A blonde bombshell who starred on one of the hit sitcoms of the 1980s still looked youthful when she was spotted this week aged 70.
She began her career by guesting on some of the top shows of that decade, including Hill Street Blues, Laverne & Shirley and Three’s Company.
However her showbiz ship truly came in when she began playing a teacher on a TV comedy that aired for an impressive five seasons.
During the latter part of its run, the show was also a launchpad for the Hollywood career of one of the UK’s most internationally famous comedians.
After the sitcom ended, this actress went on to play the mother of Chloe Sevigny‘s character in a memorable 1990s drama.
Can you guess who she is?
A blonde bombshell who starred on one of the hit sitcoms of the 1980s still looked youthful when she was spotted this week aged 70
The actress in question is Jeannetta Arnette, who starred as vice principal Bernadette Meara the hit ABC sitcom Head Of The Class about a school for gifted children.
She cut a casual figure when she surfaced in Los Angeles this week, wearing a set of black sweats that highlighted her still svelte frame.
Jeannetta has retained the silky blonde locks that were an element of her signature look during her heyday of TV stardom in decades past.
She has also still preserved her smooth and luminous complexion, which had a youthful glow as she stepped out on a chilly day not long before spring.
Subtly accessorizing the ensemble with a watch and a set of earrings, she rounded off her look with a set of purple-tinted glasses.
Raised in North Carolina, Jeannetta began her TV career with guest shots on a formidable array of well-remembered 1980s programs, including The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, Laverne & Shirley, St. Elsewhere and Three’s Company.
In 1986, she shot to fame in the role of Bernadette Meara on the ABC sitcom Head Of The Class about a fictional school for gifted teens.
Although she had the appearance of a classic 1980s screen siren, Jeannetta’s sitcom character was a sensible vice principal rather than a slinky femme fatale.
The actress in question is Jeannetta Arnette, who starred as vice principal Bernadette Meara the hit ABC sitcom Head Of The Class about a school for gifted children
During the latter part of its run, the show was also the launchpad for the Hollywood career of one of the UK’s Billy Connolly (right)
William G. Schilling (right) held a prominent role as the school’s cranky principal Harold Samuels, often playing opposite Jeannetta who served as his comic foil
She cut a casual figure when she surfaced in Los Angeles this week, wearing a set of black sweats that highlighted her still svelte frame
She has also still preserved her smooth and luminous complexion, which had a youthful glow as she stepped out on a chilly day not long before spring
Subtly accessorizing the ensemble with a watch and a set of earrings, she rounded off her look with a set of purple-tinted glasses
Her pre-fame career included appearances on The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, Laverne & Shirley, St. Elsewhere and Three’s Company
In 1986, she shot to fame in the role of Bernadette Meara on the ABC sitcom Head Of The Class about a fictional school for gifted teens
Head Of The Class was initially led by Howard Hesseman, who played Charlie Bosley, an unconventional history teacher sympathetic to his students’ teenage troubles
Jeannetta’s co-stars included Robin Givens, who attained new heights of fame during her time on the show because of her turbulent romance with Mike Tyson
Head Of The Class ended in 1991 but Jeannetta’s career soldiered ahead, including with Rodney Dangerfield’s 1992 sports comedy movie Ladybugs
Perhaps her most famous film was Boys Don’t Cry, the 1999 drama about the real-life rape and murder of a trans man called Brandon Teena
Hilary Swank played Brandon, while Chloe Sevigny played his girlfriend Lana Tisdel in an Oscar-nominated turn and Jeannetta played Lana’s mother Linda Gutierres
Jeannetta continued acting on TV, guesting on series like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, ER, Lost, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
She has also featured on the programs Criminal Minds, The Drew Carey Show, Switched At Birth, Justified, The Mentalist and Fringe
Last year, she had a small role on Clipped, a miniseries about the race row that torpedoed the career of Clippers owner Donald Sterling
Head Of The Class was initially led by Howard Hesseman, who played Charlie Bosley, an unconventional history teacher sympathetic to his students’ teenage troubles.
William G. Schilling held a prominent role as the school’s cranky principal Harold Samuels, often playing opposite Jeannetta who served as his comic foil.
Howard Hesseman left the show before the fifth and final season, whereupon Head Of The Class took on another position in showbiz history.
He was replaced by none other than Scottish comic Billy Connolly, who had been famous in the UK for many years but had yet to attain stardom in America.
Chloe is pictured in Boys Don’t Cry, in which Jeannetta played her character’s mother
In 1990, the year he joined Head Of The Class, he also featured in a comedy special with Whoopi Goldberg, and the combination of the two projects served as a major breakthrough for his ultimately sterling Hollywood career.
Head Of The Class ended in 1991 but Jeannetta’s career soldiered ahead, including with Rodney Dangerfield’s 1992 sports comedy movie Ladybugs.
Perhaps her most famous film was Boys Don’t Cry, the 1999 drama about the real-life rape and murder of a trans man called Brandon Teena.
Hilary Swank played Brandon, while Chloe Sevigny played his girlfriend Lana Tisdel in an Oscar-nominated turn and Jeannetta played Lana’s mother Linda Gutierres.
Jeannetta continued acting on TV, guesting on series like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, ER, Lost, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
She has also featured on the programs Criminal Minds, The Drew Carey Show, Switched At Birth, Justified, The Mentalist and Fringe.
Last year, she had a small role on Clipped, a miniseries about the race row that torpedoed the career of Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
