Joyce Dewitt has a history of defying cultural rules and forging her own path in life.

At the age of 13, Joyce Dewitt saw her first theater performance and was completely enthralled by the world of theater. The star of Three’s Company was so enamored with the craft that she defied her father’s wishes to pursue a career in Hollywood.

The experienced actor’s passion was theater, but fate intervened and she found herself on the set of the popular sitcom Three’s Company in Hollywood. Dewitt, a strong female character, has frequently defied conventional rules and negotiated life choices on her own terms.

Joyce DeWitt was a pioneer in her field

The ABC sitcom’s star was a gifted actress and a tough woman much ahead of her time and general convention back in her peak.

Joyce comes from a time when a woman’s desire was unattainable. So when she finally told her father about her ambition to become an actress, he was not pleased.

Remember this was a time when women either got married or became a nun. The idea of an actress’s independent lifestyle was terrifying to him [father].

The actress was raised in Indiana with her six siblings by her parents, Paul and Norma Dewitt. While nothing is known about Joyce’s upbringing or her parents’ allegedly strict personalities, her father was opposed to her pursuing a career in Hollywood.

Despite her father’s displeasure, the aspiring actress stayed faithful to her passion and pursued her ambition. She went on to Ball State University to major in theater before moving to California in 1974 to pursue her master’s degree at UCLA.
The decision to pursue a career as an actor, on the other hand, was laden with difficulties. In a previous interview with The Spec, the experienced actress spoke about the numerous hurdles she faced while auditioning for roles on television.

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The sitcom star remembers how she embarked on a cross-country trek, renting an apartment in Los Angeles for $50 and eventually relishing the freedom and independence she had achieved away from her family.

Despite early disagreements with her family about her career choices, the actress later formed a close relationship with her parents. The actress spoke with Jim Longworth about how she still speaks with her father on a daily basis.

Given how quickly the former stage actress’s career took off, the parents clearly have nothing to complain about. To make ends meet as a failing actor, Joyce had to work as a legal secretary at first.

After relocating to Los Angeles, she was cast in a production of Stop the World, I Want to Get Off before landing a pilot for Three’s Company. She was cast in the sitcom as Janet Wood, a clever, laid-back roommate, and the rest is history.

Dewitt was never one to wait for a man and she didn’t

Given her low-key demeanor, Dewitt’s past and present love lives aren’t well-documented. However, the actress had a tumultuous relationship with Ray Bektenica, the star of My Girl.

When the sitcom actress and her former lover couldn’t agree on something, they broke up. DeWitt couldn’t see herself as only a housewife. She gave it her all, but the rebel in her wouldn’t allow her to settle for the ordinary.

In a 1980 interview with People, DeWitt said about her relationship with Ray Buktenica:

My self-esteem and self-confidence had disappeared. I gave them away. But he thought I was spoiled, and he wanted to be waited on hand and foot. I didn’t have time to clean the house and fix dinner and wait on him; I don’t intend to do that again for any man!

The talented woman had not defied her parents’ wishes to become an actress, only to be relegated to housework. Dewitt fought for equality in the best way she could at a time when misogyny was the standard.

She had been in a committed relationship with him for seven years before calling it quits. After her long engagement with Buktenica, it’s unclear if the actress ever married.

Estimated Net Worth

DeWitt’s net worth is predicted to be $5 million as of August 2021. This is unsurprising given her long career in front of the camera. Her acting in films, TV shows, and guest appearances accounts for the majority of her net worth.

Suzzane’s Somers talk show in 2012 was the 72-year-last old’s appearance on screen.