Joyce Van Patten
Joyce Van Patten (born
March 9,
1934) is an
American actress who has appeared on TV on both
As The World Turns and on
The Odd Couple, in movies
The Bad News Bears, and on stage on
Broadway.
Van Patten was born in
New York City,
New York to Josephine Rose Acerno, an
Italian American, and Richard Byron Van Patten, who had distant Dutch ancestry from a great-grandfather.[
1] She is the younger sister of actor
Dick Van Patten, and aunt to actors
Vincent Van Patten,
James Van Patten and
Nels Van Patten. She was formerly married to the late actor
Martin Balsam, and mother of actress
Talia Balsam, who was married to actor
George Clooney.
She was usually astringent in her roles, except when she played Maude Pomfritt, schoolteacher Leander Pomfritt (played by
William Schallert)'s treacly wife on the late 1950s/early 1960s series,
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
