35 Facts About Valerie Harper

Valerie Harper began her career as a dancer on Broadway, making her debut as a replacement in the musical Li'l Abner.

Valerie Harper is best remembered for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff Rhoda.

Valerie Harper's character was killed off, and the show was retitled Valerie's Family and eventually The Hogan Family.

Valerie Harper returned to stage work in her later career, appearing in several Broadway productions.

Valerie Harper was born on August 22,1939, in Suffern, New York, the daughter of Iva Mildred and Howard Donald Valerie Harper.

Valerie Harper's father was a lighting salesman; her mother was born in Dalmeny, Saskatchewan, before becoming a teacher and later training as a nurse.

Valerie Harper's parents married in Alberta before her mother immigrated to the United States.

Valerie Harper was the middle child of three, between her sister Leanne and her brother Merrill, who later took the name "Don".

Valerie Harper stated that her parents were expecting a boy.

Valerie Harper was of French, English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh ancestry.

Valerie Harper based her character Rhoda Morgenstern on her Italian stepmother and Penny Ann Green, with whom she danced in the Broadway musical Wildcat.

Valerie Harper was raised Catholic, although at an early age she "quit" the church.

Valerie Harper's family moved every two years due to her father's work.

Valerie Harper attended schools in South Orange, New Jersey; Pasadena, California; Monroe, Michigan; Ashland, Oregon; and Jersey City, New Jersey.

Valerie Harper attended Lincoln High School in Jersey City, New Jersey before graduating from the private Young Professionals School on West 56th Street, where classmates included Sal Mineo, Tuesday Weld, and Carol Lynley.

Valerie Harper began her show business career as a dancer and chorus girl on Broadway, and went on to perform in several Broadway shows, some choreographed by Michael Kidd, including Wildcat, Li'l Abner, Take Me Along, and Subways Are for Sleeping.

Valerie Harper was cast in the musical Destry Rides Again, but was forced to leave rehearsals due to illness.

Valerie Harper returned to Broadway in February 2010, playing Tallulah Bankhead in Matthew Lombardo's Looped at the Lyceum Theatre.

Valerie Harper had a bit part in the film version of Li'l Abner, playing a Yokumberry Tonic wife.

Valerie Harper broke into television on an episode of the soap opera The Doctors, and was an extra in Love with the Proper Stranger.

Valerie Harper was in the ensemble cast of Paul Sills' Story Theatre and toured with Second City along with then-husband Richard Schaal, Linda Lavin, and others, later appearing in sketches on Playboy After Dark.

Valerie Harper performed several characters in a comedy LP record, When You're in Love the Whole World is Jewish, which included the popular novelty single, The Ballad of Irving, a recitation by TV announcer Frank Gallop.

Valerie Harper co-starred there from 1970 to 1974, then starred in the spinoff series Rhoda in which her character returned to New York City.

Valerie Harper won four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for her work as Rhoda Morgenstern.

Valerie Harper was nominated for a Golden Globe for "New Star of the Year" for her role in Freebie and the Bean, and was a guest star on The Muppet Show in 1976, its first season.

In 1987, it was initially renamed Valerie's Family, then The Hogan Family, as Harper was replaced by Sandy Duncan, who played her sister-in-law Sandy Hogan.

Valerie Harper was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and ran for its presidency in 2001, losing to Melissa Gilbert.

Valerie Harper played Tallulah Bankhead in the world-premiere production of Matthew Lombardo's Looped at the Pasadena Playhouse from June 27 to August 3,2008.

Valerie Harper was to continue the role on a national tour beginning January 2013, but withdrew due to her health.

Valerie Harper played Claire Bremmer, aunt of Susan Delfino, on ABC's Desperate Housewives in 2011.

On September 4,2013, Valerie Harper was announced as a contestant for the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with professional dancer Tristan MacManus.

Valerie Harper appeared as the character Wanda on the American comedy web television series Liza on Demand, in its July 11,2018, episode: "Valentine's Day".

Valerie Harper married Tony Cacciotti in 1987, after dating for seven years, and they adopted a daughter, Cristina.

Valerie Harper announced on March 6,2013, that tests from a January hospital stay revealed she had leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a rare condition where cancer cells spread into the meninges, the membranes surrounding the brain.

Valerie Harper explained her doctors had given her as little as three months to live.