Nancy Elizabeth Stafford (born June 5, 1954) is an American prolific character actress of stage, speaker and author, known for her roles in soap operas and television. She came to prominence in the 1980s as Ben Matlock's (played by Andy Griffith) law partner and friend, Michelle Thomas, on Matlock (a role she played from 1987 to 1992), before she played Judge Bell on Judging Amy. She hosted a syndicated TV series called "Main Floor" (1995–2005), a show about fashion and beauty. Husband Larry Myers is a pastor. They have a daughter and grandson. Her older brother Tracy Stafford was a two-term Mayor of Wilton Manors and a five-term member of the Florida House of Representatives.Nancy Stafford, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.