The Minor characters (otherwise not directly involved with STOP ERA or the Feminist Movement) of Mrs. America. Beware of spoilers.
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Schalfly Family Domestic Staff
Willie B. Reid
Willie B. Reid
Played By: Novie Edwards
The Schlafly family's housekeeper and cook, who takes care of the household for Phyllis and even bakes the breads and pies for STOP ERA.
- '60s Hair: Has a simple bob with some pouf in the back.
- Feminine Women Can Cook: She is a excellent cook and baker, her bread impressing Pamela...unfortunately Phyllis takes credit for Willie's cooking.
- Hero of Another Story: Willie would later publish a collection of recipes called ''Blue Ribbon Recipes''
, which featured everything she cooked for the Schalflys'. - Hidden Depths: In "Phyllis" while Phyllis is busy mailing her anti-ERA newsletter out to her mailing list, Willie watches Shirley Chisholm accept the nomination for the first Black female Presidential candidate and looks very hopeful and enthusiastic, likely pointing to her being more open-minded and progressive than Phyllis.
- Kindly Housekeeper: She is a kind housekeeper who is friendly (ish) with Phyllis's band of housewives and happily serves them, not that her kindness is always rewarded back. Her friendliness and doting on Alice's grandson is happily reciprocated by Alice.
- Servile Snarker: She snarks at the end about having to bake ERA breads and pies for Phyllis's army to take to lobby legislators.
Leonia
Leonia
Played By: Marium Carvell
Another one of the Schlafly family's housekeepers.
- '50s Hair: She has a short, curly hairdo that frames her face and fit that decade.
- Kindly Housekeeper: She is very good-natured with the Schlafly children and is seen providing tea for Alice while she is anxiously awaiting news.
- Servile Snarker: Makes a knowing affirmative sound when Willie snarks about Phyllis's anti-ERA activities.
Political Figures
First Lady Betty Ford
First Lady Betty Ford
Played By: Lori Hallier
First Lady who urges Jill to be the Republican face for the Feminist movement.
- '60s Hair: Like most political wives of her generation, she wears her hair in a helmet-like flip.
- Cool Old Lady: The respectable First Lady, as in Real Life, was a outspoken feminist who supported the ERA and spoke out about topics that were previously taboo for First Ladies (she came about about her breast cancer surgery, she told 60 Minutes that she and President Ford share the same bed, she supports abortion, and she wouldn't be surprised if her teenage daughter told her she was having sex because she is just like everyone one else).
- Hero of Another Story: Her candor about the issues facing women and her personal life could make for a compelling series or film on it's own.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Played By: Tara Nicodemo
Brenda's partner on the ACLU's Women's Rights Project and future Supreme Court Justice.
- Brainy Brunette: Has dark hair pulled into a low ponytail and is very intelligent and knowledgeable about constitutional law.
- Hero of Another Story: These are the years before she became Supreme Court Justice.
- Irony: The bashful lawyer who doesn't like the limelight becomes a Supreme Court Justice later in life.
- Shrinking Violet: Famously introverted and bashful. The up and rising lawyer bashfully admits to why she wouldn't debate Phyllis:I don't like the limelight.
Senator Barry Goldwater
Senator Barry Goldwater
Played By: Peter Macneill
1964 Presidential candidate, colleague of Phyllis, and Senator from Arizona.
- Stay in the Kitchen: Refuses to vote for the ERA because "he answers to a higher power" and his state is very right-wing, Jill tells him to his face that it won't boost his maverick image.
Representative Wayne Hays
Representative Wayne Hays
Played By: Curtis Shumaker
A Democratic Representative from Ohio who is part of the D.C. sex scandal.
Representative Henry Hyde
Representative Henry Hyde
Played By:
Conservative Illinois congressman
Sentaor George Mc Govern
George McGovern
Played By:
Democratic Senator and the 1972 Democratic Candidate for President.
Representative Giddy Dyer
Representative Giddy Dyer
Played By: Laura De Carteret
An Illinois State Representative and Republican who is Pro-ERA
- '60s Hair: Wears her hair in a short helmet like Jill.
- Fox News Liberal: She is a Republican who supports the ERA and is a rival of Phyllis Schlafly.
Representative Ginny Chapman
Representative Ginny Chapman
Played By: Alison Brooks
A Democratic Illiniois State Representative who supports the ERA- Here We Go Again!: After encountering them with Phyllis in "Gloria" for sabotaging the legislative vote in 1972, she meets them face-to-face again in 1977 in "Bella" when they want to confront Bella Abzug, her irritation is quite evident.
Non-Political Figures
Dr. John Sharpe
Dr. John Sharpe
Played By: John Jarvis
An English abortion doctor from 1957 who operated on Gloria before her two-year stint in India.
- Small Role, Big Impact: As he tells Gloria, she must never tell anyone his name and she must live her life as she wants. A doctor had only met her once and he had a big impact on her getting a career in journalism, living two years in India where she developed her knowledge and philosophy surrounding feminism (as she said, "Change comes from the bottom up"), and influenced a movement that improved and altered the lives of many women. And we only learn of his name because she finally revealed it in her 2010s book On the Road.
Elizabeth Ray
Elizabeth Ray
Played By: Hannah Galway
Secretary to Representative Wayne Hays and his mistress.
- '70s Hair: Wears her long blonde hair parted in wings and somewhat feathered like Farah Fawcett.
- Sassy Secretary: She openly reads Fear of Flying while clearly not doing her job and sassing back Congresswomen like Shirley and Bella.
- Sexy Secretary: She wears curve-hugging sweaters, short skirts, and is very attractive and sleeping with Representative Hays.
Clay Felker
Clay Felker
Played By: Craig Warnock
Gloria's "money guy" and the publisher for Ms. magazine
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: An expressive male chauvinist who is openly dismissive of Gloria and her magazine, according to Bella, he came up with the idea for a female runner to run from Seneca Falls (the site of the 19th-century women's convention) to Houston for the 1977 convention similar to Lady Liberty and the Olympics.
Natalie Gittelson
Natalie Gittelson
Played By: Miriam Shor
Betty's close friend and a writer for Harper's Bazaar
- '70s Hair: Wears her dark hair long but still styled.
- Warts and All: Natalie is a good and loyal friend to Betty, but she admits Betty can be difficult but still needs recognition for what her influence helped accomplish for Women's rights.
