Alley Mills

Mills was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father was television executive Ted Mills, and her mother, Joan (née Paterson) Mills Kerr, was an author and editor for American Heritage magazine. Her stepmother was actress Genevieve (Ginette Marguerite Auger), and her stepfather was Chester B. Kerr, a director of Yale University Press. She has one sister, Hilary Mills Loomis, and one brother, Tony Mills. Mills made her television debut as a child performer appearing in The Patti Page Show and later performed in Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Mills received a B.A. magna cum laude in drama and art history from Yale University in 1973 (becoming one of the first female undergraduates) and an M.A. from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.Mills began her career appearing in episodes of television series Mr. Novak and The Leslie Uggams Show, before making her big screen debut playing minor role in the 1970 comedy-drama film, Diary of a Mad Housewife. During the 1970s, Mills performed in a number of stage productions, such as Off-Broadway's A Colliers Friday Night, The Little Foxes, Voices, The Idol Makers and Says I, Says He. In 1979 she was cast opposite Martin Short in the short-lived sitcom The Associates, where she played an attorney. In 1983 she starred opposite John Candy in the comedy film Going Berserk and the following year appeared in the comedy film Young Lust. During the 1980s also made guest appearances in television series Lou Grant, Newhart, Moonlighting and Punky Brewster. In 1982 she had four-episode arc in the NBC police drama, Hill Street Blues as Tracy Renko.

In 1988, Mills was cast as Norma Arnold, the mother of Fred Savage's character in the ABC comedy series, The Wonder Years, from 1988 to 1993. The show received positive reviews and won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. In 1989, Mills also began co-hosting the ABC daytime talk-show, Home. The Wonder Years ended in 1993 after six seasons and 114 episodes. During the 1990s, Mills acted in a number of made-for-television movies, such as Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted (1992), Tainted Blood (1993) opposite Raquel Welch, Moment of Truth: Caught in the Crossfire (1994), Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare (1995), and Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan (1995) starring Elizabeth Montgomery in her last screen appearance. From 1993 to 1997, Mills had a recurring role in the CBS Western series, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman as Marjorie Quinn, Dr. Michaela Quinn's sister. She had previously appeared in the series as a saloon girl. In 2000, Mills co-starred in the ABC miniseries, The Beach Boys: An American Family. She also appeared in Roseanne, Touched by an Angel, NYPD Blue, Popular, Girlfriends, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Strong Medicine and Yes, Dear.

In December 2006, Mills joined the cast of CBS daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful under contract as Pamela Douglas, the estranged sister of Stephanie Douglas Forrester. But in March 2007, after making only a handful of appearances, her character went insane, was confined to a mental hospital, and then disappeared from the show. Mills reprised the role on recurring status in 2007 and 2008, and by December 2008, was added to the opening credits as a contract player. In November 2019, it was reported that Mills was off contract with the show. Mills made a return appearance to The Bold and the Beautiful in August 2021. During her time on soap, Mills also acted in a number of Hallmark Channel movies, such as Reluctant Nanny and Appetite for Love.

In October, 2022, Mills replaced Robin Mattson as legacy character Heather Webber on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She later made recurring returns to soap. In 2023, Mills received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series for General Hospital. Also in 2023, Mills guest-starred alongside her The Wonder Years co-star, Dan Lauria, in an episode of Fox series Fantasy Island.