Ghostbusters Career
Potts plays Janine Melnitz, the acerbic, sharp-tongued receptionist who serves as the front-line interface between the Ghostbusters and their clients. A Nashville native, Potts adopted a New York accent for the role that proved convincing enough that interviewers decades later assumed it was genuine. "Born in Nashville and not New York, as you may have thought from her convincing accent," the SFX Ghostbusters guide noted in 2016.
For her audition, Potts recruited her Brazilian nanny to dress her, believing her nanny's whimsical style suited the character perfectly. She visited the production on location at Fire House #23 in Los Angeles before principal photography; director Ivan Reitman noticed her watching from the sidelines and added her to the scene. On the spot, she borrowed prescription glasses from one of the costume designers, and those eyeglasses became Janine's signature look for the rest of the film.
Costume designer Theoni V. Aldredge handled Janine's wardrobe. Though the clothes were deliberately offbeat, Potts described them as "all beautiful Armani stuff."
On January 20, 1984, during a firehouse shoot, Bill Murray arrived several hours late after the crew had already filmed half a scene using a stand-in. When Murray arrived and began improvising, Potts cut short his riffing, reportedly telling him something to the effect of standing on his mark and saying his lines. By most accounts, the crew applauded her.
At the Westwood premiere of the first film, both Potts and Ernie Hudson were unrecognized as cast members and removed from the red carpet by security.
For Ghostbusters II, the writers had intended to develop the Janine/Egon relationship further as a comedic throughline. That plan was scaled back. Potts later reflected that she thought Janine and Egon had "a nice chemistry" and would have liked to see it explored more.
In the 2016 reboot directed by Paul Feig, Potts played Vanessa, the desk clerk at the Aldridge Mansion Hotel. The character's first name was a deliberate nod to Potts' earlier role as Vanessa in Corvette Summer (1978), which is a personal favorite of Feig's.
Potts is referenced by name in the map credit on the Regular Cover of Ghostbusters 101 #1 (IDW Publishing).
Career Background
Potts attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where she majored in drama. After graduation, she performed in summer stock, appeared in Shakespeare productions, and took local radio and television roles.
A car accident interrupted her early career while she was recovering with two broken legs. During that time she turned to community theatre, designing sets and costumes in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She later moved to California, where she attended the California Institute of the Arts and performed with the L.A. Globe Theatre Shakespeare Society in Richard III and Cymbeline.
In 1976 she joined the road company of Charley's Aunt, starring Vincent Price. Her early television work included the CBS movies Flatbed Annie and Sweetiepie and Cowboy (with James Brolin and Ted Danson), and the ABC sitcom Goodtime Girls (with Lorna Patterson). Her film credits before Ghostbusters included Corvette Summer (1978), King of the Gypsies (1978), and Heartaches (1981). By the time Ghostbusters was in production, Potts had already accumulated roughly seven years of on-screen experience.
Other Notable Works
- Designing Women (CBS, 1986-1993): Seven-year starring role as Mary Jo Shively.
- Pretty in Pink (1986) and Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986): 1980s studio comedies she appeared in following the profile boost from Ghostbusters.
- Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 4 (2019): Voice of Bo Peep.
- Boston Legal, Ugly Betty, Gray's Anatomy: recurring television appearances.
- NCIS: New Orleans (2014-2021).
- Young Sheldon (CBS, 2017-2024): 136 episodes as Connie "Meemaw" Tucker.
