Anita Morris

A hoofer and actress of stage and screen, Anita Morris is most famous for her role in the Broadway musical "Nine" (1982). Morris also enhanced the NYC productions of "Seesaw" (1973), "The Magic Show" (1974, staged by her husband Grover Dale) "Sugar Babies" (1979, succeeding Ann Jillian) and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1981, playing Miss Mona, the brothel owner). In her glam showgirl incarnation, she graced such features as "Absolute Beginners" (1986), "Aria" (1987) and Tony Richardson's "The Hotel New Hampshire" (1984). Morris provided cameos on several timely series of the moment like "Cheers" (1987), "Miami Vice" (1987) and "Melrose Place" (1992), often as sexy single ladies and moms. She starred in the TV version of "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" (Fox, 1987), taking over the role once held by Bette Midler, and was cast as a sultry matriarch on the soapy miniseries "Trade Winds" (NBC, 1993). Perhaps her most remembered film role was playing the mistress of Danny De Vito in "Ruthless People" (1986).