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 Making people laugh was only one facet of Valerie Harper's career, which extended from the stage to television and feature films. A native of Suffern, New York -- "I was born to suffer" -- Harper began her career as a dancer with the corps de ballet at Radio City Hall during its spectacular heyday. She gradually moved into acting, working in everything from industrial shows to regional theatre to the Second City comedy troupe of Chicago. Eventually, she made it to Broadway in productions of Dear Liar, the Tony Award winning Story Theatre, Something Different and Metamorphosis. Stardom came with television, including four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for her work in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) and Rhoda (1974), in which the latter she played the title role. Harper won Harvard's Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year, and her Rhoda's Wedding episode set that 1974's ratings record. Since retiring Rhoda Morganstern to re-runs, Harper was active on stage and in movies. Her feature films included Freebie and the Bean (1974), Chapter Two (1979), The Last Married Couple in America (1980) and Blame It on Rio (1984). In television, she starred on all three networks in movies of the week, including Farrell for the People (1982) (NBC), Don't Go to Sleep (1982) (ABC) and An Invasion of Privacy (1983) (CBS). A strong supporter of women's rights, Harper worked since the mid-80s on a film with second husband Tony Cacciotti which will probably never reach fruition after all this time, based on a true story involving domestic violence.
Bio:
Making people laugh was only one facet of Valerie Harper's career, which extended from the stage to television and feature films. A native of Suffern, New York -- "I was born to suffer" -- Harper began her career as a dancer with the corps de ballet at Radio City Hall during its spectacular heyday. She gradually moved into acting, working in everything from industrial shows to regional theatre to the Second City comedy troupe of Chicago. Eventually, she made it to Broadway in productions of Dear Liar, the Tony Award winning Story Theatre, Something Different and Metamorphosis. Stardom came with television, including four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for her work in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) and Rhoda (1974), in which the latter she played the title role. Harper won Harvard's Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year, and her Rhoda's Wedding episode set that 1974's ratings record. Since retiring Rhoda Morganstern to re-runs, Harper was active on stage and in movies. Her feature films included Freebie and the Bean (1974), Chapter Two (1979), The Last Married Couple in America (1980) and Blame It on Rio (1984). In television, she starred on all three networks in movies of the week, including Farrell for the People (1982) (NBC), Don't Go to Sleep (1982) (ABC) and An Invasion of Privacy (1983) (CBS). A strong supporter of women's rights, Harper worked since the mid-80s on a film with second husband Tony Cacciotti which will probably never reach fruition after all this time, based on a true story involving domestic violence.
Tivia:
In the fall of 1987 she was abruptly fired by Lorimar from her NBC TV series Valerie (1986). She didn't show for filming one day. The series decided to continue on without her as "Valerie's Family" with Sandy Duncan playing Sandy Hogan, replacing Harper's "Valerie Hogan" character. Harper sued Lorimar for breach of contract and in the fall of 1988 was awarded $1.4 million plus 12.5% of the profits of the show, which continued on without her until 1991.On 3/6/2013 she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and was given only months to live. With treatments, she was able to beat the odds and live for over six more years.First met Mary Tyler Moore on set of The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), where her then-husband, Richard Schaal, was guest-starring.Valerie is the only woman in TV history to win the comedy Emmy award for a supporting role in the original show in which her character appeared (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) and the lead role in which her character spun-off (Rhoda). Robert Guillaume is the only man.She and her then-husband Richard Schaal were also a writing team and wrote a script for the series Love, American Style (1969) called "Love and the Visitor", Love and the Elopement/Love and the Visitor (1970), back in the early 1970s.Ex-stepmother of Wendy Schaal.Before hitting it big as "Rhoda Morgenstern", she maintained a steady stream of supporting player appearances in Broadway musicals throughout the 1960s, appearing with such legends as Jackie Gleason, Robert Morse, Walter Pidgeon, Phyllis Newman, Sydney Chaplin, Orson Bean and Lucille Ball.Was buried on 9/7/2019 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles near graves of Mickey Rooney and Chris Cornell.She has twice been cast as the replacement for Linda Lavin in a New York theater production, once Off-Broadway ("Death-Defying Acts") and once on Broadway ("The Tale of the Allergist's Wife").Passed away eight days after celebrating her 80th birthday.Best friends with Michele Lee.Daughter of Iva Mildred (McConnell) and Howard Donald Harper. She was of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and French ancestry.Graduate of the Erhard Seminars Training (better known as EST).Thanked Werner Erhard, the creator of the est training, in her acceptance speech for her first Emmy.Born at Good Samaritan Hospital, Suffern, NY.Of Canadian descent.Daughter, Cristina Cacciotti, born 1983.Dated Peter Horton in the late 1970s.Ex-roommate of Arlene Golonka.Her paternal grandparents were from Arkansas and Tennessee, respectively. Her maternal grandparents were Ontarians.Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 206-207. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387 |
