10 Things You Don't Know About Judy Greer — From Stealing Michael Jordan's Used Wine Glass to Her Fear of Spiders
Dec. 16 2024, Published 4:53 p.m. ET
Jolly Judy Greer is in the holiday spirit in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
Years after making her name as scene-stealing second bananas in hits such as 13 Going on 30 and Arrested Development, the 49-year-old is headlining the merry new movie as a substitute pageant director herding a gaggle of pint-sized delinquents.
Recently, she jokingly expressed hope that her young castmates will grow up to be stars who’ll hire her as “mothers and aunts and grandmothers” in their future flicks.
Here are ten things you don’t know about the wisecracking funny lady.
1. During her childhood, she wanted to be a fashion designer.
2. Greer sewed most of her own clothes in high school because it was difficult for her to find ready-made pieces that properly fit her lanky figure.
3. While working as a waitress, she stole a wineglass used by basketball great Michael Jordan so she could give it to a friend.
4. Greer performs professionally under her mother’s maiden name, Greer, because another Tinseltown Judith uses Evans, which is her birth name.
5. The actress finds she’s most recognized by fans for her 10-episode stint as b----baring Kitty Sanchez on TV’s Arrested Development.
6. Greer is not a fan of spiders and calls arachnids “terrifying demons who want to crawl into my mouth and sting my insides while I sleep.”
7. In 2011, she married Dean E. Johnsen, an executive producer of Real Time with Bill Maher.
8. After completing two marathons, she admitted, “I think you couldn’t call what I did running, but still, I finished. That’s something, isn’t it?”
9. Greer took up knitting to give herself something to do on sets besides smoke and credits the hobby with helping her kick cigarettes.
10. Greer confided she could easily call “beautiful” Pittsburgh home and gushed, “There’s amazing restaurants, and the sports are really fun — there is nothing more fun than a Steelers tailgate.”