Annie Potts has played enough memorable roles during her five decades in Hollywood to make choosing a favorite difficult. But the actress knows exactly which one stands above the rest; and it isn’t one of her most famous roles.
Potts has entertained generations as Janine Melnitz in “Ghostbusters,” Meemaw in “Young Sheldon,” Mary Jo Shively in “Designing Women” and the voice of Bo Peep in the “Toy Story” movies.
Yet when the 73-year-old was recently asked which character was closest to the real Annie Potts, she went back more than two decades. Speaking with Woman’s World, Potts named her work as Mary Elizabeth “M.E.” Sims on the Lifetime drama “Any Day Now.”
“That’s my favorite role,” she said.
Annie Potts’ Favorite Role Came From ‘Any Day Now’
Potts starred alongside Lorraine Toussaint on “Any Day Now,” which ran for four seasons between 1998 and 2002. The series followed childhood friends M.E. and Rene Jackson, played by Toussaint, at different points in their lives.
Set partly during their childhood in 1960s Birmingham, Alabama, and partly during adulthood, the show explored how their friendship endured through difficult experiences and major changes around them.
Potts told Woman’s World that the project remained particularly meaningful because of its writing, cast and her own Southern connections to the material. “I did a beautiful show, ‘Any Day Now,’” she recalled, praising the writers, creator and “wonderful actors.”
Although “Any Day Now” may not have the pop-culture recognition of “Ghostbusters” or “Toy Story,” the role earned Potts significant recognition at the time. According to FOX’s official biography for Potts, her performance on “Any Day Now” earned her two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Annie Potts’ ‘Any Day Now’ Choice Has a Deeper History
Potts’ latest answer isn’t the first indication that M.E. holds an unusual place in her career. In a 2022 Glamour interview, the actress similarly singled out the character when reflecting on the roles she had played throughout her career.
At the time, Potts described M.E. as probably the character she had played who was closest to herself. Four years later, she has gone even further by identifying the role as her favorite. That distinction is particularly notable considering the characters Potts could have chosen.
She has repeatedly returned to “Ghostbusters” as Janine Melnitz, including for “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.” She voiced Bo Peep across multiple “Toy Story” films and spent seven seasons playing fan-favorite grandmother Meemaw on “Young Sheldon.”
Potts also told Woman’s World that being recognized for those different performances remains meaningful to her. “Several times when people recognize me in a role, it makes me feel good because I know I did my job then,” she explained.
Annie Potts Is Still Adding New Roles to Her Career
Potts isn’t simply looking back. After “Young Sheldon” ended in 2024, she continued playing Meemaw with guest appearances on its spinoff, “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.”
She’s also found another television home as Aunt Sarah in FOX’s “Best Medicine,” starring alongside Josh Charles and Abigail Spencer. The comedy-drama is preparing to return for its second season on September 22, with Potts once again appearing as one of the residents of the fictional Maine town of Port Wenn.
Even after approximately five decades of work across television, movies, animation and Broadway, Potts has shown little interest in treating her career as finished. But when asked to look back at everything she has already done, her answer says plenty.
For all the cultural staying power of “Ghostbusters,” the popularity of “Young Sheldon” and the generations that know her voice from “Toy Story,” Annie Potts’ favorite role remains the one she found on “Any Day Now” more than 25 years ago.
I LOVE, LOVE ANNIE POTTS IN EVERYTHING – ALL OF MY FAV. SHOWS!!!!!