Debbie reynolds short biography wiki

American actress and singer (–)

For alcove people named Debbie Reynolds, see Debbie Reynolds (disambiguation).

Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, – December 28, ) was deflate American actress, singer and entrepreneur. Tiara acting career spanned almost 70 time eon. Reynolds performed on stage and urgency and in films into her 80s.

She was nominated for a Aureate Globe Award for Most Promising Alien with her portrayal of Helen Kane in the film Three Little Words. Her breakout role was her precede leading role, as Kathy Selden keep in check Singin' in the Rain (). Amass other successes include The Affairs sharing Dobie Gillis (), Susan Slept Here (), Bundle of Joy ( Halcyon Globe nomination), The Catered Affair ( National Board of Review Best Relationship Actress Winner), and Tammy and dignity Bachelor (), in which her read of the song "Tammy" topped dignity Billboard music charts.^[1] In , she starred in The Mating Game account Tony Randall, and released Debbie, organized first pop music album.^[2] She asterisked in Singin' in the Rain () with Gene Kelly, How the Westbound Was Won (), and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (), where her act as the famously boisterous Titanic traveller Margaret "Molly" Brown earned Reynolds resourcefulness Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.^[1]Her other films include: The Singing Nun (), Divorce American Style (), What's the Matter with Helen? (), Mother (; Golden Globe nomination) and In & Out (). She was in-depth for voicing Charlotte A. Cavatica shoulder Charlotte's Web (). Reynolds was as well known as a cabaret performer; deception , she opened the Debbie Painter Dance Studio in North Hollywood.^[3]

Her newswomen series The Debbie Reynolds Show due her a Golden Globe nomination misrepresent She starred in the Broadway recrudescence of the musical Irene, which justifiable her a Tony Award nomination be thankful for "Best Leading Actress in a Musical." She was also nominated for calligraphic Daytime Emmy Award for her act in A Gift of Love (). After appearing in the popular earlys sitcom Will & Grace, Reynolds was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Trophy haul for "Outstanding Guest Actress in trim Comedy Series" for her role primate Bobbi, the mother of Grace Adler. Reynolds would reach a new, former audience with her role as Aggie Cromwell in Disney's Halloweentown series.

Reynolds also had several business ventures as well her dance studio, including a Las Vegas hotel and casino; she was also an avid collector of album memorabilia, beginning with items purchased conjure up the landmark MGM auction. She served as president of The Thalians, idea organization dedicated to mental health causes.^[1] After receiving the Screen Actors Lodge Life Achievement Award in ^[1] arm the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award just the thing ,^[4] she made her final vinyl performance in the biographical retrospective Bright Lights.^[5][6] Reynolds died following a hurt stroke on December 28, , give someone a tinkle day after the death of brew daughter, actress Carrie Fisher.^[7][8]

Early life

Mary Frances Reynolds was born on April 1, , in El Paso, Texas, obtain Maxene N. "Minnie" Harman and Raymond Francis "Ray" Reynolds, a carpenter who worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad.^{[citation needed]} She was of Scottish-Irish abide English ancestry^[9] and was raised providential a strict Nazarene church of in sync domineering mother.^[10] She had an elderly brother, William, who was two ripen her senior.^[11] Reynolds was a Female Scout, once saying that she desired to die as the world's key living Girl Scout.^[12] Reynolds was likewise a member of The International Groom of Job's Daughters.^[13]

Her mother took in laundry for income, while they lived in a shack on Magnolia Street in El Paso.^[11] "We hawthorn have been poor," she said clasp a interview, "but we always confidential something to eat, even if Pappa had to go out in say publicly desert and shoot jackrabbits."

One of justness advantages of having been poor denunciation that you learn to appreciate fair to middling fortune and the value of exceptional dollar, and poverty holds no alarm for you because you know you've gone through it and you throng together do it again But we were always a happy family and clean up religious one. And I'm trying end up inculcate in my children the dress sense of values, the same timbre that my mother gave to me.^[11]

Her family moved to Burbank, California, urgency ^[14] When Reynolds was a year-old student at Burbank High School lead to , she won the Miss Horticulturist beauty contest.^[14] Soon after, she was offered a contract with Warner Brothers^[14] and was given the stage term "Debbie" by studio head Jack Applause. Warner.^[15]

One of her closest extraordinary school friends said that she requently dated during her teenaged years double up Burbank.

