Joely Fisher

Joely Fisher is an American actress and singer born on October 29, 1967, in Burbank, California. She is the daughter of entertainer Eddie Fisher and actress and singer Connie Stevens, and the half-sister of actress Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher, both children of Eddie Fisher's first marriage to Debbie Reynolds. Fisher also has a younger sister, Tricia Leigh Fisher. Her parents divorced in 1969, after which she and Tricia were raised by Stevens. Fisher's father was Jewish, with parents who had immigrated from the Russian Empire, while her mother was of Ashkenazi Jewish, Irish, and Italian descent and was raised Catholic.

Fisher's upbringing was shaped by her family's entertainment background. She and her sister traveled internationally with their mother, receiving education at various schools and through tutors. She later graduated from Beverly Hills High School and went on to study at Emerson College in Boston, as well as spending one semester at the University of Paris. In the summer of 1987, she attended an acting retreat in Italy led by coach Sandra Seacat. In 1992, she was named Miss Golden Globe at the 49th Golden Globe Awards.

Her screen career began with a small film role in the 1987 comedy Pretty Smart, which also featured her sister Tricia. She subsequently appeared in the CBS Schoolbreak Special drama Dedicated to the One I Love in 1991 and had a role in the 1994 feature film I'll Do Anything, starring Nick Nolte. Guest appearances on television series including Growing Pains, Blossom, Caroline in the City, The Golden Palace, The Outer Limits, Grace Under Fire, and Coach followed during this period.

Fisher's most prominent television role came in 1994 when she was cast as Paige Clark in the ABC sitcom Ellen, joining the series in its second season and remaining through its conclusion in 1998. The role earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film at the 55th Golden Globe Awards. She followed that series with the role of Dr. Brenda Bradford in the 1999 comedy film Inspector Gadget. From 2003 to 2005, she starred as insurance investigator Zoe Busiek in the Lifetime drama series Wild Card, and she later had a recurring role as Nina Fletcher on Desperate Housewives. From 2006 to 2010, she starred opposite Brad Garrett as Joy Stark in the Fox sitcom Til Death. In 2021, she appeared as Irene Cody in the Lifetime film Girl in the Basement, which was inspired by the Fritzl case.

Fisher's Broadway career spans from 1994 to 1998. She made her Broadway debut as a replacement in the role of Betty Rizzo in the revival of Grease in 1994, and later took on the role of Sally Bowles as a replacement in the revival of Cabaret in 1998. Her vocal range is alto.

Beyond stage and screen, Fisher has recorded music with family members. In 1993, she, her mother Connie Stevens, and her sister Tricia Leigh Fisher recorded Tradition: A Family at Christmas, on which Fisher performed three songs including a solo on Grown Up Christmas List. Her voice also appears on the 1995 Harold Arlen album S.T.A.G.E., singing One for My Baby.

In her personal life, Fisher married cinematographer Christopher Duddy in 1996. The couple have three daughters, two born in 2001 and 2006 and a third adopted in September 2008. Fisher is also stepmother to Duddy's two sons, Cameron Duddy, born in 1986, who plays bass guitar for the country music band Midland, and Collin, born in 1988. The family has lived in Los Angeles, where Fisher resides near her sister Tricia. In late 2008, Fisher became an artist ambassador for Save the Children and traveled to Xai-Xai, Mozambique, to visit children participating in the organization's child sponsorship programs. She also serves on the advisory board of Voters of Tomorrow, an organization focused on promoting political engagement among Generation Z. On September 2, 2021, the national membership of SAG-AFTRA elected Fisher as the union's secretary-treasurer.