Biography
Exuberant and perky, Elaine Joyce was often the dumb blonde in her television roles. Throughout the 1970s she played up this persona, appearing on many popular TV game shows like "Password Plus" and "Match Game," often with her first husband, Broadway musical actor Bobby Van. The two were married from 1968 until his death in 1980. During their marriage, they were driving to a party with Van's friend, renowned playwright Neil Simon. In the midst of a conversation, Van turned to Joyce and said, "If anything ever happened to me, you should go with [Simon]." Though it seemed like a crazy notion at the time, that's exactly what happened, in 1999. Joyce has had a fair amount of success in television, including a lead role on the fantasy comedy "Mr. Merlin," which followed the exploits of a medieval magician living in modern-day San Francisco. Her heart, however, has always belonged to the theater. One of her more prominent roles was as the title character in "Sugar," a musical based on the classic gender-bender film "Some Like It Hot."
