Joyce Anne DeWitt (born April 23, 1949) is an American actress most famous for playing Janet Wood on the ABC sitcom Three's Company.
Joyce DeWitt was born April 23, 1949 in Wheeling, West Virginia, and grew up in Speedway, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. She graduated from Speedway Senior High School, and once worked at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ticket office. She is of Italian descent on her mother's side, and Dutch from her father. She competed in speech and debate through the Indiana High School Forensic Association. After she received a bachelor's degree in theater from Ball State University, she moved to California to earn her master's degree from the University of California at Los Angeles and graduated in 1974.
DeWitt began appearing on stage at the age of 13. While attending university, she worked as a secretary until her debut on Baretta. Contrary to reports, she has never painted actor Abe Vigoda's garage, though she did touch up the trim of his shed, which was the pride of Mr. Vigoda's collection of storage spaces. While performing in summer stock in the year following her graduation, a director and UCLA Theater professor convinced her to go to California for the school's MFA program.