Canadian-American actress Belinda Montgomery was spotted enjoying a casual lunch with friends in Los Angeles on Saturday. The 76-year-old star, best known for playing the mother of Neil Patrick Harris in the hit 1990s television series Doogie Howser, M.D., was seen leaving a local restaurant holding a bag of to-go food.
Montgomery dressed casually for the weekend outing in a bright pink shirt, blue jeans, and sensible Nike trainers. She was accompanied by her adorable fluffy dog, who dutifully stayed by her side, rested at her feet, and was carried in her arms during the walk.
The Daily Mail reached out to a representative for Montgomery for comment regarding her outing but has yet to receive a response.
Montgomery achieved widespread television fame for her role as Katherine Howser, the mother of the titular teenage medical prodigy played by Neil Patrick Harris in Doogie Howser, M.D. She starred as Katherine in all four seasons of the medical drama sitcom from 1989 to 1993.
Her character originally began the series as a housewife before returning to work as a patient advocate at her son's hospital. The series, created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, centered on a teenage physician balancing high school youth with a demanding medical career.
In 2008, Montgomery reunited with her former on-screen son when she met up with Harris at the Laguna Beach Art Festival in California. Reflecting on the meeting years later, Montgomery recalled how much she enjoyed catching up with her former co-star.
"We did the Laguna Art Festival. This was a couple years ago and so we kinda had fun meeting up doing pictures there….and that was neat," Montgomery told Popbuff.com in a 2016 interview.
A five-decade television and film career
Montgomery's acting career spans over five decades. She first gained prominence as a baby-faced teenager starring as the titular character in the 1969 television movie Hey, Cinderella!, working alongside Kermit the Frog in the special.
In 1977 and 1978, Montgomery starred as Dr Elizabeth Merrill alongside Patrick Duffy in the science fiction television series Man From Atlantis. Duffy played Mark Harris, an amphibious survivor from the lost kingdom of Atlantis who assisted her character's oceanic research foundation.
Her television resume also features roles in Hollywood classics including The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Miami Vice, and T.J. Hooker. On Miami Vice, she shared scenes with star Don Johnson, expanding a co-star roster that includes Harris and Kermit the Frog.
Film credits and final screen appearance
In film, Montgomery appeared in the landmark 1982 sci-fi production TRON, as well as horror features such as Stone Cold Dead in 1979 and Silent Madness in 1984. Her film work also includes The Todd Killings in 1971, the 1975 drama The Other Side of the Mountain, and its 1978 sequel, The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2.
Her final acting role came in 2017 when she played Carol Winters, also known as Mrs Claus, in the romantic comedy television movie Snowed-Inn Christmas. The American-Canadian holiday film aired on the Lifetime network, capping off her acting career.
Transition to fine art
Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Montgomery has stepped away from acting to pursue a full-time passion for painting. Her artistic talent first emerged as a child, when she sold her very first artwork at age 10 to a prominent news anchor at Canada's CBC network.
While acting took priority for many years, Montgomery eventually returned to fine art. According to her official website, she works in oil and acrylic paints and creates figurative sculpture.
"Now she has found herself painting fulltime primarily in oil and acrylic as well as working in figurative sculpture," her website states.
