Debbie Reynolds

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

Debbie Reynolds
Reynolds in 1987
Born
Mary Frances Reynolds

(1932-04-01)April 1, 1932
El Paso, Texas, U.S.
DiedDecember 28, 2016(2016-12-28) (aged 84)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Burial placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • dancer
Years active1948–2016
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1955; div. 1959)​
  • Harry Karl
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1960; div. 1973)​
  • Richard Hamlett
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1984; div. 1996)​
Children
RelativesBillie Lourd (granddaughter)
Websitedebbiereynolds.com

Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress and singer. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer with her portrayal of Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three Little Words. Her breakout role was her first leading role, as Kathy Selden in Singin' in the Rain (1952). Her other successes include The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953), Susan Slept Here (1954), Bundle of Joy (1956 Golden Globe nomination), The Catered Affair (1956 National Board of Review Best Supporting Actress Winner), and Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), in which her performance of the song "Tammy" topped the Billboard music charts.[1] In 1959, she starred in The Mating Game (with Tony Randall) and released Debbie, her first pop music album.[2]

She starred in Singin' in the Rain (1952) with Gene Kelly, How the West Was Won (1962), and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), where her performance as the famously boisterous Titanic passenger Margaret "Molly" Brown earned Reynolds an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.[1] Reynolds' other films include The Singing Nun (1966), Divorce American Style (1967), What's the Matter with Helen? (1971), Charlotte's Web (1973), Mother (1996; Golden Globe nomination) and In & Out (1997). Reynolds was also known as a cabaret performer; in 1979, she opened the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in North Hollywood.[3]

Her television series The Debbie Reynolds Show earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 1969. She starred in the 1973 Broadway revival of the musical Irene, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for "Best Leading Actress in a Musical." She was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance in A Gift of Love (1999). After appearing in the popular early-2000s sitcom Will & Grace, Reynolds was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series" for her role as Bobbi (mother of Grace Adler). Reynolds would reach a new, younger audience with her role as Aggie Cromwell in Disney's Halloweentown series.

Reynolds also had several business ventures (besides the ownership of her dance studio), including a Las Vegas hotel and casino; she was also an avid collector of film memorabilia, beginning with items purchased at the landmark 1970 MGM Auction. She served as president of The Thalians, an organization dedicated to mental health causes.[1] Reynolds continued to successfully perform on stage, television, and in films into her 80s. After receiving the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2015, and .[1] and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2016,[4] her final film credit would be the biographical retrospective Bright Lights.[5][6] Reynolds died following a hemorrhagic stroke on December 28, 2016, one day after the death of her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher.[7][8]

  1. ^ a b c d Lowry, Brian (December 28, 2016). "Debbie Reynolds, 'Singin' in the Rain' star, dies at 84". CNN. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  2. ^ "Obituary: Debbie Reynolds, a wholesome Hollywood icon". London: BBC News. December 29, 2016. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  3. ^ Musbach, Julie (February 13, 2019). "Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio Demolished in LA". Broadway World. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  4. ^ Reynolds to Receive Award. Retrieved August 27, 2015
  5. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (December 29, 2016). "Inside Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher's Upcoming HBO Documentary: 'It's a Love Story'". Variety. Retrieved December 29, 2016. HBO will carefully consider the appropriate timing given the tragic developments
  6. ^ de Morales, Lisa (December 30, 2016). "HBO Moves 'Bright Lights' Debut in Wake of Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds Deaths". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  7. ^ Almasy, Steve (December 28, 2016). "Debbie Reynolds dies one day after daughter Carrie Fisher passes". CNN. Retrieved December 28, 2016. Reynolds had complained of breathing problems, an unidentified source told The Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ "Photo of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher". Los Angeles Times. December 28, 2016.