| Name: |
Valerie Harper |
Type: |
Actress,Writer,Producer (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
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Business scope: |
Actress,Writer,Producer |
| Products for sale: |
Actress,Writer,Producer |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 04:58:40 |
| Height: |
5' 6' (1.68 m) |
| Biography: |
Making people laugh was only one facet of Valerie Harper\'s career, which extended from the stage to television and feature films. A native of Suffern, New York -- \"I was born to suffer\" -- Harper began her career as a dancer with the corps de |
| Trivia: |
In the fall of 1987 she was abruptly fired by Lorimar from her NBC TV series Valerie (1986). She didn't show for filming one day. The series decided to continue on without her as "Valerie's Family" with Sandy Duncan playing Sandy Hogan, replacing Harper's "Valerie Hogan" character. Harper sued Lorimar for breach of contract and in the fall of 1988 was awarded $1.4 million plus 12.5% of the profits of the show, which continued on without her until 1991.On 3/6/2013 she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and was given only months to live. With treatments, she was able to beat the odds and live for over six more years.First met Mary Tyler Moore on set of The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), where her then-husband, Richard Schaal, was guest-starring.Valerie is the only woman in TV history to win the comedy Emmy award for a supporting role in the original show in which her character appeared (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) and the lead role in which her character spun-off (Rhoda). Robert Guillaume is the only man.She and her then-husband Richard Schaal were also a writing team and wrote a script for the series Love, American Style (1969) called "Love and the Visitor", Love and the Elopement/Love and the Visitor (1970), back in the early 1970s.Ex-stepmother of Wendy Schaal.Before hitting it big as "Rhoda Morgenstern", she maintained a steady stream of supporting player appearances in Broadway musicals throughout the 1960s, appearing with such legends as Jackie Gleason, Robert Morse, Walter Pidgeon, Phyllis Newman, Sydney Chaplin, Orson Bean and Lucille Ball.Was buried on 9/7/2019 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles near graves of Mickey Rooney and Chris Cornell.She has twice been cast as the replacement for Linda Lavin in a New York theater production, once Off-Broadway ("Death-Defying Acts") and once on Broadway ("The Tale of the Allergist's Wife").Passed away eight days after celebrating her 80th birthday.Best friends with Michele Lee.Daughter of Iva Mildred (McConnell) and Howard Donald Harper. She was of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and French ancestry.Graduate of the Erhard Seminars Training (better known as EST).Thanked Werner Erhard, the creator of the est training, in her acceptance speech for her first Emmy.Born at Good Samaritan Hospital, Suffern, NY.Of Canadian descent.Daughter, Cristina Cacciotti, born 1983.Dated Peter Horton in the late 1970s.Ex-roommate of Arlene Golonka.Her paternal grandparents were from Arkansas and Tennessee, respectively. Her maternal grandparents were Ontarians.Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 206-207. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387 |
| Trademarks: |
Her characters often reflected a Jewish personality.
Sweet, sultry voice. |
| Quotes: |
I used to get some ego thing out of saying I wasn't a star, just an actress. Forget it. I'm a star. I wanted it. I worked for it. I got it.
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<hr>
[January, 2013, on being told she has months to live] I don't think of dying. I think of being here now.
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<hr>
Life is a miracle.
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<hr>
[in 2015, on her cancer,] I talk to the cells all the time. I say, "What the hell are you doing? Not only are you destructive, coming in and ruining all my plans, but you are dumb! You are killing the host. If you take a low profile I can live with you, here on the edge of the sword. You can fall one way or the other". Right now, things are working fantastically. Tomorrow, I don't know.
<br />
<hr>
We're all terminal; none of us are getting out of this alive. |
| Salaries: |
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) - $700 per episode (season 1) |
| Job title: |
Actress,Writer,Producer |
| Others works: |
(9/97) Stage: Appeared in one-woman play "The Dragon and the Pearl" about the life of Pearl S. Buck, in Cambridge, MA, and later in New York.
(6/02) Stage: Appeared (as "Marjorie Taub" in "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife&qu |
| Spouse: |
Tony Cacciotti (April 8, 1987 - August 30, 2019) (her death, 1 child)Richard Schaal (December 13, 1964 - January 29, 1978) (divorced) |
| Children: |
Cristina Cacciotti |
| Parents: |
Iva Mildred (McConnell) Harper
Howard Donald Harper |
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