Mary Pat Gleason

Mary Pat Gleason was an American actress and Emmy‑winning television writer whose career spanned nearly four decades, beginning in the early 1980s and concluding in the late 2010s. Born on February 23, 1950, in Lake City, Minnesota, she first discovered her passion for performance while starring in a high‑school production of Once Upon a Mattress, a spark that would ignite a lifelong devotion to the stage and screen. Gleason’s on‑screen debut arrived in a 1982 episode of the NBC soap Texas, and by 1983 she had secured a recurring role as Jane Hogan on the daytime drama Guiding Light, a part that not only showcased her acting talent but also opened the door to a behind‑the‑scenes writing career. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s she became a familiar face in American households, guest‑starring on beloved series such as Full House, Friends, Murphy Brown, L.A. Law, Sex and the City, and Step by Step. Her filmography includes more than fifty feature films, ranging from the comedic romp I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry to the gritty thriller Basic Instinct, the socially conscious drama Traffic, the family favorite Bruce Almighty, and the nostalgic teen hit 13 Going on 30; each role demonstrated her versatility and her knack for bringing depth to even the briefest appearances. In her later years she lent her voice to the animated web series WTF 101, portraying Professor Foxtrot, a testament to her willingness to explore new media formats.
In addition to her acting achievements, Gleason made a lasting impact as a writer, contributing scripts to Guiding Light and sharing in the 1986 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Writing. A vocal advocate for mental health, she courageously authored and performed Stopping Traffic in 2006, a one‑woman play that candidly addressed her personal battles with bipolar disorder and later served as an educational tool for the Mayo Clinic’s mental‑health programs. Her advocacy underscored a commitment to destigmatizing mental illness, and her openness helped countless fans feel seen and understood. Mary Pat Gleason passed away on June 2, 2020, after a battle with uterine cancer, leaving behind a legacy of artistic excellence, compassionate storytelling, and inspiring resilience.