seller).

And with the recent sting of losing decade-defining beauty Farrah Fawcett to cancer, it seems as though that era has truly met its end.

De Witt once shared air time on the same network as the iconic Charlie's Angels sex symbol, and she remembers the late actress fondly.

"She had a beautiful heart," says DeWitt of Fawcett. "She was a lovely human being and such a brave woman, right up to her final moments. She chose to share her circumstances, her illness, with the world in order that those who had similar circumstances would be enlightened and inspired, and I have a great deal of respect for the way she left this life."

Three's Company featured DeWitt as the sensible, sexy Janet Wood, who along with her roommates – buxom ditzy blond Chrissy (Sommers) and loveably klutzy chef Jack (Ritter) – live, laugh and (platonically) love in a small Santa Monica apartment. The series traded on sexual stereotypes (Jack had to play gay in front of his landlord in order to stay living with the girls) and racy double entendres that, at the time, caused many a mainstream TV critic to recoil. But its fans consider the show a first-rate sophisticated ensemble comedy.

"All we were trying to do is make America sit down and laugh their butt off," DeWitt says. "Or, as John would say, laugh so hard that they fall off the couch.

"You loved these characters, you wanted to spend time with them, to see what they'd do next.

"I mean, sitcoms shouldn't be doing Saturday Night Live. You can't just do bit after bit after bit. You have to string it together with tight writing and performances. Hollywood seems to have forgotten how to do this."

The much-publicized behind-the-scenes drama of Three's Company centred squarely on Sommers and her quest for Fawcett-esque fame as a small screen pin-up queen. This led to an uncomfortable and bitter exit (she was replaced by Jenilee Harrison and, later, Priscilla Barnes).

Adding to the glut of misinformation circling about DeWitt is ample ink about an equally well-publicized battle that still stands between her and Sommers. That rumour is another misrepresentation, she says.

"I rarely talk about this, but we never actually had an argument. After her fight with the producers, as part of her publicity tour to make herself seem innocent, she made John and I the enemy."

DeWitt says she has tried in vain to heal the breach.

"Several times over the past 20 years I've left messages, notes, letters, and have given her the phone number for the phone that rings right beside my bed, but she has never chosen to reach me, and, yet, publicly and in the press, she still tells people that I don't speak to her."

When in 1984 Three's Company finally answered the last knock on its door, DeWitt – who was a veteran in theatre before accidentally ending up in Hollywood – chose to travel the world and pursue a life of spiritual enlightenment.

"I really felt that Three's Company was a gift," she says. "When it ended, I had money in the bank and had the luxury to pursue a life that meant something, to learn and discover. Hollywood can be brutal, inhuman, the opposite of what the theatre is and I had little desire to be part of it. But now, I'm excited to work again and to, at my age, be able to keep working."

Truman Capote once wrote that life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act. With any luck, DeWitt's recent troubles and public embarrassment won't become the defining denouement of her career.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/664348

*Pleasant Tomorrow* · 07-13-2009, 10:07 PM

Haha the Abe Vigoda thing. I've read that so many times, and up until now, thought it to be true. Interesting. But hey, she did meet him evetually. Anyone ever see the Desperate Housewives parody on the TVLand awards once? They were both in that.

I can't help but take her word for it on the whole fued situation. Suzanne always seemed fishy to me, and often has nothing but rude comments to make. I don't doubt the whole innocent act for one minute. And yet, so many people still seem to pin the blame on Joyce for them not reconciling. I guess Suzanne's tricks worked.

Anyway, she continues to seem like a very smart and lovely person who's made mistakes, and I hope she's able to move past that soon.

janet42 · 07-14-2009, 07:55 AM

That was a good article. It seems like a lot of stories about her on the internet aren't true. I also believe now that Joyce did try to mend the rift with Suzanne and Suzanne wasn't interested.

catlover79 · 07-14-2009, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janet42

That was a good article. It seems like a lot of stories about her on the internet aren't true. I also believe now that Joyce did try to mend the rift with Suzanne and Suzanne wasn't interested.

Suzanne seems to like to play the victim a lot. Joyce seems to be the one taking the high road when it comes to their "feud".

unholyinferno · 07-15-2009, 04:46 AM

From 1977 to 1984, DeWitt – along with Suzanne Sommers and the late John Ritter – made up the cast of the saucy, screwball ABC show whose influence on pop culture still resonates today (it has never been out of syndication and is a top DVD seller).

