Making people laugh is only one facet of Valerie Harper's career, which extends 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 _"Mary Tyler Moore" which will probably never reach fruition after all this time. on the subject of domestic violence, based on a true story.
Gtaduate of the Erhard Seminars Training (better known as EST).
Ex-stepdaughter Wendy Schaal is an actress.
Born at Good Samaritan Hospital, Suffern, NY.
She and her then-husband Richard Schaal were also a writing team and wrote a script for the series "Love, American Style" called "Love and the Visitor", "Love, American Style" {Love and the Elopement/Love and the Visitor (#2.5)} , back in the early 1970s.
In the fall of 1987 she was abruptly fired by Lorimar from her NBC TV series "Valerie" . She didnt show for filming one day. The series decided to continue on without her as "Valeries Family" with Sandy Duncan playing Sandy Hogan, replacing Harpers "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.
Biography in: "Whos Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 206-207. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
Ex-roommate of Arlene Golonka.
First met Mary Tyler Moore on set of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" , where her then-husband,Richard Schaal , was guest-starring.
In 1983 she became a mother when she adopted her daughter, Cristina Cacciotti , with her second husband Tony Cacciotti.
On March 6, 2013, she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
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.
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 Allergists Wife").
Has English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and French ancestry.
Thanked Werner Erhard, the creator of the est training, in her acceptance speech for her first Emmy.
Dated Peter Horton.
Life is a miracle.
What is the male equivalent of Bimbo?.
