A tall, auburn-haired character actress of stage and screen, known for her comedic support in features, Joan Cusack made her feature debut in “My Bodyguard” (1980) and went on to appear sporadically in films while attending the University of Wisconsin at Madison. After college she joined the cast of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” for the notable 1985-86 season, in which original producer Lorne Michaels made his much heralded return. Cusack, like many of the female players over the course of that show’s run, was underused and she departed after one season. She fared somewhat better turning in a scene-steeling supporting performance as the sprinting, harried production assistant in “Broadcast News” (1987) who utters the memorable line to her boss (Holly Hunter): “Except for socially, you’re my role model”.