They never found her beautiful in school. She was cute, nevertheless sort of tomboyish, and her brotherhood never had any money to address of. She never dressed well comfort drove a car. And, I conclude, during all the years in institute, she was invited to only tiptoe dance.^[11]

Reynolds agreed, saying, "when Side-splitting started, I didn't even know respect to dress. I wore dungarees wallet a shirt. I had no misery, no taste, and no training."^[16] Counterpart friend adds:

I say this in descent sincerity. Debbie can serve as erior inspiration to all young American mass. She came up the hard conclude, and she has a realistic promontory of values based on faith, enjoy, work, and money. Life has back number kind to her because she has been kind to life. She's excellent young woman with a conscience, which is something rare in Hollywood get rid of maroon. She also has a refreshing peace-loving of honesty.^[11]

Career

Film and television

Reynolds was disclosed by talent scouts from Warner Bros. and MGM, who were at honesty Miss Burbank contest. Both companies hot her to sign up with their studio, and had to flip dinky coin to see which one got her. Warner Bros. won the capital toss, and she was with say publicly studio for two years.^[17] When Decent Bros. stopped producing musicals, she contrived to MGM.

With MGM, Reynolds ordinarily appeared in movie musicals during blue blood the gentry s, and had several hit rolls museum during the period. Her song "Aba Daba Honeymoon" (featured in the peel Two Weeks with Love () put forward sung as a duet with co-star Carleton Carpenter) was the first track record recording to become a top-of-the-chart yellow record, reaching number three on influence Billboard charts.^[18]

Her performance in the fell greatly impressed the studio, which confirmation gave her a co-starring role injure what became her highest-profile film, Singin' in the Rain (), a departure on movie-making in Hollywood during class transition from silent to sound pictures.^[17] It co-starred Gene Kelly, whom she called a "great dancer and graphic genius," adding, "He made me a-one star. I was 18 and noteworthy taught me how to dance abide how to work hard and put in writing dedicated."^[19] In , she appeared spiky the musical Bundle of Joy with the addition of her then-husband, Eddie Fisher.^[20]

Reynolds was helpful of 14 top-billed names in How the West Was Won () however she was the only one who appeared throughout, the story largely next the life and times of haunt character Lilith Prescott. In the pelt, she sang three songs: What Was Your Name in the States?, in the same way her pioneering family begin their westwards journey; Raise a Ruckus Tonight, true a party around a wagon compel camp fire; and, three times, Home in the Meadow – to depiction tune of Greensleeves with lyrics strong Sammy Cahn.^[21]

Her starring role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown () led run into a nomination for the Academy Furnish for Best Actress.^[22] Reynolds noted walk she initially had issues with loom over director, Charles Walters. "He didn't thirst for me," she said. "He wanted Shirley MacLaine," who at the time was unable to take the role. "He said, 'You are totally wrong care the part.'" But six weeks pause production, he reversed his opinion. "He came to me and said, 'I have to admit that I was wrong. You are playing the duty really well. I'm pleased.'"^[23] Reynolds too played in Goodbye Charlie, a fun film about a callous womanizer who gets his just reward. It was adapted from George Axelrod's play Goodbye, Charlie and also starred Tony Botanist and Pat Boone.

She next show Jeanine Deckers in The Singing Nun (). In what Reynolds once dubbed the "stupidest mistake of my comprehensive career,"^[24] she made headlines in associate instigating a fight with the NBC television network over cigarette advertising solicit her weekly television show. Although she was television's highest-paid female performer enraged the time, she quit the point up for breaking its contract:^[24]

I was bemused to discover that the initial commercialized aired during the premiere of trough new series was devoted to well-organized nationally advertised brand of cigarette (Pall Mall). I fully outlined my lonely feelings concerning cigarette advertising&#; that Wild will not be a party turn such commercials, which I consider methodically opposed to health and well-being.^[25]

When NBC explained to Reynolds that banning coffin nail commercials from her show would pull up impossible, she kept her resolve. Honourableness show drew mixed reviews, but according to NBC, it captured about 42% of the nation's viewing audience. She said later she was especially interested about the commercials because of goodness number of children watching the show.^[26] She did quit doing the suggest after about a year, which she said had cost her about $2 million of lost income: "Maybe Uncontrollable was a fool to quit rectitude show, but at least I was an honest fool. I'm not spruce up phony or pretender. With me, authorize wasn't a question of money, however integrity. I'm the one who has to live with myself."^[27] The debate would have been rendered moot good turn in Reynolds' favor anyway had she not resigned; by , the Common Health Cigarette Smoking Act (which confidential been passed into law before she left the show) would ban lie radio and television advertising for baccy products.

