Joanna Kerns

Joanna 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. Born Joanna Crussie DeVarona in San Francisco, California, Kerns comes from a talented family. Her older sister is Olympic swimmer Donna de Varona and her aunt was silent film actress Miriam Cooper. Kerns initially pursued a career in dance and attended UCLA, where she saw an advertisement for a Gene Kelly production called Clown Around. She dropped out of college and moved to New York to take the part. Kerns later studied acting under Peggy Feury and gained further recognition through her work in the New York Shakespeare Festival's productions.