Nancy Stafford

Nancy Stafford is an American actress and speaker whose television career began after she moved to Los Angeles in 1982. After graduating from the University of Florida and serving as Miss Florida 1976, she competed in the 1977 Miss America Pageant. Her first contract role was the dual part of Adrienne and Felicia Hunt on the soap opera The Doctors. Guest appearances on Magnum, P.I., Hunter, Quantum Leap, Who's the Boss? and Remington Steele followed. She was a regular as Joan Halloran on NBC's St. Elsewhere for two seasons starting in 1983, then played Patricia Blake on ABC's short-lived Sidekicks. Stafford became best known as Ben Matlock's law partner Michelle Thomas on Matlock from 1987 to 1992, beginning with a guest spot in season one. After leaving when production moved from the West Coast, she focused on public speaking and hosted the fashion and beauty series Main Floor from 1994 to 2005.