Dr. Mary Albright
Encyclopedia
Mary Margaret Albright, Ph.D is a fictional character
who was played by Jane Curtin
in the American
situation comedy
3rd Rock from the Sun
. She serves as a straight foil and love interest for the eccentric Dick Solomon
.
said, "We really needed a very strong human comic presence. . . . Someone who could give it out and dish it out." Curtin had earlier worked with Bonnie and Terry Turner on Saturday Night Live
and in the 1993 film Coneheads
. She originally signed for just seven episodes, but soon agreed to extend her commitment. "I loved the character, but I also loved the sense of humor on the show," she later explained. "I had known John in New York, and I'm very comfortable with him. It made me laugh when John and I were working together -- there just would be puddles on the floor."
Reflecting on the show in 2005, Lithgow remarked "Jane was just perfect for it. She's a great comedy partner. She understands the role of a straight man; however, she also has a terrific streak of wildness herself so she creates this wonderful repressed character who occasionally spins out just as much as the aliens do."
at the fictional Pendelton State University in Rutherford, Ohio. For approximately six months during the sitcom's 4th season, Mary served as dean of Pendleton's School of Arts and Sciences. However, she lost this job and returned to her role as professor after she was caught breaking in to friend and colleague Judith's office after Dick convinced her that Judith was after her job.
professor, were forced to share an office. While Dick was attracted to her almost instantly, Mary took a long time to warm to Dick. After their initial success, Dick and Mary enjoyed an on-off relationship; Dick would often annoy Mary, causing her to grow angry and seemingly break up with him. However, in the next episode, they are nearly always back together (notable exception: when Dick was engaged to Mary, then discovered another alien had been sent to masquerade as his wife, leading Mary to believe he is committing polygamy. Even then, she forgave him.)
When Dick and his 'family' are called back to the home planet, Mary discovers Dick's alien identity; she is initially persuaded to return with them. However, she realises how much she would miss Earth, so she and Dick bid farewell. In an alternate ending, Dick returns and abducts her.
(best known for playing Karen Walker
on Will & Grace
). Mary also has a younger brother, Roy Albright (Bronson Pinchot
), who claims to have been abducted by aliens. This completely freaks out the family, to this end Sally and Harry take out the cornfield to "killroy" as the plan is called. In the end he is found out to be lying.
As seen in "The Dicks They Are A'Changin'", Mary was a part of the 1960s counterculture
in her youth (flashback
s showed her dressed in hippie
garb), though she mentions she "never made it to Woodstock
". Mary attended UC Berkeley
in the late '60s and was apparently involved in the Free Speech Movement
there.
to compensate. After breaking off their engagement
, Mary tries to get rid of the dog, but realizes she loves him. She and Dick later get back together, making Mary relieved she didn't get rid of her dog. On several occasions throughout the show Mary's dog would come running onto the set and start humping
her.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who was played by Jane Curtin
Jane Curtin
Jane Therese Curtin is an American actress and comedienne. She is commonly referred to as Queen of the Deadpan.First coming to prominence as an original cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s...
in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
. She serves as a straight foil and love interest for the eccentric Dick Solomon
Dick Solomon
Dr. Richard Solomon, usually known as Dick Solomon, is a character played by John Lithgow in the late '90s NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. Solomon is the High Commander of a highly trained alien unit, sent to Earth by their leader, The Big Giant Head...
.
Casting
Curtin was recruited to play Mary by friend Bonnie Turner after another actress was deemed too sweet for the part. Co-star John LithgowJohn Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
said, "We really needed a very strong human comic presence. . . . Someone who could give it out and dish it out." Curtin had earlier worked with Bonnie and Terry Turner on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
and in the 1993 film Coneheads
Coneheads (film)
Coneheads is a 1993 film based on the Saturday Night Live sketches about the Coneheads. The film was directed by Steve Barron and produced by Lorne Michaels...
. She originally signed for just seven episodes, but soon agreed to extend her commitment. "I loved the character, but I also loved the sense of humor on the show," she later explained. "I had known John in New York, and I'm very comfortable with him. It made me laugh when John and I were working together -- there just would be puddles on the floor."
Reflecting on the show in 2005, Lithgow remarked "Jane was just perfect for it. She's a great comedy partner. She understands the role of a straight man; however, she also has a terrific streak of wildness herself so she creates this wonderful repressed character who occasionally spins out just as much as the aliens do."
