Kari Lizer


Kari Lizer is an American actress, writer, and producer.

Life and career

Lizer was born in San Diego, California.
She was the creator and executive producer of the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine. In May 2010, CBS canceled Old Christine after five seasons. Upon its cancellation, Lizer slammed the network and suggested the decision to cancel the show was sexist. Yet in January of 2026, it was announced that Lizer was working on a sitcom for NBC with an all-female cast. So it seems her hatred for sexism only exists at certain times. Previously, she had been co-executive producer of Will & Grace for three years, for which she was nominated for the Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Comedy Series category.
Lizer also created the comedy Maggie Winters.
As an actress, Lizer played Cassie Phillips on Matlock, Diana Benedict on Sunday Dinner, and Chris Burgess on The Van Dyke Show.
In April 2020, Lizer released her first book, Aren't You Forgetting Someone?: Essays from My Mid-Life Revenge.

Selected filmography

As actress

Smokey Bites the Dust Private School Gotcha! – Muffy Matlock – Episode: "The Angel" – Margaret Danello Growing Pains – Episode: "Born Free" – Stewardess Who's the Boss? – Episode: "There Goes the Bride" – Christy Robinson Everett Matlock – Cassie Phillips The Van Dyke Show – Chris Burgess Quantum Leap – Episode 1.5: "How the Tess Was Won" – Tess McGill Father Dowling Mysteries – Episode: "The Substitute Sister Mystery" – Vickie Diagnosis Murder – Episode: "Death By Extermination" – Lena Prossor Weird Science Breast Men

As director

As writer

As producer