"And with the recent sting of losing decade-defining beauty Farrah Fawcett to cancer, it seems as though that era has truly met its end."

What did the writer mean when he said "it seems the ('77-'84) era has truly met its end?"

I interpreted it in one way. I took the comment to mean "Three's Company" has faded, or will fade, into obscurity. I hope this doesn't mean it's the end of syndication after Nicelodeon (TV Land). What do you guys think it meant?

Fleet · 07-18-2009, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Suzanne seems to like to play the victim a lot. Joyce seems to be the one taking the high road when it comes to their "feud".

Remember that Suzanne started the whole mess in the first place. By demanding a huge salary increase and failing to show up to tapings (claiming that she "hurt her back").

catlover79 · 07-18-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fleet

Remember that Suzanne started the whole mess in the first place. By demanding a huge salary increase and failing to show up to tapings (claiming that she "hurt her back").

Yes, I remember reading about that. (I was only a baby when she left the show so I don't remember when the events actually happened.)

douglasjc · 08-14-2009, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fleet

Remember that Suzanne started the whole mess in the first place. By demanding a huge salary increase and failing to show up to tapings (claiming that she "hurt her back").

Wrong, the feud was started by unfair contact system set up by the producers that later used Sommers body to sell the show through advertisements.

jamesly7 · 02-25-2011, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Pleasant Tomorrow*

Haha the Abe Vigoda thing. I've read that so many times, and up until now, thought it to be true. Interesting. But hey, she did meet him evetually. Anyone ever see the Desperate Housewives parody on the TVLand awards once? They were both in that.

I can't help but take her word for it on the whole fued situation. Suzanne always seemed fishy to me, and often has nothing but rude comments to make. I don't doubt the whole innocent act for one minute. And yet, so many people still seem to pin the blame on Joyce for them not reconciling. I guess Suzanne's tricks worked.

Anyway, she continues to seem like a very smart and lovely person who's made mistakes, and I hope she's able to move past that soon.

Ya theres alot of misinformation on the internet about her too. I they also said she dated levar burton but really it was just a tabloid rumor just because the too went to a party together not on a date but just as a car full of friends the tabloids snaped a picture and circulated this as a rumor

