Joyce Bulifant Learned She Had Disorder in Her 40s – Decades Later, She Is Still a ‘Lovely Lady’ Enjoying Family Life

• Joyce Bulifant, an American actress and author, is a woman of many talents who has been a part of the entertainment industry for over six decades.
• For more than four decades, she lived with a disorder she knew nothing about.
• She overcame her struggles, and decades later, she is still a "lovely lady" living a fulfilling life with her family.

Joyce Bulifant is a veteran actress who has charmed audiences with her upbeat personality and distinctive girlish voice for more than six decades. She is best known for playing Marie Slaughter, the wife of Murray on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," but has also starred in many other shows and movies.

But behind her cheerful and silly characters, Bulifant has faced many challenges in her personal and professional life, including a reading disability, troubled marriages, and missed opportunities. Despite these difficulties, Bulifant has remained optimistic and resilient and has found happiness and fulfillment in her family and work.

Bulifant has had a successful and diverse career in theater, film, and television, but she has also missed some opportunities that could have made her even more famous. She is known for being the original choice for the role of Carol Brady in "The Brady Bunch."

However, ABC executives changed their minds and gave the role to Florence Henderson, who had suddenly become available. Bulifant said she was devastated but did not hold any grudges. "It all turned out just fine!" she said. "Everything turned out the way it's supposed to."

Another one was a series that Walt Disney was planning for her and Lesley Ann Warren, where they would be the guides at Disneyland, and their boyfriends would be Tommy Steele and John Davison. Bulifant said that Disney told her about his big plans for her, but then he died. She joked, "It wasn't very nice of him at all!"

Bulifant did not let these setbacks stop her from pursuing her passion. She continued her successful career with notable roles in various shows and movies, including "The Bill Cosby Show," "Love, American Style," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Happiest Millionaire," and "Airplane!"

Among these, Bulifant is most recognized for her portrayal of Marie Slaughter, the wife of Murray, on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," which graced television screens from 1971 to 1977. Bulifant candidly shared that many still associate her with the character of Marie Slaughter, emphasizing the alignment between herself and the roles she has brought to life on screen. "I don't like to be sad, so I've played mostly happy, silly characters," she said.

She has many good memories from the show, but her favorite, unrelated to filming, is giving birth to her son, John Asher. In fact, when Bulifant received a call inviting her for a table reading, she was in the labor room having Asher.

As a child, Bulifant had a difficult upbringing. She faced early hardships as her parents separated when she was just a young child. The subsequent challenges led her to spend time in foster homes and an orphanage during her formative years. While these circumstances undoubtedly presented difficulties, she found refuge in her school's drama program, where she discovered her talent and passion for acting.

These early experiences, though challenging, contributed to shaping the strong and determined individual she is today. She credits acting with helping her overcome her reading disability, as she learned to give the words action and emotion. Bulifant was in her 40s when she discovered that she had dyslexia, a learning disorder that affects one's ability to read, spell, and do math.

She had always struggled with these skills, but she did not know the reason why until her son's school principal suggested that she might have the same condition as her son, who also had dyslexia. She said, "I went for many years thinking I was stupid. I just didn't get things that other people got."

However, Bulifant did not let dyslexia stop her from pursuing her dreams and passions. Bulifant found ways to cope with her challenges, such as using color-coded cue cards, listening to audiobooks, and expressing herself through art. She also became a passionate advocate for dyslexia awareness and education and extended to the written word, as evidenced by her memoir.

Bulifant is an inspiration to many people who have dyslexia and other learning disorders. She proves that with determination, resilience, and creativity, one can overcome any obstacle and achieve success and happiness. Bulifant is a living example of how dyslexia is not a disability but a different way of learning and thinking. She is still a lovely lady who continues to radiate positivity.

In addition to her literary pursuits, Bulifant champions the after-school arts program "Tools for Tomorrow," which provides free, integrated arts education to elementary school children. Bulifant firmly believes in the transformative power of art, viewing it as a tool for children to surmount challenges and express themselves.

This perspective led her to actively support "Tools for Tomorrow," aligning with its mission to provide enriching arts experiences to young minds.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bulifant kept her fans entertained with the videos that she created with Asher. The videos are called "Stuck With Mom, " featuring Bulifant and Asher in humorous situations. Bulifant is now 86 years old and lives a happy and fulfilling life with her family.

Bulifant has been married five times, and four of the marriages ended in divorce. She has also dealt with the effects of alcoholism and co-dependency on her and her children.

Her memoir, titled "My Four Hollywood Husbands," chronicles her struggles and her relationships with her ex-husbands, who were all in the entertainment industry. Tragically, her fifth and final husband, Roger Perry, succumbed to prostate cancer in 2018.

She is a mom of three adult children, with whom she is very close. She is also Evan's grandmother, whom she loves to spoil and advise. "Oh, I love it. You really get to do the spoiling and sometimes have time to explain why their parents treat them the way they do," she joked about her role as a grandparent, adding, "I love being a grandmother."

Bulifant recently celebrated her 86th birthday and posted a picture of herself smiling over her birthday cake. Her fans commented, sending her their wishes and compliments. One said, "You are still beautiful. Happy birthday!" another one wrote, "Happy birthday, sweet lady! I always love watching you." and another one wrote, "Happy birthday to a lovely lady."

In November, she shared a picture of her son Asher, who had just completed directing the film, "A Love Like This." She wrote, "He is such a good director. I know that's coming from his Mom, but it's true- everyone on the film told me so!"

Bulifant has overcome many challenges in her life but has also enjoyed many blessings. She has shown that she is a lovely lady who enjoys family life and brings joy to others with her talent and personality.