Pamela Reed is an American actress, born on April 2, 1949, in Tacoma, Washington. A versatile actress with a solid theater background, she received her first major recognition with an Obie Award for her performance in the off-Broadway production of *Getting Out*. Her film career includes notable roles in films such as *The Right Stuff* (1983), *The Best of Times* (1986), and most notably as Detective Phoebe O'Hara alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in *Kindergarten Cop* (1990). On television, she received a CableACE Award for Best Actress for the HBO series *Tanner '88* and gained popularity with younger generations for playing Marlene Griggs-Knope, the mother of Leslie Knope, in the sitcom *Parks and Recreation*. Her other work includes significant appearances in series such as *Jericho* and the film *Bean* (1997), solidifying her reputation as a reliable character actress praised by both critics and audiences.