| Lisa Gerritsen | |
|---|---|
 Gerritsen in 1975 | |
| Born | Lisa Orszag (1957-12-21) 21 December 1957 (age 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1968–1978 |
| Spouse |
John Rustan (m. 2000) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | True Eames Boardman (grandfather) True Boardman (great-grandfather) Virginia True Boardman (great-grandmother) |
Lisa Gerritsen (born Lisa Orszag; December 21, 1957) is an American former child actress. She is most famous for her role as Bess, the independent-minded daughter of Phyllis Lindstrom on the 1970s television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off Phyllis.
Early life
Lisa Gerritsen was born Lisa Orszag in Los Angeles and is the granddaughter of child actor and screenwriter True Eames Boardman, and the great-granddaughter of silent film actors True Boardman and Virginia True Boardman. Her acting career began when she was eight years old. Encouraged by her mother and grandfather, she landed her first professional role in an episode of The Doris Day Show in 1968.
Career
After The Doris Day Show, Gerritsen had guest-star or cameo appearances in several television shows, including The Odd Couple, Bonanza, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Virginian, and Family Affair.
Gerritsen appeared in several episodes of Gunsmoke, which helped to land her first regular role as Lydia Monroe, the precocious daughter of William Windom's character, John Monroe, a Thurber-like writer and cartoonist, in the 1969 NBC comedy series My World and Welcome to It. Also starring Joan Hotchkis as Ellen, Lydia's mother, the somewhat dark situation comedy was based on the cartoons and comedy of author James Thurber, combining live-action storylines of family strife and social satire with animated cartoon characters that broke into the frame during segments featuring Monroe's daydreams and fantasies. Despite having won two Emmy awards, the show was cancelled after only one season.
In 1970, Gerritsen (credited as Lisa True Gerritsen) appeared as Hannah Carson on the TV western The Men From Shiloh (the rebranded name for The Virginian) in the episode "Hannah". Also that year, Gerritsen was cast as Bess Lindstrom, the quick-witted daughter of landlord Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman), a mother who believed in progressive parenting, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Bess was a recurring character throughout the length of the series and Gerritsen continued playing the role in the spinoff, Phyllis.
In addition to television, Gerritsen performed in several movies. She made her first big-screen appearance in Airport, playing the role of Libby Bakersfeld. She also appeared as Linda in The War Between Men and Women, starring Jack Lemmon and Barbara Harris.
She left acting at the age of 20, shortly after the show Phyllis was cancelled.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Notes | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Airport | Libby Bakersfeld | |
| 1971 | A Howling in the Woods | TV movie | Betsy Warren |
| 1972 | The War Between Men and Women | Linda Kozlenko | |
| 1974 | Locusts | TV movie | Sissy Fletcher |
| 1974 | Mixed Company | Liz Morrison |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | The Good Guys | Louella | Episode: "Nostradamus Rides Again" |
| 1968–70 | Gunsmoke | Nettie Tracey Copperton Christina Bascomb Jenny Pritchard |
Episode: "The Miracle Man" Episode: "The Twisted Heritage" Episode: "Sam McTavish, M.D." Episode: "Jenny" |
| 1968–71 | The Doris Day Show | Jackie Clements Sue Ann Cordovan |
Episode: "The Friend" Episode: "The Black Eye" Episode: "Billy's First Date" |
| 1969–70 | My World and Welcome to It | Lydia Monroe | Main cast (26 episodes) |
| 1969 | Gomer Pyle: USMC | Girl Scout | Episode: "Gomer Maneuvers" |
| 1969–70 | Family Affair | May Kathy Geraldine Askins |
Episode: "A Diller, A Dollar" Episode: "The Young Man from Bolivia" Episode: "Stamp of Approval" |
| 1969 | Lancer | Vinny Buttermere | Episode: "The Great Hamburg" |
| 1969 | The Courtship of Eddie's Father | Alice | Episode: "The Library Card" |
| 1970 | Insight | Anita | Episode: "Old King Cole" |
| 1970–75 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Bess Lindstrom | Recurring cast (10 episodes) |
| 1970 | The Men from Shiloh | Hannah Carson | Episode: "Hannah" |
| 1971 | The Odd Couple | Bunny | Episode: "Bunny Is Missing Down by the Lake" |
| 1971 | Bonanza | Cassie O'Casey | Episode: "Cassie" |
| 1972 | The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan | Various Characters | Voice only (14 episodes) |
| 1973 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Jenny Hutchins | Episode: "The Boy and the Bronc Buster: Part 1" Episode: "The Boy and the Bronc Buster: Part 2" |
| 1973 | Ironside | Nancy Flynn | Episode: "Double-Edged Corner" |
| 1974 | Harry O | Michelle March | Episode: "Ballinger's Choice" |
| 1975–77 | Phyllis | Bess Lindstrom | Main cast (24 episodes) |
| 1976 | Jigsaw John | The Runaway | Episode: "Runaway" |
| 1978 | Insight | Lisa Sears | Episode: "It Can't Happen to Me" |
References
- Leszczak, Bob (2014). The Odd Couple on Stage and Screen. McFarland. p. 55. ISBN 9780786477906.
- Lover, Lisa (4 April 1970). "Ask TV Scout". Times Daily. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- Zorn, Eric (7 February 2000). "Desperately seeking Lisa—or maybe not so desperately". Chicago Tribune.
- "Past Winners Database: 1969-1970 22nd Emmy Awards". The Envelope: The Ultimate Awards Site. Los Angeles Times. 2005. Archived from the original on 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2006-12-12.