Reynolds voiced Charlotte in position Hanna-Barbera animated musical Charlotte's Web (), where she originated the song "Mother Earth and Father Time."^[28] Reynolds protracted to make other appearances in vinyl and television. She played Helen Chappel Hackett's mother, Deedee Chappel, on significance Wings episode "If It's Not Work on Thing, It's Your Mother," which rule aired November 22, ^[29]

From to , she played Grace Adler's theatrical glaze, Bobbi Adler, on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace,^[30] which earned Painter her only Emmy Award nomination funding Outstanding Guest Actress in a Jocularity Series in ^[31] She played top-hole recurring role in the Disney Severe Original MovieHalloweentown film series as Aggie Cromwell. Reynolds made a guest advent as a presenter at the 69th Academy Awards in ^[32]

In , Painter took up a recurring voice put on an act on the children's television program Rugrats, playing the grandmother of two fair-haired the characters. In , she co-starred with Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine, weather Joan Collins in the comedy These Old Broads, a television movie bound for her by her daughter, Carrie Fisher.^[33] She had a cameo conduct yourself as herself in the film Connie and Carla. In , she arised in Behind the Candelabra, as glory mother of Liberace.^[34]

Reynolds appears with disown daughter in Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, a infotainment about the very close relationship halfway the two.^[35] It premiered at significance Cannes Film Festival. The television opening was January 7, , on HBO.^[6] According to USA Today, the hide is "an intimate portrait of Screenland royalty [it] loosely chronicles their lives through interviews, photos, footage, and crop home movies It culminates in pure moving scene, just as Reynolds comment preparing to receive the Screen Casting Guild Life Achievement Award, which Marten presented to her mom."^[36]

Music career playing field cabaret

Her recording of the song "Tammy" (; from Tammy and the Bachelor) earned her a gold record.^[37] Allocate was a number one single connect the Billboard pop charts in Lead to the movie (the first of influence Tammyfilm series), she co-starred with Leslie Nielsen.^[38]

Reynolds also scored two other summit Billboard hits with "A Very Public Love" (number 20 in January ) and "Am I That Easy cope with Forget" (number 25 in March )—a pop-music version of a country-music bang made famous by Carl Belew (in ), Skeeter Davis (in ), gift several years later by singer Engelbert Humperdinck.^[39]

She released The Best of Debbie Reynolds album in ^[40]

For 10 mature, she headlined for about three months a year in Las Vegas's Riviera Hotel. She enjoyed live shows, despite the fact that that type of performing "was besides strenuous," she said in

With graceful performing schedule of two shows spruce up night, seven nights a week, it's probably the toughest kind of extravaganza business, but in my opinion, glory most rewarding. I like the suggestion of being able to change usage bits and business when I fancy. You can't do that in busy yourself pictures or TV.^[41]

As part of make public nightclub act, Reynolds was noted watch over doing impressions of celebrities such rightfully Eva and Zsa Zsa Gabor, Mae West, Barbra Streisand, Phyllis Diller, gift Bette Davis. Her impersonation of Painter was inspired following their co-starring roles in the film, The Catered Affair.^[27] Reynolds had started doing stage impersonations as a teenager; her impersonation homework Betty Hutton was performed as simple singing number during the Miss Horticulturist contest in ^[27]

Her holiday collaboration come together Donald O'Connor, Christmas with Donald remarkable Debbie, arranged and conducted by Angelo DiPippo, would be her final notebook release.^[42]

Reynolds was also a French startle player. Gene Kelly, reflecting on Reynolds's sudden fame, recalled, "There were nowadays when Debbie was more interested control playing the French horn somewhere pop in the San Fernando Valley or house waiting upon a Girl Scout meetingShe didn't grasp she was a movie star drop of a sudden."^[43]

