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Joanna Kerns

Joanna Kerns

Acting1953San Francisco, California, USA

Biography

Joanna Crussie DeVarona Kerns is an American actress and director best known for her role as Maggie Seaver on the family situation comedy Growing Pains from 1985 to 1992.

After Growing Pains ended, she turned to directing. She directed one episode of Growing Pains while starring on the show and got hooked. She has also directed episodes of television shows including Dawson's Creek, Titans, Scrubs, Private Practice, Psych, Felicity, Grey's Anatomy, Privileged, ER, Ghost Whisperer, Army Wives, Pretty Little Liars, Switched at Birth, The Goldbergs, This Is Us, and Fuller House.

She has also made notable appearances in feature films, including A*P*E, Girl, Interrupted, and the 2007 comedy Knocked Up. She has also starred in a number of TV movies.

In 1974, Kerns met a commercial producer, Richard Kerns, on the set of a commercial, and they married two years later. Their marriage lasted nine years and the couple had a daughter, Ashley Cooper. In 1994, she married Marc Appleton, a prominent Los Angeles architect. In August 2019, she filed for divorce from Appleton.

She previously dated comedian and actor Freddie Prinze a short time before he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The two had worked together on the 1976 TV movie, The Million Dollar Rip-Off.

Acting History

2024
Happy's Place
TVDirector
2020
The Baker and the Beauty
TVDirector1 eps
2018
FBI
TVDirector
2017
Unrest
Associate Producer
The Good Doctor
TVDirector
2016
Recovery Road
TVDirector1 eps
The Goldbergs
TVDirector3 eps
Man with a Plan
TVDirector
This Is Us
TVDirector
2015
Awkward.
TVDirector1 eps
Chicago Med
TVDirector
2014
Jane the Virgin
TVDirector
Chasing Life
TVDirector
2013
Switched at Birth
TVDirector3 eps
2012
Nashville
TVDirector
2011
Friends with Benefits
TVDirector1 eps
2010
2009
Eastwick
TVas Edie
Samantha Who?
TVDirector1 eps
2008
Private Practice
TVDirector1 eps
Privileged
TVDirector
2007
Knocked Up
as Alison's Mom
Medium
TVDirector1 eps
Army Wives
TVDirector4 eps
2006
Men in Trees
TVDirector4 eps
Psych
TVDirector
2005
Phil of the Future
TVDirector1 eps
Joan of Arcadia
TVDirector1 eps
Ghost Whisperer
TVDirector3 eps
Related
TVDirector
Grey's Anatomy
TVDirector
2004
2003
Less than Perfect
TVas Judy, Owen's Other Mom2 eps
One Tree Hill
TVDirector
2002
Strong Medicine
TVDirector3 eps
2001
Scrubs
TVDirector
Boston Public
TVDirector1 eps
Judging Amy
TVDirector1 eps
1999
Ally McBeal
TVDirector2 eps
1998
Emma's Wish
as Emma Bridges-Mame
Chicago Hope
TVas Stephanie Serone2 eps
Dawson's Creek
TVDirector
Any Day Now
TVDirector
Suddenly Susan
TVDirector1 eps
Felicity
TVDirector
1997
Sisters and Other Strangers
as Gail Connelly Metzger
Mother Knows Best
as Celeste Cooper
1996
Terror in the Family
as Cynthia Marten
No One Could Protect Her
as Jessica Rayner
Aliens in the Family
TVas Self (voice)
Remember WENN
TVDirector
Clueless
TVDirector
1995
Whose Daughter is She?
as Laura Eagerton
See Jane Run
as Jane Ravenson
Hope and Gloria
TVas Joanna Kerns
Hope and Gloria
TVDirector
1994
Mortal Fear
as Dr. Jennifer Kessler
ER
TVDirector
1993
Shameful Secrets
as Maryanne Walker-Tate
Not in My Family
as Veronica Ricci
1992
The Nightman
Co-Executive Producer
1991
1990
Blind Faith
TVas Maria Marshall2 eps
1989
Those She Left Behind
as Diane Pappas
The Preppie Murder
as Linda Fairstein
1988
She's Having a Baby
as Joanna Kerns (uncredited)
1987
Street Justice
as Catherine Watson
1985
Stormin' Home
as Lana Singer
The Rape of Richard Beck
as Anita Parrish
Growing Pains
TVas Maggie Seaver162 eps
Street Hawk
TVas Mona Wiliams
Growing Pains
TVDirector
1984
Hunter
TVas Dr. Kettering1 eps
1983
V
TVas Marjorie Donovan2 eps
Magnum, P.I.
TVas Mary Kanfer / Jenny Hunter1 eps
The A-Team
TVas Trish Brenner1 eps
1981
CHiPs
TVas Colleen1 eps
1980
Three's Company
TVas Bobby Trilling2 eps
1978
Coma
as Diane
Switch
TVas Mae Brenner1 eps
1977
The Love Boat
TVas Beth Luckner1 eps
Charlie's Angels
TVas Natalie1 eps

Social Media

Personal Info

Known For
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
2/12/1953(73 years old)
Place of Birth
San Francisco, California, USA