Valerie Harper Biography Quotes 3 Report mistakes
| 3 Quotes | |
| Occup. | Actress |
| From | USA |
| Born | August 22, 1940 |
| Age | 85 years |
Valerie Harper was born on August 22, 1939, in Suffern, New York, and spent parts of her childhood moving around the United States as her family followed work opportunities. From a young age she was captivated by movement and performance, studying dance and heading to New York City as a teenager to pursue professional work. She entered show business as a dancer and chorus performer, landing roles in Broadway and touring productions at the turn of the 1960s. Among her early credits were appearances in the ensembles of musicals such as Li'l Abner, Take Me Along, and Wildcat, which starred Lucille Ball. Those years sharpened her timing, discipline, and stage presence, and they brought her into the orbit of creative communities that would shape the rest of her career.
Harper soon broadened her range beyond musical theater. She joined the pioneering improv and sketch-theater world associated with director Paul Sills, working with artists connected to The Second City. In that milieu she met fellow performer Richard Schaal, whom she married in 1964. The improvisational training she absorbed during this period taught her to listen intently, build characters quickly, and trust the rhythms of conversation and silence, skills that would become essential when she transitioned to television.
Breakthrough as Rhoda
In 1970, Harper was cast as Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and produced by MTM Enterprises under Grant Tinker. Working closely with Mary Tyler Moore, and alongside a distinguished ensemble that included Ed Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight, Cloris Leachman, and later Betty White, Harper fashioned Rhoda into a fully realized friend, neighbor, and truth-teller whose self-deprecating wit and emotional honesty struck a chord with viewers. Her performance earned instant acclaim and three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
The success of the character led to a spinoff, Rhoda, in 1974. There, Harper continued to deepen the character's life, supported by memorable performances from Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern, Nancy Walker as Ida Morgenstern, Harold Gould as Martin Morgenstern, and David Groh as Joe Gerard. Rhoda's wedding became one of the highest-rated television events of the decade. Harper won another Emmy, this time for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and a Golden Globe for her work on the show. Beyond the awards, the series gave prime-time audiences a fresh, unvarnished view of friendships and family ties, as well as the complications of love and independence.
Film and Stage
While television made her a household name, Harper continued to seek variety. She appeared in the feature film Freebie and the Bean (1974) opposite Alan Arkin and James Caan, bringing wry warmth to a more chaotic comedic setting. Onstage, she worked in Paul Sills' Story Theatre on Broadway and later pursued substantive roles that emphasized her range beyond sitcom formats. Decades into her career, Harper returned to Broadway in Looped (2010), portraying Tallulah Bankhead with brassy wit and vulnerability, a performance that earned her a Tony Award nomination. She also starred onstage in a national tour of Golda's Balcony, exploring the complexities of leadership and identity through the role of Golda Meir.
Return to Series Television and a Legal Battle
Harper re-entered weekly television as the star of the NBC sitcom Valerie in 1986, playing a working mother of three sons, including a teenage character portrayed by Jason Bateman. When a contract dispute with the show's production company led to her dismissal and the show's rebranding as Valerie's Family and then The Hogan Family, she pursued legal action. Harper ultimately prevailed in court, receiving a significant judgment and a share of the program's profits, a case that underscored questions of creative credit and fair treatment in television production.
She continued to act steadily, headlining the short-lived but well-regarded sitcom City (1990) and taking guest roles that allowed her to revisit and reinvent the chemistry that made her famous. In 2000 she reunited on screen with Mary Tyler Moore for the television movie Mary and Rhoda, a nostalgic and affectionate look at the enduring bond between the characters, and by extension, between the performers who brought them to life.
Advocacy, Personal Life, and Collaborations
Harper's personal and professional lives often intertwined. Her first marriage, to Richard Schaal, coincided with her improv years and the early period of her television success; they divorced in 1978. In the 1980s she built a partnership with producer and personal trainer Tony Cacciotti, marrying him in 1987. Together they adopted a daughter, Cristina, and Cacciotti became an essential collaborator and advocate across the next decades of Harper's life, especially as she faced health challenges. Colleagues frequently remarked on her generosity with younger performers and her willingness to mentor actors and writers, shaped by her own experiences learning from figures like Mary Tyler Moore, Nancy Walker, and Paul Sills. She used her visibility to support causes including women's rights and arts education, lending her name and time to public campaigns and charitable events.
Illness, Resilience, and Late-Career Work
In 2009 Harper was diagnosed with lung cancer, and in 2013 she revealed she had developed leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a rare condition in which cancer cells spread to the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Defying initial prognoses, she adopted a frank and hopeful public stance, speaking alongside Tony Cacciotti about treatment, uncertainty, and gratitude. That same year she published a memoir, I, Rhoda, reflecting on craft, friendship, and the luck and labor behind her most beloved roles. She also joined Dancing with the Stars in 2013, partnered with Tristan MacManus; her participation was widely seen as a testimony to her determination and joy in performance. Around the same time she took part in a television reunion on Hot in Cleveland with Mary Tyler Moore, Cloris Leachman, Betty White, and other alumni, giving audiences a final glimpse of her sparkling rapport with the people who had shaped her career.
Legacy
Valerie Harper died on August 30, 2019, in Los Angeles, at the age of 80, survived by Tony Cacciotti and their daughter, Cristina. Her legacy rests on the alchemy of specificity and heart: she made Rhoda Morgenstern one of American television's definitive friends, a character equal parts sardonic humor and emotional openness. The four Emmy Awards and Golden Globe confirm her craft, but it was the enduring affection from audiences and peers, Mary Tyler Moore and the MTM ensemble, Julie Kavner, Nancy Walker, David Groh, and many others, that testifies to the breadth of her impact. On stage and screen she modeled a working actor's life: improviser, chorus dancer, headliner, advocate, and collaborator. In an industry often defined by reinvention, Harper's consistency stood out. She answered fame with generosity, difficulty with resilience, and opportunity with work, leaving a blueprint for performers who wish not simply to be seen, but to be remembered.
Our collection contains 3 quotes who is written by Valerie, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Success - Movie.
Other people realated to Valerie: Grant Tinker (Musician)