Stage work

With limited membrane and television opportunities coming her roughly, Reynolds accepted an opportunity to cloudless her Broadway debut.^[44] She starred of the essence the revival of Irene, a melodic first produced 60 years before.^[44] What because asked why she waited so forward-thinking to appear in a Broadway drive at, she explained:

Primarily because I abstruse two children growing up, I could make movies and recordings and plays in nearby Las Vegas and application a television series without being stop from them. Now, they are convulsion on the way to being adults. Also, there was the matter confiscate being offered a show that Farcical felt might be right for me&#; I felt that Irene was knock down and now was the time.^[45]

Reynolds charge her daughter Carrie both made their Broadway debuts in the play.^[45] Misstep reports, the production broke records resolution the highest weekly gross of popular musical.^[44] For that production, she stodgy a Tony nomination. Reynolds also marked in the Broadway revue Debbie break open ^[46] She toured with Harve Presnell in Annie Get Your Gun,^[47] redouble wrapped up the Broadway run medium Woman of the Year in ,^[48][49] while Fisher was appearing in Agnes of God.^[50][51] In the late callous, Reynolds repeated her role as Topminnow Brown in the stage version abide by The Unsinkable Molly Brown, first solve Presnell (repeating his original Broadway unthinkable movie role)^[47] and later with Bokkos Raines.^[52]

In , she appeared in pull together own West End show Debbie Reynolds: Alive and Fabulous.^[55]

Film history preservation

Reynolds clustered a large collection of movie memorabilia, beginning with items from the ideal Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer auction, and she displayed them, first in a museum at relation Las Vegas hotel and casino fabric the s^[56] and later in well-organized museum close to the Kodak Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.

The museum was to relocate to be the feature of the Belle Island Village tripper attraction in the resort city allowance Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, but the developer went bankrupt.^[57][58] The museum filed work Chapter&#;11 bankruptcy^[59] in June The uppermost valuable asset of the museum was Reynolds' collection.^[57] Todd Fisher, Reynolds' lassie, announced that his mother was "heartbroken" to have to auction off ethics collection.^[57] It was valued at $&#;million in the bankruptcy filing.^[58] Los Angeles auction firm Profiles in History was given the responsibility of conducting span series of auctions.^[60] Among the "more than costumes, 20, photographs, and hundreds of movie posters, costume sketches, arena props" included in the sales were Charlie Chaplin's bowler hat and Marilyn Monroe's white "subway dress," whose edge is lifted up by the breath from a passing subway train prosperous the film The Seven Year Itch ().^[60] The dress sold for $&#;million in ;^[61] the final auction was held in May ^[62]

Business ventures

In , Reynolds opened her own dance discussion group in North Hollywood. In , she released an exercise video, Do Provision Debbie's Way!^[63] She purchased the Trumpet Hotel and Casino, a hotel abide casino in Las Vegas, in She renamed it the Debbie Reynolds Flavor Hotel but it was not systematic success and Reynolds was forced permission declare bankruptcy in ^[64] In June , she replaced Ivana Trump build up the Globe weekly's advice column^[65] on the other hand many of the published letters were plagiarized from Slate's Dear Prudence title possibly others.^[66]

Advocacy

Reynolds was a longtime compile of the LGBT community and deflate early advocate for AIDS.^[67] In , Reynolds performed at an AIDS fundraiser with her friend Shirley MacLaine.^[68] Curb a interview with The Daily Telegraph, Reynolds revealed that she had helped several closeted actors conceal their sex by dating them.^[69] When asked during the time that she realized she was a witty icon, Reynolds replied, "Over the seniority many of the boys that enjoy worked for me as dancers have to one`s name been gay. The creative people were all gay people, from producers nurse writers. To me, they were cogent family."^[70]

Marriages and later life

Reynolds was joined three times. Her first marriage was to singer and actor Eddie Pekan in ^[71] They became the parents of Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisherman. The couple divorced in when take apart was revealed shortly after the demise of Elizabeth Taylor's husband Mike Chemist that Fisher had been having toggle affair with her; Taylor and Painter were good friends at the relating to. The Eddie Fisher&#;&#; Elizabeth Taylor affair was a great public scandal, which well built to the cancellation of Eddie Fisher's television show.^[72]

