Patricia Richardson

Patricia Richardson (born February 23, 1951) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Jill Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement, for which she was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and twice for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical. She also received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her performance in Ulee's Gold.

Early life and education Richardson was born Patricia Richardson on February 23, 1951, in Bethesda, Maryland. Richardson attended multiple schools including Holton-Arms School and Hockaday School. She is a 1972 graduate of Southern Methodist University. In the next ten years she worked in regional theater, commercials, and other Broadway and Off-Broadway plays. She had roles in programs such as The Equalizer, Spenser: For Hire, and Kate & Allie. She appeared in one episode of The Cosby Show in the third season with her real-life husband, playing a woman giving birth to her ninth child. Richardson also appeared in the films Christmas Evil and C.H.U.D.. In 1989, she appeared in one episode of Quantum Leap as a radio station owner.

In 1983, she left New York for LA briefly to do a sitcom centered on Katey Sagal's twin sisters, Liz and Jean Sagal, called Double Trouble, for Norman Lear. When asked to go back and do a second season after her contract had expired, she passed in order to stay in New York and continue performing in Beth Henley's The Miss Firecracker Contest off-Broadway. A few years later, Allan Burns, brought her back to Los Angeles to star in two sitcoms he produced: Eisenhower and Lutz and FM. Both shows ran for 13 episodes.

In 1991, three months after giving birth to twins, Richardson became a last-minute replacement for Frances Fisher in what would be her breakout role as Jill Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement. Richardson received four Emmy nominations, and two Golden Globe nominations in this role. She was nominated for two Prism Awards for her work in Strong Medicine. After three seasons on that show, she was cast in a recurring role as Sheila Brooks, campaign manager for Republican presidential candidate Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) in the final two seasons of NBC political drama The West Wing.

Richardson appeared in the first season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2008, she was the executive producer of the video documentary Long Story Short, which tells the story of Larry and Trudie Long, a popular Asian American nightclub act of the '40s and '50s, told through the eyes of their daughter and her friend, actress Jodi Long. In 2010, she appeared in an NBC made-for-TV film, The Jensen Project, and in 2011, she appeared in the Lifetime television film Bringing Ashley Home, also starring A.J. Cook and Jennifer Morrison. In 2012, she starred in the coming-of-age film Beautiful Wave and in the following year appeared in the Hallmark Channel TV film Smart Cookies. Since then, Richardson has filmed several small independent films and two more movies for the Hallmark channel, Friend Request and Snow Bride.

On the twelfth episode of the fourth season of Last Man Standing titled "Helen Potts", Richardson guest-starred as the titular character and reunited with her former Home Improvement co-star, Tim Allen. At the end of the episode, it was revealed that one of her sons' name is Randy, who was portrayed by her other Home Improvement co-star; Jonathan Taylor Thomas. She returned as Helen Potts in the next season. In a Season 4 outtake, she accidentally calls Mike "Tim", Tim Allen's character (and her screen husband) on Home Improvement.

In 2015, she ran for the position of national president of the SAG-AFTRA, after she had served on the board for one term. She lost the election narrowly to incumbent President Ken Howard. She was re-elected to the National and Local Los Angeles Boards of SAG-AFTRA.

In 2016, Richardson returned to the stage in Steel Magnolias at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania. This production was directed by four time Oscar nominee Marsha Mason, and also starred Elaine Hendrix, Lucy DeVito, Jessica Walter and Susan Sullivan. On June 9, 2016, this production became the highest-grossing show in the history of the Bucks County Playhouse.

Personal life Richardson married fellow actor Ray Baker in 1982. They had three children together: Henry Richardson Baker (born February 22, 1985), and twins Roxanne Elizabeth Baker and Joe Castle Baker (born January 3, 1991), before they divorced in 1995.

Richardson had a long-term relationship with retired psychologist Mark Cline, whom she had met when they were both students at Southern Methodist University.

Filmography Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1979 The Doctors Nurse Marion 1981 Love, Sidney n/a Episode: "A Piece of the Rock" 1984 Double Trouble Beth McConnell Recurring role1985 ABC Weekend Special Pamela Sawyer Episode: "The Adventures of Con Sawyer and Hucklemary Finn" Kate & Allie Pamela Episode: "The Reunion"1986 Spenser: For Hire Sarah Cabot Episode: "Shadowsight" The Equalizer Woman Episode: "Torn"1987 The Cosby Show Mrs. Schrader Episode: "Calling Doctor Huxtable" The Equalizer Sandy Episode: "In the Money" 1988 Eisenhower and Lutz Kay 'K.K.' Dunne Recurring role 1989 Quantum Leap Rachel Porter Episode: "Good Morning, Peoria – September 9, 1959" 1989–1990 FM Lee-Ann PlunkettRecurring role 1991–1999 Home Improvement Jill TaylorMain role;Nominated:Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1994–1995)Nominated:People's Choice Award for Favorite Female TV PerformerNominated: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1994 & 1996–1998)Nominated: Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actress in a Quality Comedy SeriesNominated:Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series 1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Annabel Hayes Episode: "Wanderlust" 2002–2005 Strong Medicine Dr. Andy Campbell Main roleNominated:Prism Award for Best Performance in a Drama Series 2005–2006 The West Wing Sheila Brooks Recurring role 2015–2016 Last Man Standing Helen PottsEpisodes: "Helen Potts" & "Tanks For The Memories" 2019 Blindspot Dr. Nora Lee Roga Episode: "The Big Reveal" 2021 NCIS Judy Price Fielding Episode: "Docked" 2022 The Blacklist Matilda Episode: "Genuine Models Inc." 2022-2023 Grey's Anatomy Tessa Hobbes "Thunderstruck" & "I'll Follow the Sun"2025Shifting Gears Grief Group Member"Secret"