Allyce Beasley

Allyce Beasley was born Allyce Tannenberg on July 6, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York City. Her early life involved frequent relocations before she settled in New York City. She initially pursued philosophy at SUNY Brockport with aspirations of becoming a poet but later shifted her focus to theater. After dropping out of college, Beasley honed her acting skills in local New Mexico productions and later under Lee Strasberg in New York, working as a waitress to support herself. She adopted her professional surname from football player Beasley Reece and moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1982.

Beasley’s career began with guest appearances on notable television series such as “Cheers” in 1982, where she played Coach Pantusso’s daughter, and “Taxi” in the same year. She also appeared in “Remington Steele” in 1983 and “ALF” in 1990. In 1985, she secured her breakthrough role as the rhyming receptionist Agnes DiPesto in the television series “Moonlighting,” starring alongside Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. This role earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1986 and 1987. She continued in this role until the series concluded in 1989.

Following “Moonlighting,” Beasley expanded her film work, appearing in “Loaded Weapon 1” (1993), “Dream with the Fishes” (1997), and “Stuart Little” (1999). She also took on the role of a guidance counselor in the film “Legally Blonde” (2001). Her distinctive voice led to a significant career in voice acting, most notably as Miss Alordayne Grotke in the Disney TV series “Recess” (1997-2001) and its related films, and as the announcer for Playhouse Disney from 2001 to 2007. In recent years, she has performed in stage productions including “The Drowsy Chaperone” (2009) and the Broadway revival of “La Cage aux Folles” (2010), demonstrating her versatility across different entertainment mediums. Beasley was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998 but was declared cancer-free after treatment.