Debbie Reynolds April 22, 2012

For over six decades, our lives have been enriched by the talents of a singer, dancer and actress we know as DEBBIE REYNOLDS who will always be known as “America’s Sweetheart.” From Three Little Words with Fred Astaire and Red Skelton to Singin’ in the Rain with Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor to the Oscar nominated The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Debbie Reynolds quickly became one of Hollywood’s most sought after female stars.
Debbie Reynolds was born Mary Frances Reynolds on April 1, 1932, in El Paso, Texas. Her talent was discovered early on by scouts from Warner Brothers and MGM when she won the “Miss Burbank" beauty pageant at the age of 16. Changing her name to Debbie, she became a teen extra in June Bride with Bette Davis and Robert Montgomery. But Debbie Reynolds wasn't a dancer until she was selected to be Gene Kelly's partner in Singin' in the Rain (1952) which, because of her boundless energy and pert demeanor, became her most memorable turn. By the time she was 31 she gave an Academy Award nominated performance in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). Parts in lighthearted fare followed, including The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953), Athena (1954), and The Catered Affair (1956). The following year, Reynolds secured a place at No. 1 on the pop charts with the sentimental ballad "Tammy" from the popular romantic film Tammy and the Bachelor, in which she starred opposite Leslie Nielsen.

After starring in the short-lived television sitcom The Debbie Reynolds Show (1969) and the campy feature What's the Matter with Helen? (1971), Reynolds did not act in films for the next two decades. Instead, she turned toward stage work, spending the next few years performing in Las Vegas nightclubs and on Broadway, where she received a Tony Award nomination for the 1973 revival of Irene. After a recurring role on the TV sitcom Alice, Reynolds returned to Broadway, where she replaced Lauren Bacall in the lead role of the musical version of Woman of the Year (1983). In 1989, Reynolds began to tour nationally with a stage production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Reynolds returned to feature films in 1992, with a cameo appearance in The Bodyguard followed by a supporting role in Oliver Stone's Heaven and Earth (1993). In 1996, she headlined her first film in 25 years when she was cast in the title role of Albert Brooks' endearing comedy Mother.

A made-for TV movie in 2001, These Old Broads, written by (daughter) Carrie Fisher and Elaine Pope was a hysterically memorable treat, starring Debbie, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins and Elizabeth Taylor.

Currently, Reynolds has a recurring role as Bobbi Adler, the mother of “Grace” (played by Debra Messing) on the hit NBC sitcom Will & Grace for which she received an Emmy nomination. In March of 2003, Debbie was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the 82nd Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. She is the first woman to receive this award honoring her outstanding contributions to Hollywood.

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