TLDR: Kari Lizer played Cassie Phillips, one of Ben Matlock’s assistants, but her real legacy came decades later behind the camera. She went on to create The New Adventures of Old Christine, which won Julia Louis-Dreyfus an Emmy, and has kept building hit shows ever since.
Kari Lizer played Cassie Phillips, one of Ben Matlock’s rotating assistants, during the show’s run.
It was a modest acting role, and one of several early screen credits for Lizer, who had also appeared years earlier in the 1983 teen comedy Private School alongside Phoebe Cates.
She Moved Behind the Camera and Built a Real Career There
Rather than continuing to chase acting roles, Lizer transitioned into writing and producing, eventually working her way up to co-executive producer on Will & Grace. That experience on one of network television’s biggest comedies gave her the credibility and creative footing to eventually build a show of her own from scratch.
She Created a Show That Won Julia Louis-Dreyfus an Emmy
Lizer created The New Adventures of Old Christine for CBS, a sitcom that ran for five seasons and earned Julia Louis-Dreyfus an Emmy Award for her starring role.
It remains the signature achievement of Lizer’s career, transforming her from a former bit-part actress into one of network television’s more successful comedy creators, and it’s a considerably longer and more decorated run than most people who worked on a legal drama’s supporting cast ever go on to have.
She followed that success by creating the ABC comedy Call Your Mother, starring Kyra Sedgwick, and more recently developed a new NBC sitcom pilot starring Katey Sagal and Jane Lynch, showing she’s kept working steadily at the top level of network comedy development well into recent years.
She’s Also Written About Her Own Life
Beyond her television work, Lizer authored a comedic memoir titled Aren’t You Forgetting Someone? Essays from My Mid-Life Revenge, reflecting on life as an empty nester, raising her own children, and her fondness for keeping chickens, a more personal counterpart to the family-centered comedy she’d spent years writing for other characters.
You can read more about the rest of the classic Matlock cast in our full guide to the show.
Kari Lizer, Frequently Asked Questions
What role did Kari Lizer play on Matlock?
She played Cassie Phillips, one of Ben Matlock’s rotating assistants, in a supporting role during the show’s run.
What is Kari Lizer’s biggest career achievement?
She created the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, which won Julia Louis-Dreyfus an Emmy Award for her starring performance.
What other shows has Kari Lizer created?
She created the ABC comedy Call Your Mother starring Kyra Sedgwick, and more recently developed a new NBC sitcom pilot with Katey Sagal and Jane Lynch.
Has Kari Lizer written any books?
Yes, she authored a comedic memoir titled Aren’t You Forgetting Someone? Essays from My Mid-Life Revenge.
