| Joyce Bulifant | |
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 Bulifant in a Match Game appearance |
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| Born | December 16 1937 Newport News, Virginia |
Joyce Bulifant (born December 16, 1937) is an American actress with a unique, child-like character voice, who was a frequent panelist on the television game show Match Game, where her voice, responses and answers earned her the reputation of "the dumb blonde". In the 1960s, she guested on TV shows, appearing in 1963, as the innocent young blonde defendant "Nancy Banks", in Perry Mason episode 197, "The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands". Bulifant, who has been described as "naturally funny", was the original choice to play Carol Brady on the television series, The Brady Bunch. After casting Ann B. Davis in the role of housekeeper Alice Nelson, the producers realized that two "funny women" didn't work, so Joyce was out and Florence Henderson was offered the "straight man" role of Carol Brady. After being turned down for the Brady Bunch, Joyce accepted the role of Mrs. Marsha Peterson in the half-hour NBC television series The Bill Cosby Show (1969 - 1971). From 1971 through 1977 she portrayed Marie Slaughter, wife of Murray Slaughter, on the popular television series, Mary Tyler Moore. Also during this time, she played Marjorie Martin, the wife of Herbert Edelman and the aunt of Robbie Rist in the Saturday morning show, Big John, Little John. She later had a role in the short-lived series Flo, playing Flo's best friend, Miriam Willoughby. Bulifant also appeared in the movie Airplane!, and as David Spade's mother on Just Shoot Me!, in addition to guest starring roles on several TV shows, and as a guest panelist on numerous game shows. Bulifant was married to actor James MacArthur (the adopted son of Charles MacArthur and Helen Hayes), and producer William Asher (the former husband of actress Elizabeth Montgomery). Bulifant is the mother of actor and director John Mallory Asher, and ex-mother-in-law of actress Jenny McCarthy.
