Debbie Reynolds

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

165

Gender

Female

Birthday

1932-04-01

Day of death

2016-12-28 (84 years old)

Place of Birth

El Paso, Texas, USA

Debbie Reynolds

Biography

Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 - December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, businesswoman, film historian, and humanitarian. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portrayal of Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three Little Words, and her breakout role was her first leading role, as Kathy Selden in Singin' in the Rain (1952). 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" reached number one on the Billboard music charts. In 1959, she released her first pop music album, titled Debbie. She starred in How the West Was Won (1963), and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), a biographical film about the famously boisterous Molly Brown. Her performance as Brown earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her 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 a cabaret performer. In 1979 she founded the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in North Hollywood, which still operates today. In 1969 she starred on television in the eponymous The Debbie Reynolds Show, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. In 1973 Reynolds starred in a Broadway revival of the musical Irene and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical. She was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance in A Gift of Love (1999) and an Emmy Award for playing Grace's mother Bobbi on Will & Grace. At the turn of the millennium, Reynolds reached a new younger generation with her role as Aggie Cromwell in Disney's Halloweentown series. In 1988 she released her autobiography titled, Debbie: My Life. In 2013, she released a second autobiography, Unsinkable: A Memoir. Reynolds also had several business ventures, including ownership of a dance studio and a Las Vegas hotel and casino, and she was 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. Reynolds continued to perform successfully on stage, television, and film into her eighties. In January 2015, Reynolds received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2016 she received the Academy Awards Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. In the same year, a documentary about her life was released titled Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds; the film premiered on HBO on January 7, 2017. On December 28, 2016, Reynolds was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center following a medical emergency, which her son Todd Fisher later described as a "severe stroke". She died that afternoon, one day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher.

Known For

  • Family Guy

    Family Guy

  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

  • The Mike Douglas Show

    The Mike Douglas Show

  • RuPaul's Drag Race

    RuPaul's Drag Race

  • Great Performances

    Great Performances

  • Hollywood Squares

    Hollywood Squares

  • Hollywood Squares

    Hollywood Squares

  • The Carol Burnett Show

    The Carol Burnett Show

  • The One Show

    The One Show

  • The Love Boat

    The Love Boat

  • The Love Boat

    The Love Boat

  • Tony Awards

    Tony Awards

  • Rugrats

    Rugrats

  • Golden Globe Awards

    Golden Globe Awards

  • Golden Globe Awards

    Golden Globe Awards

  • The Merv Griffin Show

    The Merv Griffin Show

  • The Bob Hope Show

    The Bob Hope Show

  • The Colgate Comedy Hour

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

  • Hotel

    Hotel

  • Will & Grace

    Will & Grace

  • Touched by an Angel

    Touched by an Angel

  • The Golden Girls

    The Golden Girls

  • Alice

    Alice

  • Wings

    Wings

  • The Ellen DeGeneres Show

    The Ellen DeGeneres Show

  • The Penguins of Madagascar

    The Penguins of Madagascar

  • Kim Possible

    Kim Possible

  • The Dick Cavett Show

    The Dick Cavett Show

  • Intimate Portrait

    Intimate Portrait

  • What's My Line?

    What's My Line?

  • Dinah!

    Dinah!

  • This Is Your Life

    This Is Your Life

  • The Reichen Show

    The Reichen Show

  • The Ed Sullivan Show

    The Ed Sullivan Show

  • The Steve Allen Show

    The Steve Allen Show

  • Kraft Music Hall

    Kraft Music Hall

  • The 7D

    The 7D

  • Vicki!

    Vicki!

