Although Johnston had a profile in the theatre world before starring on 3rd Rock From the Sun, the sitcom undoubtedly raised her star status.
While on the show, she also made appearances in the Austin Powers sequels, The Spy Who Shagged Me and Goldmember, as well as the live animation The Flintstones.
When the show wrapped in 2001, the Emmy winner continued to work in TV, with guest-starring stints on The New Adventures of Old Christine, Ugly Betty, Modern Family and Sex and the City.
In 2012, she released her memoir, Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster, in which she candidly opened up about her addiction to pills and alcohol. At the peak of her battle, she said she was drinking two bottles of wine and popping 10 to 30 pills a day.
“And that was a good day,” Johnston, 54, said in March 2021, while reflecting on her past on journalist Elizabeth Vargas’ podcast, Heart of the Matter. “Just thinking about that time in my life, it gives me chills.”
In 2013, she revealed she was diagnosed with lupus myelitis, a neurological disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction contact the Alcohol Drug Information Service on 1800 250 015 or Narcotics Anonymous Australia on 1300 652 820.
