Pretty Sure We Recognize the Mom on 'Ordinary Joe'
Published Sept. 27 2021, 8:59 p.m. ET
NBC’s latest drama, Ordinary Joe, tells the story of one man living three lives, kind of. Joe Kimbreau, played by James Wolk, is faced with three options to celebrate recently graduating from Syracuse University. Similar to the movie Sliding Doors, we follow Joe through three separate timelines created by the different choices. Fans might remember James Wolk from Mad Men or Tell Me a Story, but there is another actor in the show we’re mad about. We want to know more about Ordinary Joe’s mom.
Who is the actress playing Joe’s mom on 'Ordinary Joe'?
We kind of already gave you a hint, but if you missed it, people of a certain age will remember Anne Ramsay, who plays Gwen Kimbreau, from the hit '90s sitcom Mad About You. The show was created by Paul Reiser and Danny Jacobson. It starred Paul and a pre As Good As It Gets Helen Hunt playing a married couple living in New York City in the early '90s.
Anne Ramsay played Helen Hunt’s older, much less together sister, Lisa. Her signature move was being a neverending sea of various self-diagnosed psychological issues. Anne’s appearance on the show was always a tense, chaotic breath of fresh air. The show ended in 1999 but was picked back up in 2019 for 12 episodes by Spectrum Originals. Anne reprised her role as Lisa for its return.
Anne Ramsay has also been in movies you've probably seen.
Observant fans of A League of Their Own will remember the heartbreaking scene featuring one of the many Cusacks, Ann, as Shirley Baker, the woman who couldn’t read. As Shirley struggled to find her name on the roster, a young Anne Ramsay jogged over asking if Shirley needed help. Anne, as Helen Haley, then scanned every piece of paper until she found Shirley’s name. “This is you,” she said, “you’re with us. You’re a Rockford Peach.” If that scene didn’t make you cry, then nothing will.
Most recently, you may have caught Anne in Bombshell, the movie about the women of Fox News who banded together to take down CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. This movie was a masterclass in makeup, from Charlize Theron becoming Megyn Kelly to Nicole Kidman transforming into Gretchen Carlson.
Anne Ramsay was also no exception, beautifully portraying former lawyer and Fox News commentator Greta Van Susteren. Anne admitted that she is "not the best at impersonations." In an interview with Palm Springs Life, Anne said “That’s not my forte. But [Bombshell director] Jay Roach told me, ‘We don’t want an impersonation. We just want a hint. We’re not looking for an exact Greta Van Susteren.'"
What’s next for Anne Ramsay?
In August of 2019, the movie Violet began filming. It was written, produced, and directed by Justine Bateman in what is her directorial debut. It also stars Olivia Munn, Justin Theroux, Laura San Giacomo, and Anne Ramsay. It premiered at SXSW in March of this year and is slated to be released this October. To get your Anne Ramsay fix now, you can watch Ordinary Joe, which airs Monday nights on NBC at 10 p.m. EST.
