On the small screen, Ivey made her TV debut in the CBS soap opera "Search for Tomorrow" (1978) and appeared in the primetime NBC miniseries "Little Gloria...Happy at Last" (1982). She went on to be featured in the comedy series "Easy Street" (NBC, 1986-87) and reprised her roles from "Heartbreak House" (1984) "Sunday In the Park With George" (1985) for Showtime/American Playhouse specials. In features, Ivey made a stern if benign mistress to Oprah Winfrey's belligerent-turned-meek character in "The Color Purple" (1985), and had memorable roles in such features as "The Addams Family" (1991) and its 1993 sequel "Addams Family Values", "Home Alone 2: Alone in New York" (1992) and "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993). Ivey also scored as Harrison Ford's tart-tongued secretary in the Sydney Pollack's remake of "Sabrina" (1995).