  • The Oscars

    The Oscars

  • How the West Was Won

    How the West Was Won

  • Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

    Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

  • The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour

    The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour

  • Entertainment Tonight

    Entertainment Tonight

  • The Sonny and Cher Show

    The Sonny and Cher Show

  • Madame's Place

    Madame's Place

  • American Bandstand

    American Bandstand

  • Rugrats in Paris: The Movie

    Rugrats in Paris: The Movie

  • Behind the Candelabra

    Behind the Candelabra

  • Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

  • Halloweentown

    Halloweentown

  • Singin' in the Rain

    Singin' in the Rain

  • Startime

    Startime

  • In & Out

    In & Out

  • The George Gobel Show

    The George Gobel Show

  • Return to Halloweentown

    Return to Halloweentown

  • The Andy Williams Christmas Show

    The Andy Williams Christmas Show

  • Two Weeks with Love

    Two Weeks with Love

  • The Bodyguard

    The Bodyguard

  • The Brothers Warner

    The Brothers Warner

  • Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project

    Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project

  • Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years

    Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years

  • Bracken's World

    Bracken's World

  • Sidewalks Entertainment

    Sidewalks Entertainment

  • Halloweentown High

    Halloweentown High

  • First Monday

    First Monday

  • Roseanne

    Roseanne

  • My Six Loves

    My Six Loves

  • One for the Money

    One for the Money

  • Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History

    Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History

  • Mother

    Mother

  • Tammy and the Bachelor

    Tammy and the Bachelor

  • Wedding Bell Blues

    Wedding Bell Blues

  • Wedding Bell Blues

    Wedding Bell Blues

  • Charlotte's Web

    Charlotte's Web

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie

    Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie

  • Goodbye Charlie

    Goodbye Charlie

  • Heaven & Earth

    Heaven & Earth

  • Cinerama Adventure

    Cinerama Adventure

  • Virtual Mom

    Virtual Mom

  • It Started with a Kiss

    It Started with a Kiss

  • Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge

    Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge

  • Mary, Mary

    Mary, Mary

  • The People's Command Performance: '77

    The People's Command Performance: '77

  • Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters

    Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters

  • Battling for Baby

    Battling for Baby

  • The Second Time Around

    The Second Time Around

  • Connie and Carla

    Connie and Carla

  • Three Little Words

    Three Little Words

  • The Debbie Reynolds Show

    The Debbie Reynolds Show

  • Aloha Paradise

    Aloha Paradise

  • Zack and Reba

    Zack and Reba

  • The Singing Nun

    The Singing Nun

  • Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales

    Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales

  • The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story

    The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story

  • Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer

    Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer

  • The Catered Affair

    The Catered Affair

  • The Pleasure of His Company

    The Pleasure of His Company

  • Mr. Imperium

    Mr. Imperium

  • Bundle of Joy

    Bundle of Joy

  • The Pearl Bailey Show

    The Pearl Bailey Show

  • Keepers of the Frame

    Keepers of the Frame

  • Meet Me in Las Vegas

    Meet Me in Las Vegas

  • Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul

    Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul

  • A Star Is Born World Premiere

    A Star Is Born World Premiere

  • Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age

    Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder

  • Hedda Hopper's Hollywood

    Hedda Hopper's Hollywood

  • The Unsinkable Molly Brown

    The Unsinkable Molly Brown

  • Hollywood: The Dream Factory

    Hollywood: The Dream Factory

  • The Rat Race

    The Rat Race

  • The Christmas Wish

    The Christmas Wish

  • Pepe

    Pepe

  • Sadie and Son

    Sadie and Son

  • The Mating Game

    The Mating Game

  • Jennifer Slept Here

    Jennifer Slept Here

  • Do It Debbie's Way

    Do It Debbie's Way

  • Skirts Ahoy!

    Skirts Ahoy!

  • Rugrats: Babies in Toyland

    Rugrats: Babies in Toyland

  • That's Dancing!

    That's Dancing!

  • Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1970's

    Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1970's

  • The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady

    The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady

  • How Sweet It Is!

    How Sweet It Is!

  • June Bride

    June Bride

  • Athena

    Athena

  • Say One for Me

    Say One for Me

  • The Jill & Tony Curtis Story

    The Jill & Tony Curtis Story

  • Hit the Deck

    Hit the Deck

  • These Old Broads

    These Old Broads

  • Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression

    Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression

  • Sœur Sourire: Who Killed the Voice of God?

    Sœur Sourire: Who Killed the Voice of God?

  • Get Aboard! 'The Band Wagon'

    Get Aboard! 'The Band Wagon'

  • I Love Melvin

    I Love Melvin

  • Ford Star Jubilee

    Ford Star Jubilee

  • The Affairs of Dobie Gillis

    The Affairs of Dobie Gillis

  • Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom

    Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom

  • Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood

    Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood

  • The DuPont Show of the Week

    The DuPont Show of the Week

  • That's Entertainment, Part II

    That's Entertainment, Part II

  • That's Entertainment!

    That's Entertainment!

  • Give a Girl a Break

    Give a Girl a Break

  • Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!

    Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!

  • This Happy Feeling

    This Happy Feeling

  • Divorce American Style

    Divorce American Style

  • The Gazebo

    The Gazebo

  • Tab Hunter Confidential

    Tab Hunter Confidential

  • Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds

    Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds

  • What a Glorious Feeling: The Making of 'Singin' in the Rain'

    What a Glorious Feeling: The Making of 'Singin' in the Rain'

  • That's Entertainment! III

    That's Entertainment! III

  • Susan Slept Here

    Susan Slept Here

  • In the Picture

    In the Picture

  • The Tender Trap

    The Tender Trap

  • Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood

    Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood

  • Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children

    Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children

  • AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies

    AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies

  • The Best of Broadway

    The Best of Broadway

  • Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

    Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

  • What's the Matter with Helen?

    What's the Matter with Helen?

  • The Story of a Dress

    The Story of a Dress

  • Challenge the Wilderness

    Challenge the Wilderness

  • Leapin' Lizards, It's Liberace!

    Leapin' Lizards, It's Liberace!

  • The Slippers

    The Slippers

  • A Gift of Love: The Daniel Huffman Story

    A Gift of Love: The Daniel Huffman Story

  • Couples Do It Debbie's Way

    Couples Do It Debbie's Way

  • Committed

    Committed