Markie Post, born Marjorie Armstrong Post on 4 November 1950, was an American actress best known for playing Christine Sullivan on Night Court. She died on 7 August 2021, aged 70, after a nearly four-year private battle with cancer. Her death prompted an outpouring of tributes from co-stars and fans worldwide.
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Key takeaways
- Markie Post starred as Christine Sullivan on Night Court (1984–1992) and as Terri Michaels on The Fall Guy (1982–1985).
- Her net worth at the time of her death was estimated at $12 million.
- She married producer Michael A. Ross in February 1982.
- The late actress is survived by her husband Michael and their two daughters.
- She accumulated 76 acting credits and 2 producer credits across four decades of television and film.
Profile summary
Full name | Marjorie Armstrong Post |
Date of birth | 4 November 1950 |
Place of birth | Palo Alto, California, USA |
Zodiac sign | Scorpio |
Date of death | 7 August 2021, Los Angeles, USA |
Age at death | 70 |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Profession | Actress, Producer |
Education | Las Lomas High School; BA, Lewis & Clark College, Oregon |
Height | 5 ft 6 in (167 cm) |
Body measurements | 34–23–34 inches |
Weight | 50 kg (110 lbs) |
Hair colour | Light brown |
Eye colour | Brown |
Relationship status | Married Michael A. Ross (February 1982 – d. 2021) |
Children | Kate Armstrong Ross; Daisy Schoenborn |
Net worth | $12 million (estimated at time of death) |
Markie Post's early life and education
Markie Post was born in Palo Alto, California, and grew up in Walnut Creek, California. Her father, Richard F. Post, was a scientist; her mother, Marylee Post, was a poet. She has two brothers, Rodney and Stephen.
She attended Las Lomas High School before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lewis & Clark College in Oregon. After graduating, she began her career behind the camera rather than in front of it.
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Career beginnings and television debut
Post started out working behind the camera on game shows, including Split Second, Double Dare, and Card Sharks. These formative years gave her a thorough understanding of television production.
Her on-screen debut came in 1979 with the series CHiPs. That same year she appeared on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, playing Joella Cameron in the two-part episode "The Plot to Kill a City" (broadcast October 1979), an early sign of the television stardom that would follow.
The Fall Guy (1982–1985)
Post's first prominent series regular role came in the Lee Majors action-adventure show The Fall Guy, where she played bail bondswoman Terri Michaels. She appeared alongside Majors from 1982 to 1985, establishing herself as a recognisable face in primetime television. She also guest-starred in The A-Team as Rina (1983–1984) during the same period.
Night Court: the role that defined her career
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Her most celebrated role came in NBC's Night Court, the Manhattan municipal court sitcom starring Harry Anderson as Judge Harry T. Stone. Post joined the cast as Christine Sullivan, a sincere and strong-willed public defender, becoming a full-time cast member from season three onwards.
Christine's quick wit made her a constant foil to John Larroquette's womanising prosecutor Dan Fielding. She remained with the show for its entire run, from 1984 to 1992, seven seasons that earned Post critical recognition and a loyal global fanbase.
Hearts Afire (1992–1995)
Following Night Court, Post starred in the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire as Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman, appearing from 1992 to 1995 alongside John Ritter.
Other notable roles
Markie Post in Scrubs
Post played Elliot Reid's mother in the long-running medical comedy Scrubs, a recurring guest role that introduced her work to a younger generation of viewers.
Transformers Prime (2010–2013)
She voiced June Darby, the mother of protagonist Jack Darby, across all three seasons of the animated series Transformers: Prime, earning a devoted following among animation fans.
Films
Her film credits include There's Something About Mary (1998), alongside a range of television films and movies-of-the-week spanning four decades.
Working through illness
Even after her cancer diagnosis in 2017, Post continued to work. She filmed a Lifetime Christmas movie and appeared in a recurring guest-star role on the ABC series The Kids Are Alright, both during active chemotherapy treatment.
Her former Chicago P.D. co-star, Sophia Bush, paid tribute to the late actress with a heartbreak tweet on X. She wrote:
"She was a rock. A light. A great friend and a phenomenal scene partner. She brought sunshine everywhere she went."
Personal life and marriages
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First marriage
The late actress married her college sweetheart, Stephen Knox, in 1971. The marriage ended in divorce in 1972.
Marriage to Michael A. Ross
In February 1982, she married actor and writer Michael A. Ross. Theirs was a partnership that lasted nearly four decades until her death.
Actress Hilarie Burton Morgan described Markie Post as a loving person in her Instagram tribute. She wrote:
"She was just so good at loving people. It came so easy to her... The way she talked about her husband and daughters… I wanted to be loved like that. I wanted to LOVE like that."
Family
Post and Ross have two daughters: Kate Armstrong Ross, an actress who won Best Supporting Actress at the Creation International Film Festival in 2016 for Frog March; and Daisy Schoenborn.
At the time of Post's death in August 2021, Daisy had a five-month-old daughter, making Post a grandmother.
Source: Getty Images
At the time of her death in 2021, Post's net worth was estimated at approximately $12 million, accumulated across four decades of television and film work. If reliable sources differ on the precise figure, the $12 million estimate is the most widely cited.
FAQ
- What did Markie Post pass away from? Markie Post died on 7 August 2021 from adenocarcinoma, a form of cancer. She had been battling the illness privately for nearly four years before her death at age 70.
- Was Markie Post a smoker? There is no verified public information confirming whether Markie Post was a smoker. Her family did not disclose lifestyle details related to her cancer diagnosis.
- Did Markie Post ever marry? Yes. She married twice. Her first marriage to college sweetheart Stephen Knox lasted from 1971 to 1972. She then married actor and writer Michael A. Ross in February 1982, and they remained together until she died in 2021.
- What was Markie Post's age? The late actress was born on 4 November 1950 and died on 7 August 2021, aged 70.
- What were Markie Post's measurements? Her body measurements were reported as 34–23–34 inches. She stood 5 ft 6 in (167 cm) tall and weighed approximately 50 kg (110 lbs).
- What was Markie Post's net worth? At the time of her death, Markie was worth around $12 million, accumulated across four decades of acting and producing.
- What was Markie Post's role in Buck Rogers? She appeared in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century in October 1979, playing Joella Cameron in the two-part episode "The Plot to Kill a City."
- What was Markie Post's role in Scrubs? In Scrubs, the late actress played Elliot Reid's mother, appearing as a guest character in the long-running medical comedy.
Markie Post started her career as a teenage California girl working behind the camera. She did not give up on her dreams and went on to become one of Hollywood's biggest on-screen divas. The late actress is survived by her screenwriter and producer husband, Michael A. Ross, and their two daughters, Kate and Daisy.
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Source: Legit.ng