07-13-2009, 03:03 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,349	Opportunity knocks for Dewitt Never trust the Internet. According to various online sources, Joyce DeWitt, leggy, raven-haired starlet of juggernaut '70s sitcom Three's Company, spent her pre-Hollywood years as a contractor who, after painting the garage of Barney Miller co-star Abe Vigoda, became a sort of surrogate daughter to the actor. "It's totally untrue. I've never even met Abe Vigoda," says the actress, on the line from her home in Santa Fe, N.M. "I never painted his house, his garage or any other thing he has. I often wonder if he thinks I'm this crazy person who made all of this up." This and other Wikipedia-tainted rumours (for the record, she never dated Roots star LeVar Burton, nor is she the niece of TV actress Fay DeWitt) are part of a larger mystery surrounding the long-M.I.A. DeWitt who, after serving time as one of the disco generation's top TV female role models, virtually disappeared from the spotlight, only to resurface recently as the subject of fresh, far less glamorous online attention. Last week, news items began circulating on gossip websites about her July 4 impaired dirving arrest, accompanied by a less-than-flattering mugshot featuring the actress looking wild-eyed, teary and dishevelled. According to her publicist, she was released on her own recognizance. No bail was set, although some websites reported that it was set at $5,000. DeWitt declined to comment on the incident. But when she sat down for an interview mere days before her arrest, she was charming, composed and willing to talk about her post-TV life and slow return to acting after a self-imposed exile. She'll be in Calgary next month starring in the Stage West production of the comedy Married Alive!. She also has a part in an indie movie called Failing Better Now that is making the rounds on the film festival circuit. From 1977 to 1984, DeWitt – along with Suzanne Sommers and the late John Ritter – made up the cast of the saucy, screwball ABC show whose influence on pop culture still resonates today (it has never been out of syndication and is a top DVD seller). And with the recent sting of losing decade-defining beauty Farrah Fawcett to cancer, it seems as though that era has truly met its end. De Witt once shared air time on the same network as the iconic Charlie's Angels sex symbol, and she remembers the late actress fondly. "She had a beautiful heart," says DeWitt of Fawcett. "She was a lovely human being and such a brave woman, right up to her final moments. She chose to share her circumstances, her illness, with the world in order that those who had similar circumstances would be enlightened and inspired, and I have a great deal of respect for the way she left this life." Three's Company featured DeWitt as the sensible, sexy Janet Wood, who along with her roommates – buxom ditzy blond Chrissy (Sommers) and loveably klutzy chef Jack (Ritter) – live, laugh and (platonically) love in a small Santa Monica apartment. The series traded on sexual stereotypes (Jack had to play gay in front of his landlord in order to stay living with the girls) and racy double entendres that, at the time, caused many a mainstream TV critic to recoil. But its fans consider the show a first-rate sophisticated ensemble comedy. "All we were trying to do is make America sit down and laugh their butt off," DeWitt says. "Or, as John would say, laugh so hard that they fall off the couch. "You loved these characters, you wanted to spend time with them, to see what they'd do next. "I mean, sitcoms shouldn't be doing Saturday Night Live. You can't just do bit after bit after bit. You have to string it together with tight writing and performances. Hollywood seems to have forgotten how to do this." The much-publicized behind-the-scenes drama of Three's Company centred squarely on Sommers and her quest for Fawcett-esque fame as a small screen pin-up queen. This led to an uncomfortable and bitter exit (she was replaced by Jenilee Harrison and, later, Priscilla Barnes). Adding to the glut of misinformation circling about DeWitt is ample ink about an equally well-publicized battle that still stands between her and Sommers. That rumour is another misrepresentation, she says. "I rarely talk about this, but we never actually had an argument. After her fight with the producers, as part of her publicity tour to make herself seem innocent, she made John and I the enemy." DeWitt says she has tried in vain to heal the breach. "Several times over the past 20 years I've left messages, notes, letters, and have given her the phone number for the phone that rings right beside my bed, but she has never chosen to reach me, and, yet, publicly and in the press, she still tells people that I don't speak to her." When in 1984 Three's Company finally answered the last knock on its door, DeWitt – who was a veteran in theatre before accidentally ending up in Hollywood – chose to travel the world and pursue a life of spiritual enlightenment. "I really felt that Three's Company was a gift," she says. "When it ended, I had money in the bank and had the luxury to pursue a life that meant something, to learn and discover. Hollywood can be brutal, inhuman, the opposite of what the theatre is and I had little desire to be part of it. But now, I'm excited to work again and to, at my age, be able to keep working." Truman Capote once wrote that life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act. With any luck, DeWitt's recent troubles and public embarrassment won't become the defining denouement of her career. http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/664348
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

07-13-2009, 10:07 PM	#2
Pleasant Tomorrow Member Forum Addict Join Date: Feb 19, 2003 Location: New York Posts: 69,525	Haha the Abe Vigoda thing. I've read that so many times, and up until now, thought it to be true. Interesting. But hey, she did meet him evetually. Anyone ever see the Desperate Housewives parody on the TVLand awards once? They were both in that. I can't help but take her word for it on the whole fued situation. Suzanne always seemed fishy to me, and often has nothing but rude comments to make. I don't doubt the whole innocent act for one minute. And yet, so many people still seem to pin the blame on Joyce for them not reconciling. I guess Suzanne's tricks worked. Anyway, she continues to seem like a very smart and lovely person who's made mistakes, and I hope she's able to move past that soon.
	__________________ my name is ashlee Welcome! Everything is fine.

07-14-2009, 07:55 AM	#3
janet42 Three's Company Fan! Senior Member Join Date: Feb 22, 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,757	That was a good article. It seems like a lot of stories about her on the internet aren't true. I also believe now that Joyce did try to mend the rift with Suzanne and Suzanne wasn't interested.

07-15-2009, 04:46 AM	#5
unholyinferno Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 24, 2003 Posts: 15	From 1977 to 1984, DeWitt – along with Suzanne Sommers and the late John Ritter – made up the cast of the saucy, screwball ABC show whose influence on pop culture still resonates today (it has never been out of syndication and is a top DVD seller). "And with the recent sting of losing decade-defining beauty Farrah Fawcett to cancer, it seems as though that era has truly met its end." What did the writer mean when he said "it seems the ('77-'84) era has truly met its end?" I interpreted it in one way. I took the comment to mean "Three's Company" has faded, or will fade, into obscurity. I hope this doesn't mean it's the end of syndication after Nicelodeon (TV Land). What do you guys think it meant?