Lydia Cornell

Lydia Cornell is an actress, comedian, writer, and producer best known for her starring role as Sara Rush, the lovable daughter of Ted Knight's Henry Rush, on the hit ABC sitcom “Too Close for Comfort.”

Born Lydia Korniloff in El Paso, Texas, she comes from a remarkably artistic family. Her mother, Irma Jean Stowe, was a concert violinist, while her father, Gregory Jacob Korniloff, was a graduate of the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and Arts who later served as assistant concertmaster of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra. Lydia is also the great-granddaughter of “Uncle Tom's Cabin” author Harriet Beecher Stowe.

At just nine years old, Lydia was named El Paso's "Little Miss Cotton." After her family relocated to Scarsdale, New York, she attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied business, drama, English, Russian, Spanish, and anthropology. During college, she worked at the legendary Caribou Ranch Recording Studio in Colorado, where she met music icons including Billy Joel, The Beach Boys, Chicago, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, David Cassidy, and photographer Henry Diltz.

Determined to pursue acting, Lydia moved to Los Angeles in 1978. After working as a production assistant for Jack Webb Productions and modeling for album covers, she landed her first screen appearance in the 1979 film “Steel,” starring Lee Majors. She soon followed with early television roles on “The Love Boat” before filming the cult horror film “Blood Tide” in the Greek Isles.

Her breakthrough came in 1980 when she was cast as Sara Rush on “Too Close for Comfort,” a role she played throughout the series' successful run. The show's popularity made Lydia one of television's most recognizable comedic actresses of the decade.

Over the years, Lydia has enjoyed an extensive television career with memorable guest appearances on such series as “Charlie's Angels,” “Knight Rider,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “The A-Team,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Simon & Simon,” “Hunter,” “Hotel,” “Fantasy Island,” “Full House,” “Quantum Leap” (including the pilot episode), “The Drew Carey Show,” and HBO's “Curb Your Enthusiasm” alongside Larry David. She has also appeared on popular game shows including “Battle of the Network Stars,” “Super Password,” and “The Match Game–Hollywood Squares Hour”.

Beyond acting, Lydia is an accomplished stand-up comedian who writes and performs her own material. She is also a producer, novelist, and political writer, having written and produced the feature film “Venus Conspiracy” and appeared in films including “Nooner” and “Dean and Nancy,” alongside Steven Tyler and Jon Bon Jovi.

Off-screen, Lydia is a passionate advocate for sobriety and recovery. Celebrating more than three decades of sobriety, she has openly shared her personal journey with alcoholism in the hope of inspiring others. Her honesty, resilience, and commitment to helping those facing addiction have become as much a part of her legacy as her work in entertainment.