st - century ▁American ▁polit icians ▁Category : 1 9 5 9 ▁birth s <0x0A> </s> ▁Ger ald ine ▁Ann ▁" G eri " ▁Jew ell ▁( born ▁September ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 5 6 ) ▁is ▁an ▁American ▁actress ▁and ▁stand - up ▁com ed ian ▁noted ▁for ▁roles ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁sit com ▁The ▁Fact s ▁of ▁Life ▁and ▁the ▁mid ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁western ▁Dead wood . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Origin ally ▁from ▁Buff alo , ▁New ▁York , ▁she ▁is ▁most ▁notable ▁for ▁her ▁role ▁of ▁Ger i ▁Ty ler ▁on ▁the ▁television ▁program ▁The ▁Fact s ▁of ▁Life ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁This ▁role ▁made ▁her ▁the ▁first ▁person ▁with ▁a ▁visible ▁dis ability ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁rec urr ing ▁role ▁on ▁a ▁prime - time ▁series , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁actor ▁with ▁c ere br al ▁p als y ▁to ▁be ▁featured ▁on ▁a ▁TV ▁series . ▁After ▁she ▁dropped ▁out ▁of ▁college , ▁Jew ell ▁began ▁her ▁career ▁doing ▁stand ▁up ▁comedy ▁at ▁The ▁Com edy ▁Store ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁she ▁performed ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Ann ual ▁Media ▁Access ▁Awards , ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁Norman ▁Lear ▁by ▁producer , ▁Fern ▁Field . ▁ ▁Jew ell ▁appeared ▁as ▁the ▁rec urr ing ▁character ▁Jew el ▁on ▁the ▁H BO ▁original ▁series