Joanna Kerns profile photo

Joanna Kerns

Acting
72 years oldSan Francisco, California, USA

Biography

Joanna Crussie DeVarona Kerns is an American actress and director best known for her role as Maggie Seaver on the family situation comedy Growing Pains from 1985 to 1992. After Growing Pains ended, she turned to directing. She directed one episode of Growing Pains while starring on the show and got hooked. She has also directed episodes of television shows including Dawson's Creek, Titans, Scrubs, Private Practice, Psych, Felicity, Grey's Anatomy, Privileged, ER, Ghost Whisperer, Army Wives, Pretty Little Liars, Switched at Birth, The Goldbergs, This Is Us, and Fuller House. She has also made notable appearances in feature films, including A*P*E, Girl, Interrupted, and the 2007 comedy Knocked Up. She has also starred in a number of TV movies. In 1974, Kerns met a commercial producer, Richard Kerns, on the set of a commercial, and they married two years later. Their marriage lasted nine years and the couple had a daughter, Ashley Cooper. In 1994, she married Marc Appleton, a prominent Los Angeles architect. In August 2019, she filed for divorce from Appleton. She previously dated comedian and actor Freddie Prinze a short time before he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The two had worked together on the 1976 TV movie, The Million Dollar Rip-Off.

Personal Details

Born
February 12, 1953
Gender
Female
Place of Birth
San Francisco, California, USA
Known For
Acting

Also Known As

Joanne Crussie DeVarona
Joanne Kerns
Joanna Kearns
Joanne DeVarona
Joanna DeVarona

TV Shows (43)

Happy's Place
6.1

Happy's Place

Director (Directing)

2024

The Baker and the Beauty
7.3

The Baker and the Beauty

Director (Directing)

2020

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
8.0

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Director (Directing)

2019

WHAT / IF
6.4

WHAT / IF

Director (Directing)

2019

Light as a Feather
7.7

Light as a Feather

Director (Directing)

2018

FBI
7.9

FBI

Director (Directing)

2018

The Good Doctor
8.5

The Good Doctor

Director (Directing)

2017

Man with a Plan
6.8

Man with a Plan

Director (Directing)

2016

This Is Us
8.2

This Is Us

Director (Directing)

2016

Recovery Road
6.4

Recovery Road

Director (Directing)

2016

Chicago Med
8.3

Chicago Med

Director (Directing)

2015

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
6.8

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Director (Directing)

2015

Jane the Virgin
7.9

Jane the Virgin

Director (Directing)

2014

Chasing Life
7.2

Chasing Life

Director (Directing)

2014

The Goldbergs
7.5

The Goldbergs

Director (Directing)

2013

Nashville
6.6

Nashville

Director (Directing)

2012

Friends with Benefits
6.5

Friends with Benefits

Director (Directing)

2011

Awkward.
7.4

Awkward.

Director (Directing)

2011

Switched at Birth
7.5

Switched at Birth

Director (Directing)

2011

Pretty Little Liars
8.0

Pretty Little Liars

Director (Directing)

2010

Eastwick
5.9

Eastwick

as Edie

2009

Privileged
7.1

Privileged

Director (Directing)

2008

Samantha Who?
6.5

Samantha Who?

Director (Directing)

2007

Private Practice
7.5

Private Practice

Director (Directing)

2007

Army Wives
7.5

Army Wives

Director (Directing)

2007

Notes from the Underbelly
7.0

Notes from the Underbelly

Director (Directing)

2007

Men in Trees
6.6

Men in Trees

Director (Directing)

2006

Psych
7.9

Psych

Director (Directing)

2006

Related
9.0

Related

Director (Directing)

2005

Ghost Whisperer
8.1

Ghost Whisperer

Director (Directing)

2005

Grey's Anatomy
8.2

Grey's Anatomy

Director (Directing)

2005

Medium
7.5

Medium

Director (Directing)

2005

Clubhouse
3.5

Clubhouse

Director (Directing)

2004

The Tony Danza Show
6.1

The Tony Danza Show

as Self

2004

Phil of the Future
6.7

Phil of the Future

Director (Directing)

2004

Joan of Arcadia
7.3

Joan of Arcadia

Director (Directing)

2003

One Tree Hill
7.8

One Tree Hill

Director (Directing)

2003

The O'Keefes
2.0

The O'Keefes

Director (Directing)

2003

Less than Perfect
6.8

Less than Perfect

as Judy, Owen's Other Mom

2002

Leap of Faith
9.0

Leap of Faith

Director (Directing)

2002

Scrubs
8.0

Scrubs

Director (Directing)

2001

The Division
7.1

The Division

Director (Directing)

2001

Boston Public
7.6

Boston Public

Director (Directing)

2000