Laurette Spang

Laurette Spang McCook is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. In 1972 she was offered a contract to Universal Studios in Los Angeles where she found great success working in television. She is best known as “Cassiopea” in ABC television’s original Battlestar Galactica, as well as many guest starring roles in the hit series Happy Days. She later married actor John McCook in 1980 and they had 3 beautiful children. Laurette’s mother taught her that giving back was important in life, so she has volunteered at the Getty Center in Los Angeles on Tuesdays for over 20 years, as well as volunteering in the ER at Providence Tarzana Hospital for the last 5 years. Her creative genes stayed front and center as all of her children followed suit. Becky is a commercial producer, Molly is an actress (Last Man Standing and Good Trouble), and Jake, a video editor, was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2012. In 2023, he and Laurette published The Cliffs of Schizophrenia, written in alternating mother and son chapters. They speak in bookstores and libraries, as it is their dream to teach people more about schizophrenia, resilience, and hope.