Barbara Billingsley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barbara Billingsley
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Billingsley in 1958
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| Born |
Barbara Lillian Combes
December 22, 1915 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Died | October 16, 2010 (aged 94) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery |
| Alma mater | Los Angeles Junior College |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1945–2007 |
| Spouse(s) |
Glenn Billingsley
(m. 1941; div. 1947)Roy Kellino
(m. 1953; died 1956)William Mortensen
(m. 1959; died 1981) |
| Children | 2 |
Barbara Billingsley (born Barbara Lillian Combes; December 22, 1915 – October 16, 2010) was an American actress. She is most famous for playing June Cleaver, the loving mother in the classic TV show Leave It to Beaver (1957–1963). She also appeared in the comedy movie Airplane! (1980) and later voiced Nanny in the cartoon Muppet Babies.
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Early Life
Barbara Lillian Combes was born in Los Angeles, California, on December 22, 1915. Her father, Robert Collyer Combes, was a police officer. Her mother was Lillian Agnes. Barbara had an older sister named Elizabeth. Her parents divorced when she was young. After the divorce, her mother worked at a knitting factory.
Career Highlights
Starting Out
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After attending Los Angeles Junior College for a year, Barbara went to New York City. She worked as a fashion model. In 1945, she signed a contract with MGM Studios, a big movie company. She moved to Los Angeles in 1946.
In the 1940s and early 1950s, she had many small roles in movies. These included Three Guys Named Mike (1951) and the science-fiction film Invaders from Mars (1953). In 1952, she was a guest star on The Abbott and Costello Show.
In 1955, she got a bigger role in the TV show Professional Father. The next year, she had a recurring role in The Brothers. In 1957, she starred in the movie The Careless Years.
Becoming June Cleaver
In 1957, Barbara Billingsley signed with Universal Studios. She then became famous for her role as June Cleaver in the TV show Leave It to Beaver. The show first aired in 1957. It became a big hit and was shown in over 100 countries.
In the show, June Cleaver was often seen doing housework while wearing pearls and earrings. The pearls were Barbara's own idea. She felt they helped her neck look better on camera. In later seasons, she wore high heels. This was because the actors playing her sons were growing taller than her!
Barbara said that June Cleaver was the "ideal mother." She believed June was the loving heart of the family. Barbara had two sons herself, and she felt the character became a lot like her. She thought people loved the show because everyone wished for a family like the Cleavers.
The show ran for six seasons and had 234 episodes. It ended in 1963 because the actors wanted to work on other projects.
After Leave It to Beaver
After Leave It to Beaver ended, it was hard for Barbara to find new acting jobs. People mostly saw her as June Cleaver. She took a break from acting for many years.
In 1980, she made a funny appearance in the movie Airplane!. She played a passenger who could "speak jive." This role helped restart her career. She then appeared on TV shows like Mork & Mindy and The Love Boat.
In 1983, she played June Cleaver again in the TV movie Still the Beaver. She also starred in the new The New Leave It to Beaver series from 1985 to 1989. During this time, she became the voice of Nanny on the popular cartoon Muppet Babies. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for this role.
After The New Leave It to Beaver ended, Barbara had guest roles on shows like Parker Lewis Can't Lose and Murphy Brown. She also played June Cleaver in other TV shows. Her last movie role was as Aunt Martha in the 1997 film version of Leave It to Beaver. Her final TV appearance was in the 2003 movie Secret Santa.
Barbara remained good friends with Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver. They celebrated the show's 50th anniversary together.
Personal Life
Barbara Billingsley was married three times and had two sons. Her first marriage was to Glenn Billingsley, Sr., in 1941. He owned restaurants. They had two sons and divorced in 1947.
In 1953, she married movie director Roy Kellino. He passed away in 1956. Her third marriage was to William S. Mortensen in 1959. They were together until his death in 1981.
Death
Barbara Billingsley passed away at her home in Santa Monica, California, on October 16, 2010. She was 94 years old. She is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica.
Images for kids
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Billingsley and Bruce Edwards in Prejudice (1949).
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Cast of Leave It to Beaver
See also
In Spanish: Barbara Billingsley para niños
