ader " ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁adding ▁her ▁tal ents ▁to ▁comedy ▁sketch es ▁on ▁many ▁different ▁levels . ▁She ▁became ▁the ▁" go ▁to " ▁female ▁cast ▁member ▁because ▁of ▁her ▁flex ibility ▁and ▁strong ▁delivery . ▁She ▁co - star red ▁with ▁Mark ▁Bl ank field ▁( to ▁whom ▁she ▁was ▁married ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 7 ), ▁Jack ▁Burn s , ▁Mary ed ith ▁Bur rell , ▁Mel anie ▁Chart off , ▁Larry ▁David , ▁Rich ▁Hall , ▁D arrow ▁Ig us , ▁Bruce ▁Mah ler , ▁Michael ▁Rich ards ▁and ▁John ▁Ro ar ke . ▁The ▁show ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁After MA SH ▁ ▁Produ cers ▁of ▁the ▁TV ▁show ▁caught ▁her ▁six - month ▁performance ▁in ▁the ▁stage ▁comedy ▁" W omen ▁Be hind ▁B ars " ▁and ▁liked ▁the ▁character ▁she ▁was ▁playing . ▁She ▁was ▁playing ▁an ▁assistant ▁to ▁the ▁prison ▁mat ron . ▁It ▁was ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁Al ma ▁C ox ▁character ▁they ▁were ▁creating ▁for ▁the ▁TV ▁show . ▁She ▁started ▁the ▁TV ▁show ▁as ▁an ▁occasionally ▁rec urr ing ▁character ▁but ▁after ▁only ▁four ▁episodes ▁she ▁quickly ▁graduated ▁to ▁a ▁regular ▁cast ▁member ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁popular ity ▁of ▁Al ma ▁C ox . ▁After ▁the ▁first ▁ 1 3 ▁episodes ▁she ▁appeared ▁in ▁every ▁episode . ▁She ▁appeared ▁with ▁David ▁A ck ro yd , ▁Ros al ind ▁Ch ao , ▁John ▁Ch app ell , ▁William ▁Christopher , ▁Patrick ▁Cr ans h aw ,