Actress Mimi Kennedy of ABC's `Dharma & Greg' Slated as Seventh Official Judge of the 79th Annual Miss America Pageant.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Sept. 10, 1999--

Joins Star-Studded Panel to Choose Miss America 2000 in Atlantic City

On Saturday, Sept. 18, 1999, Miss America of the Millennium will be crowned in Atlantic City at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC.

TV "Hippie Earth Mother" and actress/author Mimi Kennedy of ABC's hit sitcom "Dharma & Greg" has been slated as the seventh judge to join a star-studded panel of judges consisting of a real judge, a former Miss America, the World Cup Champion goalie and other TV/film actors who will select the Top Five Finalists.

This year's 79th Annual Miss America Pageant contains a special "karma" for Kennedy, beyond the coincidence of both her sitcom and the pageant sharing the spotlight on the same network. Kennedy has a story to share about her fewer-than-six degrees of separation from one of the earliest Miss Americas crowned!

Jesuit Brother Rick Curry (a link to Mimi Kennedy's husband Larry becoming Catholic) has been a dear friend of Kennedy's for 23 years. In 1923, Brother Curry's mother left a New England convent and first became Miss New Jersey, then Miss America. Brother Curry says the President didn't officially sanction the contest until two years later.

"You can imagine the family consternation: Their daughter, once determined to be a nun, was now parading around the boardwalk for national press in her bathing suit," said Curry.

Kennedy is an active supporter of Curry's other passion, "The National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped" (NTWH) in New York and Belfast, Maine. Curry, founder and artistic director (born with half an arm), holds a doctorate in theater. He turned his handicap into his apostolate.

Curry always wanted to be an actor, and realized he could be, and that other disabled people could be too, with instruction to be true professionals next to able-bodied colleagues. In November, Kennedy will attend the New York premiere of "Siciliano" at NTWH, where she will support young actor/playwright/Para-Olympic athlete, John Siciliano who lost his leg in a car accident six years ago.

Kennedy's direction, encouragement and guidance are noted and acknowledged by Siciliano in the program.

Entering her third successful season on "Dharma & Greg" (Season Premiere launches Tuesday, Sept. 21 on ABC), Kennedy is a diverse accomplished actress whose career spans the acting spectrum of Broadway stage musicals, network television and film -- to genre-crossing from drama to comedy -- she's done it all.

She's also a noted writer, published author and engaging educational speaker, putting a realistic spin on breaking into the business and enduring a journey of motherhood, career and spiritual survival in keeping motivated in the application of creativity, optimism and humor in her everyday life.

Kennedy began her acting career on stage, playing her first professional role opposite famed TV comedian Sid Caesar. Her theater credits also include her work as Jan in both the national tour and the original Broadway production of "Grease." Work on television has been plentiful for Kennedy following her leading role on the critically acclaimed musical variety series "3 Girls 3."

Kennedy went on to star in the highly touted drama "Homefront" for which she earned an American Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred in the series "Just Friends With Stockard Channing," "The Big Show," "The Two of Us" (with the late Peter Cook), "Spencer" (with Chad Lowe), "Under One Roof" and "Family Man."

She's guest starred on "Homicide," "St. Elsewhere," "Night Court," "The Twilight Zone," "Knots Landing" and Aaron Spelling's "Savannah" (in a recurring role as Eleanor Alexander Burton). She also worked full-time behind the cameras as a writer and story editor for "Knots Landing."

In addition, Kennedy has co-starred in a number of made-for-television movies and miniseries, most notably "Robert Kennedy and His Times," "Popular Neurotics," with Jeff Goldblum; "Home," with Dana Delany; the perennial Disney Halloween Movie favorites' "Mr. Boogedy" and "Bride of Mr. Boogedy"; as well as the Peabody Award-winning adaptation of Beverly Cleary's "The Mouse and the Motorcycle."

Kennedy's feature film credits include roles in "Buddy," "Death Becomes Her," "Immediate Family," "Chances Are" and "Pump Up the Volume," and her latest soon-to-be-released film, "Erin Brockovich," in which she co-stars with Julia Roberts and Albert Finney, shot during this summer's TV hiatus from "Dharma & Greg."

Kennedy's memoir of Catholic girlhood coming-of-age as an actress, wife and mother is a published hardcover by Smith and Kraus, titled "Taken to the Stage: The Education of an Actress" -- a book which has garnered praise for her literary debut and has positive reviews from literary and entertainment critics. Kennedy is at work on her second book, a novel that she is working on in between shooting "Dharma & Greg."

For interviews with Mimi Kennedy, contact her publicist, Stacey Kumagai, The Southland's Media Monster, at 818/506-8675.