Mary Richards

Mary Richards, portrayed by Mary Tyler Moore, is the lead character of the television sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Character biography Mary Richards, born in 1940 in Roseburg, Minnesota, is the only child of Walter and Dottie Richards. Prior to relocating to Minneapolis, she was engaged to a medical student named Bill whom she left after realizing he would probably never want to get married. After arriving in Minneapolis, Mary leases an apartment in her friend, Phyllis Lindstrom's house. Also renting an attic loft from Phyllis is Rhoda Morgenstern, with whom Mary becomes fast friends. Mary also bonds with Phyllis's precocious daughter, Bess. Mary applies for a secretarial job at television station WJM-TV, the area's lowest rated channel. After meeting with news producer Lou Grant, she learns the position has been filled but she is hired as an associate producer. Later, Mary is promoted to producer when Lou becomes the news director. While at WJM, she quickly becomes friends with newswriter Murray Slaughter and vain, incompetent anchorman Ted Baxter. In the office, Mary is often the voice of reason. Lou—always called Mr. Grant by Mary—later develops an almost-fatherly relationship with her.