American actress Alley Mills was born on May 9, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois. She began acting in the early 1960s, although it was only in the 1980s when she intensified her appearances. After a guest stint opposite a then-unknown Martin Short in the comedy The Associates, she appeared in several television movies, as well as a guest in some regular series, including Punky Brewster and Hill Street Blues.
Mills initially gained recognition in 1988 with her role in the acclaimed series The Wonder Years. She played the role of Norma Arnold, the stay-at-home mom of lead Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage). The series became a huge success, and eventually picked up numerous awards, including an Emmy and a George Peabody Award. She stayed on the role until its conclusion in 1993. She then joined the cast of the drama series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, playing the recurring role of Marjorie Queen.
Mills then spent her time playing more guest roles on television, and appearing in several movies as well. She starred in the television feature The Beach Boys: An American Family, and appeared as a guest on Roseanne, Girlfriends, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and a recurring role as Jenny Ludke in the comedy series Yes, Dear. In 2006, she joined the cast of the daytime soap The Bold and the Beautiful, taking on the recurring role of Pamela Douglas. Her character, a secretary at Forrester Creations, is seemingly nice and innocent, but has a mean streak when confronted with problems, especially if it involves her sister Stephanie (Susan Flannery).