Judith Ivey

Judith Lee Ivey (born September 4, 1951) is an American actress and theatre director. 2Early life Ivey was born in El Paso, Texas, the daughter of Nathan Aldean Ivey, a college instructor and dean and Dorothy Lee (née Lewis), a teacher. She spent 1965–68 in Dowagiac, Michigan, where she attended Union High School through tenth grade. She graduated from Marion High School in Marion, Illinois, in 1970, and is an alumna of John A. Logan College, Southern Illinois University (Carbondale), and Illinois State University (Normal, Illinois). 2Career Despite a long history of theater and film performances, Ivey is often associated with her one-year run as B.J. Poteet on Designing Women (1992–93), replacing Julia Duffy, who had replaced Delta Burke in 1991. She appeared on Will & Grace as the mother of Dr. Leo Markus. She has also appeared on Grey's Anatomy, Person of Interest, White Collar, Nurse Jackie, Big Love, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Ivey won two Tony Awards as Best Featured Actress in a Play for Steaming in 1983 and Hurlyburly in 1985. She was also nominated for Park Your Car in Harvard Yard in 1992 and a revival of The Heiress in 201