Leading ladies of '70s sitcoms: Where are they now?

As the eldest daughter of the musical sitcom The Partridge Family (1970–1974), Susan Dey became an icon of ‘70s TV, renowned for her wit and timeless beauty. Prior to this role, Susan had no acting experience, and went on to become an overnight sensation. Following the hit sitcom, she later starred as attorney Grace Van Owen in the drama series L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992, which earned her a Golden Globe award. 

Susan left the Hollywood spotlight behind in the early 2000s, and now leads a very private life. In a rare interview with WSKG Public Media in 2013, she candidly reflected on her relationship with acting. "I miss acting as much as I miss my mom, as much as I miss my little girl, as much as I miss my first home," she shared. "But I'm really happy with what's going on in my life right now. It's full. It's so full."

Joyce DeWitt lit up Three’s Company (1977–1984) as Janet Wood, the no-nonsense roommate and foil to Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers), whose male roommate had to feign being gay to appease their old-fashioned landlord. Following a brief hiatus from acting after the hit sitcom ended, she later appeared in the comedy film Spring Fling! (1995) and had cameo appearances as herself in shows like Living Single (1998) thanks to her enduring popularity.

Since the 2000s, Joyce has taken on a few theatre roles, succeeding The Brady Bunch star Eve Plumb in the title role of the play Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating & Marriage (2011) in New York. She also made headlines after appearing on her former co-star’s talk show Suzanne Somers: Breaking Through in 2012. This marked the first time the pair had spoken since the pay dispute that caused Suzanne to leave Three’s Company. Joyce called the show “worth remembering” for “creating an opportunity for all of us to laugh together”; the 76-year-old actress now leads a life outside of the limelight.

A breakout star on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977), Valerie Harper’s character Rhoda earned her own spin-off series Rhoda (1974–1978), showing her beloved character navigating New York City. “Women really identified with Rhoda because her problems and fears were theirs,” Valerie wrote in her autobiography I, Rhoda (2013). “Despite the fact that she was the butt of most of her own jokes, so to speak…her confident swagger masked her insecurity. Rhoda never gave up.”

A sitcom icon, she later earned her own titular series, Valerie (1986–1987), though she was later written off after a contract dispute and the show was renamed The Hogan Family. Valerie later returned to her stage acting roots, appearing in the Broadway production of The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (2001–2002) and later as Tallulah Bankhead in Looped (2008–2010), which earned her a Tony Award nomination. She passed away in 2019.

After just two episodes of All in the Family, Bea Arthur’s character earned her own spin-off series, Maude (1972–1978), after CBS reportedly wanted to make a strong female-led show. As an outspoken liberal in her ‘50s, Maude changed the face of women in sitcoms, and went on to tackle taboo topics like feminism and divorce – all with her character’s signature wit and comedic timing.

Bea famously went on to play Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls (1985–1992), and continued to make regular appearances on comedy shows and documentaries up until her death in 2009, with her last credited role being in Curb Your Enthusiasm (2005). To this day, she holds the record for the third most nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, behind her former co-star Mary Tyler Moore and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

When One Day at a Time premiered in 1975, Bonnie Franklin broke new ground as Ann Romano, a recently divorced mother raising two teenage daughters on her own. At a time when most sitcom mothers were happy homemakers, Ann stood out as an independent, working woman, and was the driving force behind the show’s soaring popularity. Bonnie starred in the show until its final episode in 1984. After her successful TV stint, she opted to take on more theatre roles.

Bonnie reunited with her One Day at a Time co-stars for The One Day at a Time Reunion in 2005, and appeared in several episodes of The Young and the Restless in 2012. After she passed away in 2013, her former co-star, Valerie Bertinelli, wrote a heartfelt tribute to the sitcom legend on her website, saying "Bonnie has always been one of the most important women in my life and was a second mother to me. The years on One Day at a Time were some of the happiest of my life."

Marion Ross already had a successful film career under her belt when she joined the cast of Happy Days (1974–1984) as Marion Cunningham, the kindly matriarch of the show’s starring family. A fan-favourite character, with both cast and fans affectionately referring to her as “Mrs. C”, Marion went on to clinch two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the role. 

The star went on to appear in the comedy-drama Brooklyn Bridge (1991–1993) and the sequel film to Terms of Endearment, The Evening Star (1996). Though she’s now retired, Marion had a range of popular supporting roles throughout the 2000s, including Lorelai’s grandmother, Lorelai "Trix” Gilmore, in Gilmore Girls (2001–2005). She recently turned 97 years old, with her former co-star Henry Winkler writing on X, “A magnificent woman, artist and friend. HAPPY B DAY Marion”.

Loretta Swit became a household name as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on M*A*S*H (1972–1983), the sharp-tongued head nurse of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital and long-running love interest of Major Frank Burns. The only regular female character on the wartime sitcom, Loretta said in a podcast episode, “I took her very seriously. And when I began, I said [ to creator and producer Larry] Gelbart, 'My aim will be to be to be the best goddamn head nurse in Korea’”.

After guest starring on shows like The Love Boat and Murder, She Wrote, Loretta’s final TV appearance was the M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion in 2002, where she reunited with her co-stars. She passed away earlier in 2025 at age 87.

The hit intergalactic sitcom Mork and Mindy (1978-1982) saw an alien named Mork – played by Robin Williams – journey to earth to study human behaviour, namely that of Mindy (Pam Dawber). Pam was personally selected for the role by Happy Days creator Garry Marshall, despite having little acting experience and never formally auditioning for the part. Her chemistry with fellow then-unknown actor Robin Williams helped launch the show to stardom.

Pam reunited with Robin on the comedy series The Crazy Ones in 2013, once again playing his love interest, over 30 years after Mork and Mindy ended. While she has mostly retired from acting, she had a guest arc on NCIS in 2021 opposite her husband Mark Harmon, who led the long-running show as Leroy Jethro Gibbs.