A blonde character actor with a distinctive, slightly nasal voice, Judith Ivey has proved herself equally adept at comedy and drama.The Texas-born Ivey received her training at Illinois State University and began her stage career in Chicago, debuting in the 1974 Goodman Theatre production of "The Sea". She racked up a variety of credits before moving to NYC in the late 1970s. Ivey made her Broadway debut as part of the American replacements for the original British cast in "Bedroom Farce" in 1979. Other theater roles (both on and off-Broadway) followed, including understudying the title role