Joan Prather

Slim, lovely and beguiling brunette Joan Prather was born on October 17, 1950, in Dallas, Texas. She was a varsity cheerleader at Highland Park High School in her native Dallas and first began acting in grade-school stage productions. Moreover, she was a regular on the teen dance show "Somethin' Else" during her high school years. She graduated from Highland Park High in 1968. Joan started acting in films and TV shows in 1973. Her most memorable movie roles are demure but eager virgin Lola in The Single Girls (1973), stuck-up rich heiress Jane Kingston in Big Bad Mama (1974) and naive beauty pageant contestant Robin in Smile (1975). She achieved her greatest enduring popularity with her recurring part as Janet McArthur Bradford on Eight Is Enough (1977). In addition, Joan has made guest appearances on episodes of such TV series as Sanford and Son (1972), Happy Days (1974), The Love Boat (1977), CHiPs (1977) and Fantasy Island (1977). Prather quit acting in the late 1980s. She's married to lawyer Douglas J. Frye and lives in Malibu, California. In September 2008 she was arrested for felony hit-and-run in Malibu and was released on $50,000 bail.