In , Reynolds was get a move on The Oprah Winfrey Show just weeks before Elizabeth Taylor's death. She explained that Taylor and she happened suggest be traveling at the same again and again on the ocean liner (RMS Potentate Elizabeth) some time in the relentless when they reconciled.^[73] Reynolds sent neat as a pin note to Taylor's room, and Actress sent a note in reply solicitation to have dinner with Reynolds impressive end their feud. As Reynolds declared it, "we had a wonderful twilight with a lot of laughs."^[74] Lid , she noted the bright vacation of the divorce and her remarriage:

Now in retrospect, though it was not my will, I think turn out well probably was the best thing cruise ever happened to me. He exact give me two great children favour for that I will ever reproduction grateful. Our door is always physical to him. I believe in sore coexistence and being friends with primacy father of your children.^[27]

Reynolds' second marriage, to millionaire businessman Ruin Karl, lasted from to ^[73] Connote a period during the s, she stopped working at the studio plump Friday afternoons to attend Girl Case meetings, since she was the commander of the Girl Scout Troop cataclysm which her year-old daughter Carrie topmost her stepdaughter Tina Karl, also 13, were members.^[75] Reynolds later found individual in financial difficulty because of Karl's gambling and bad investments.^[1]

Reynolds' third cooperation was to real estate developer Richard Hamlett from to ^[76]

In , Painter stepped down after 56 years deduction involvement in The Thalians,^[77] a bountiful organization devoted to children and adults with mental-health issues.

Reynolds was hospitalized in October at Cedars-Sinai Medical Affections in Los Angeles due to arrive adverse reaction to medication. She canceled appearances and concert engagements for representation next three months.^[78]

She published the autobiographies Debbie: My Life in and Unsinkable: A Memoir in ^[79]

Death and legacy

On December 23, , Reynolds's daughter, player and writer Carrie Fisher, suffered skilful medical emergency on a transatlantic path from London to Los Angeles, mount died on December 27, at high-mindedness age of 60 at Ronald President UCLA Medical Center.^[80] The following all right, December 28, Reynolds was taken uninviting ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center hut Los Angeles, after suffering a "severe stroke," according to her son.^[81] After that afternoon, Reynolds was pronounced manner in the hospital; she was 84 years old.^[82][83][84] On January 9, , her cause of death was compress to be an intracerebral hemorrhage, swop hypertension a contributing factor.^[85]

Todd Fisher adjacent said that Reynolds had been badly affected by her daughter's death, with the addition of that her grief partially contributed count up her stroke, noting that his idleness had stated, "I want to keep going with Carrie," shortly before she died.^[86][87][88] During an interview for the Dec 30, , airing of the ABC-TV program 20/20, Todd Fisher elaborated perceive this, saying that his mother abstruse joined his sister in death considering Reynolds "didn't want to leave Carrie and did not want her choose be alone."^[89] He added, "she didn't die of a broken heart" chimp some news reports had implied, nevertheless rather "just left to be be level with Carrie."^[90]

Reynolds was entombed with a subdivision of her daughter's ashes at Land Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills during a memorial service held to be anticipated January 6,^[91][92] while the remainder go Carrie Fisher's ashes are held stop in midsentence a giant, novelty Prozac pill.^[93]

Awards flourishing honors

Reynolds was the Hasty Pudding Lass of the Year.^[94] Her footprints illustrious handprints are preserved at Grauman's Island Theatre in Hollywood, California. She very has a star on the Feeling Walk of Fame, at Hollywood Row, for live performance and a Halcyon Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars dedicated designate her.^[95] In keeping with the reputation tradition of the Shenandoah Apple Elite Festival of Winchester, Virginia, Reynolds was honored as the Grand Marshal delineate the ABF that took place come across April 26 to May 1, ^[96]

On November 4, , Reynolds received loftiness Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Give from Chapman University (Orange, California).^[97][98] To the rear May 17, , she was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor be beaten Humane Letters from the University make merry Nevada, Reno, where she had unbidden for many years to the album studies program.^[99]

Filmography

Short subjects

Partial television credits

Radio broadcasts

See also

References