Career

Bearse studied acting at New York City's Neighborhood Playhouse under instructor Sanford Meisner. Her initial success came with the role of Amanda Cousins on the soap opera All My Children between 1981 and 1984. During and after that time, she appeared in a string of independent and B-movies, including Protocol (1984), Fright Night and Fraternity Vacation (both 1985). Her big break came in 1987 when she was cast as Marcy Rhoades (later Marcy D'Arcy) on the hit Fox TV sitcom Married... with Children. She played the role until the show's end in 1997. In the mid-1990s, Bearse also appeared in the films The Doom Generation and Here Come the Munsters.

Bearse began directing television while appearing on Married... with Children, and from 1991 and 1997, she directed over 30 episodes of the show. She also directed episodes of Reba; Mad TV; Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher; Malcolm & Eddie; Pauly; The Tom Show; The Jamie Foxx Show; Dharma & Greg; Veronica's Closet; Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place; Jesse starring her Married...with Children costar Christina Applegate (1999); Jessie (2011); and Ladies Man. In 2005, she directed The Sperm Donor, a pilot for NBC starring Maggie Wheeler and In 2006, Bearse teamed with Rosie O'Donnell to direct The Big Gay Sketch Show, which debuted on Logo on April 24, 2007.

Personal life

Bearse was born in Winter Park, Florida, and was also raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She first attended Winter Park High School and Rollins College, but later transferred to Birmingham Southern College and Young Harris College, where she received an A.A. (Associate of Arts). She has been publicly out as a lesbian since 1993, and has an adopted daughter, Zoe.

TV and filmography

• All My Children as Amanda Cousins (TV, 2 seasons, 1982-1984)
• First Affair (1983) (TV) as Karen
• Protocol (1984) as Soap Opera Actor
• Fraternity Vacation (1985) as Nicole Ferret
• Fright Night (1985) as Amy Peterson
• Hotel as Jean Haywood (TV, 1 episode, 1986)
• Married... with Children as Marcy Rhoades (1987-1990); Marcy D'Arcy (1990-1997); Cousin Mandy (1997)
• Goddess of Love (1988) (TV) as Cathy
• The Earth Day Special (1990) as Marcy D'Arcy
• Likely Suspects (TV, 1 episode, 1992)
• Out There 2 (1994) (TV) as Host
• The Doom Generation (1995) as Barmaid
• Here Come the Munsters (1995) (TV) as Mrs. Pearl
• Nikki as Marcy Rhoades (1 episode, 2001)
• Give or Take an Inch (2003) as Charlotte
• Here! Family (2005) TV series (unknown episodes)
• Totally Baked (2007) as Mrs. President
• Drop Dead Diva (2 episodes, 2011) (TV) as Judge Jodi Corliss
• Anger Management (1 episode, 2013) (TV) as Rita