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Raleigh Supercon 2018 Amanda Bearse Q&A. Photo by Super Festivals.

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Amanda Bearse

Amanda Bearse played Marcy D’Arcy for all 11 seasons on “Married… with Children”. Marcy, the feminist yuppie who was always the brunt of Al’s jokes, thought she was the better person but often found herself stooping to his level. Bearse was nothing like her character off-screen. She was determined to succeed behind and in front of the camera while pursuing a career as a lesbian woman in a male-dominated industry.

Bearse’s career as an actor did not begin with “Married… with Children.” She’d landed a role on the popular daytime soap All My Children.

She began working on films after leaving that show in 1983, including the low-budget teen sex comedy Fraternity Vacation and the cult horror classic Fright Night.

During her time on “Married… with Children”, which aired from 1987 to 1997, she appeared in the TV movies Goddess of Love and Here Come the Munsters, as well as Gregg Araki’s action thriller The Doom Generation.

1. Amanda Bearse was born in winter

Amanda Bearse was born in Winter Park, Florida on August 9, 1958. She is 64 years old right now. Her parents’ and siblings’ names are not publicly available. The actress was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended Rollins College before leaving in 1976.

Amanda earned an associate of arts degree from Birmingham Southern College and Young Harris College. Amanda’s education did not stop at Young Harris College; she went on to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City under the late acting teacher Sanford Meisner (Sandy, as he was called).

2. In “All My Children,” she made her debut

Amanda Bearse at Galaxy Con Louisville in 2019. Photo by Super Festivals.

Amanda made her professional acting debut on the ABC sitcom “All My Children” in 1982. She starred in the comedy film “Protocol,” and the following year, she played Amy Peterson in the horror film “Fright Night.”

Amanda made her television debut as Marcy Rhoades in the Fox sitcom “Married…with Children.” The Fox series was a huge success, and Amanda’s talent was recognized. She went on to play Cathy in the 1988 fantasy film “Goddess of Love.”

On the ABC television sitcom “The Earth Day Special,” Amanda Bearse played Marcy D’Arcy. In 1995, she played the role of Barmaid in the comedy thriller film “The Doom Generation.” Amanda cemented her place in Hollywood with each role. Her most recent acting role was as Rita on the FX television sitcom “Anger Management” in 2013.

3. Amanda Bearse was one of Hollywood’s first openly gay actors

Woman with blue, red and yellow paint on her body representing LGBT. Photo by Alexander Grey.

There are probably closet homosexuals in Hollywood who are afraid of being judged or who believe their sexuality is their private matter. And then there are those, like Amanda, who are secretive about their sexual orientation. Amanda openly revealed her sexuality in a magazine interview in 1993. It was a difficult time to be gay and open in 1993, but Amanda Bearse wanted to be, and she did.

It wasn’t just coming out for the sake of coming out, as she has been a staunch supporter of LGBT rights. Prior to the seventh quadrennial Gay Games in Chicago in 2006, she also served as an Ambassador for the Federation of Gay Games.

4. Amanda Bearse is also a filmmaker

A filmmaker. Photo by Johannes Blenke.

Amanda attended both the American Film Institute and the University of Southern California to study directing. She went on to amass an impressive amount of filmmaking experience. She directed more than 30 episodes of the Fox sitcom “Married… With Children.”

In 2005, Amanda directed “The Sperm Donor.” In 2006, she collaborated with Rosie O’Donnell to direct “The Big Gay Sketch Show,” which premiered on Logo in April 2007. She directed episodes of “Reba,” “Mad TV,” “Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher,” and “Malcolm & Eddie.” As well as a slew of others.

5. Amanda Bearse is married to Carrie Schenken

Carrie and Amanda met in 2008 and began a relationship soon after, which led to the couple marrying in 2010. The wedding ceremony included Amanda’s close friends and colleagues, including Katey Sagal and others from “Married with Children,” but it excluded David Faustino and Ed O’Neill, who grew apart after the show ended, though they didn’t have a close relationship even while the series lasted.

Amanda had a relationship with actress Sandra Bernhard in 1993 before marrying Carrie, and she was also linked to a woman named Amy. Earlier in her career, she adopted a daughter named Zoe, and according to reports, she and Carrie adopted another child.

6. She has a net worth of $16 million

1 U.S. dollar banknote. Photo by Kenny Eliason.

Directors may not be as well-known as the actors who play the roles on television, but their bank accounts are typically large, if not larger, than those of actors. When you combine acting and directing, you simply cannot fail. Amanda Bearse is worth 16 million dollars.

7. Amanda Bearse enjoyed Marcy’s on-air orgasms

Pretty woman lying in bed and enjoying in passionate pleasure orgasms. Photo by miljko.

Part of what Amanda Bearse liked was that they would give her episodes to direct that featured Kelly, Christina Applegate, and they had a great rapport. 

In terms of acting, she liked it when Marcy had orgasms on air. She was a serious acting student, going to New York to study and launch her career, but she ended up in comedy.

8. Amanda Bearse received the Trailblazer Award

Amanda Bearse at Galaxy Con Louisville in 2019. Photo by Super Festivals.

Bearse received the Out on Film 2021 Trailblazer Award, which is given to an out LGBTQ entertainer who has made an indelible mark on the film industry and community.

9. Bearse and Ed O’Neill just weren’t best buddies

Bearse stated at a fan convention in Raleigh, NC in 2018 that she preferred not to air dirty laundry but that there was “no love lost” between them. O’Neill was more blunt in a 2013 interview with the Archive of American Television, naming Bearse as the only member of the cast with whom he didn’t get along.

He also mentioned that he and David Faustino (Bud) were the only members of the cast who were not invited to her wedding. When O’Neill confronted her, she said she thought he and Faustino would have laughed at the sight of Bearse and her wife in tuxedos, which he admitted he did find funny—proving Bearse’s instincts were pretty accurate.

10. Amanda Bearse isn’t a fan of “Married… With Children”

Even after all these years, 63-year-old Bearse isn’t a fan of the show. In 2018, she told News Corp Australia, “It was a mean-spirited and misogynist show.” “It was just totally inappropriate. Today, I doubt the show would be produced due to its global offensiveness.”

Having said that, she admits Marcy is a “near and dear” character to her. She has a lot of respect for her and appreciates her a lot.