Mork & Mindy's PAM DAWBER

In honor of the show’s 46th anniversary, we’re taking a look back at the beloved actress, now 73, her fond memories of Robin Williams, how she felt about returning to the small screen…and what’s next

- BY BONNIE SIEGLER

PAM DAWBER will always be remembered for her breakout role as the lovable, funny, down-to-earth Mindy McConnell—the counterpart to the late Robin Williams’ zany alien Mork—on the iconic 1978 to 1982 sitcom Mork & Mindy. She then captivated audiences as Samantha Russell from 1986 to 1988 on the acclaimed series My Sister Sam. But following the tragic shooting of a co-star, Dawber changed directions and left acting for almost 30 years. Here, her story…

BECOMING MINDY

Born in Detroit, Dawber pursued a modeling career in New York before starring in commercials for a variety of products. Shortly after, she was cast in the lead role of an ABC pilot called Sister Terri.

Sadly, the pilot flopped, but producer Garry Marshall cut together scenes of Dawber from Sister Terri with clips of Robin Williams from Happy Days as the alien Mork…and it was enough to convince ABC to green-light Mork & Mindy.

Amusingly, Dawber, who was still under contract at ABC, found out that she was in a new show from reading Variety. “I hadn’t auditioned and I knew nothing about it. When I first read the script, I thought the premise was just the most stupid thing,” she said. “I remember going, ‘And who in the hell is Robin Williams?’”