Occupation
Mary works as a professor of AnthropologyAnthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at the fictional Pendelton State University in Rutherford, Ohio. For approximately six months during the sitcom's 4th season, Mary served as dean of Pendleton's School of Arts and Sciences. However, she lost this job and returned to her role as professor after she was caught breaking in to friend and colleague Judith's office after Dick convinced her that Judith was after her job.
Relationship with Dick
Mary and the 'father' of the alien group, who works at Pendelton as a physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
professor, were forced to share an office. While Dick was attracted to her almost instantly, Mary took a long time to warm to Dick. After their initial success, Dick and Mary enjoyed an on-off relationship; Dick would often annoy Mary, causing her to grow angry and seemingly break up with him. However, in the next episode, they are nearly always back together (notable exception: when Dick was engaged to Mary, then discovered another alien had been sent to masquerade as his wife, leading Mary to believe he is committing polygamy. Even then, she forgave him.)
When Dick and his 'family' are called back to the home planet, Mary discovers Dick's alien identity; she is initially persuaded to return with them. However, she realises how much she would miss Earth, so she and Dick bid farewell. In an alternate ending, Dick returns and abducts her.
History
From hints in the show, Mary formerly drank a lot and often used her femininity to get what she wanted from men. From references and one episode about her parents, it appears that her father had affairs and her mother drank a lot. Mary comes from a seemingly average but trashy family, but she and sister Renata have become successful - Renata is rich, while Mary is a professor and doctor. In one episode, Dick marries her, in order to divorce her and get her to promise she will not build a library at Pendelton that will cast a shadow in Mary's office. Renata was played by guest star Megan MullallyMegan Mullally
Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
(best known for playing Karen Walker
Karen Walker (character)
Karen Walker is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Will & Grace . She was portrayed by actress and singer Megan Mullally...
on Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
). Mary also has a younger brother, Roy Albright (Bronson Pinchot
Bronson Pinchot
Bronson Alcott Pinchot is an American actor. He has appeared in several feature films, including Risky Business, Beverly Hills Cop , The First Wives Club, True Romance, Courage Under Fire and It's My Party...
), who claims to have been abducted by aliens. This completely freaks out the family, to this end Sally and Harry take out the cornfield to "killroy" as the plan is called. In the end he is found out to be lying.
As seen in "The Dicks They Are A'Changin'", Mary was a part of the 1960s counterculture
Counterculture of the 1960s
The counterculture of the 1960s refers to a cultural movement that mainly developed in the United States and spread throughout much of the western world between 1960 and 1973. The movement gained momentum during the U.S. government's extensive military intervention in Vietnam...
in her youth (flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
s showed her dressed in hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
garb), though she mentions she "never made it to Woodstock
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
". Mary attended UC Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in the late '60s and was apparently involved in the Free Speech Movement
Free Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement was a student protest which took place during the 1964–1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and...
there.
Alternate Universe
In an episode when the characters enter an alternate universe Mary has a completely different personality and life. She is a shallow, airheaded and slutty lounge singer at a dive bar in Manhattan. She uses her feminine wiles to get money and gifts from men. She attempts to do so with Dick Solomon but finds herself falling in love.Pets
Mary used to own fish, before Dick was left to look after them as Mary was on a conference - he introduced an angel fish, which ate all the others. Mary was angry with Dick for killing her fish, calling him a "jackass". Dick subsequently bought her a dogDog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
to compensate. After breaking off their engagement
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
, Mary tries to get rid of the dog, but realizes she loves him. She and Dick later get back together, making Mary relieved she didn't get rid of her dog. On several occasions throughout the show Mary's dog would come running onto the set and start humping
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
her.
Trivia
- Mary's passportPassportA passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
and credit cardCredit cardA credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
both say "Mary Albright, Ph.D." - Jane CurtinJane CurtinJane Therese Curtin is an American actress and comedienne. She is commonly referred to as Queen of the Deadpan.First coming to prominence as an original cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s...
, the actress who portrays Mary also played an alien (Prymaat Conehead from Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
). Her full name is also similar as Prymaat's aliasPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
in the 1993 Coneheads filmConeheads (film)Coneheads is a 1993 film based on the Saturday Night Live sketches about the Coneheads. The film was directed by Steve Barron and produced by Lorne Michaels...
: Mary Margaret DeCicco.