She seemed pretty cool, all pixied out in her skimpy 60's bikini. I decided I wanted to know more about her.The first thing I found out is she is credited for coining the phrase "Sock It to Me" on the TV show Laugh In...
Her real name is Joyce Botterill, and she was born in Northampton, England in 1939. She was married to Burt Renyolds (!!!) for 2 years.
It seems to me Judy had it pretty rough in showbiz. She was allegedly blamed from breaking up the Laugh In family after she grew tired of being the butt of all the jokes. Her choice to leave RUINED HER! Her marriages failed after a few years, she tried to keep on keepin on with a couple of mini-movies, a failed TV idea for a sitcom called "Poor Judy", a failed Las Vegas music act, and the TV talk show circuit. But this can't be easy on the spirit...
By the late 60's, Judy was pretty much off the radar. Turns out, she began having financial problems, and doing drugs!!! The only time she was heard from was when she was busted for a drug arrest or when she made unhappy headlines for a near-fatal 1978 car crash that left her with a broken neck. DANG! Eventually she moved back to Northampton, England. I don't blame her.
Look for her 1985 biography: "Laughing on the Outside, Crying on the Inside" for a heart-wrenching, tell-all tale.
Sorry to read about Judy's problems after her Laugh-in days. I,m an avid fan of the series and she was, and still is my favourite on the show, I recently purchased a 15 disc DVD box set of the series from the U.S. and it still makes me laugh to this day.A TOTAL CLASSIC! JUDY ESPECIALLY!!!
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