Brenda Vaccaro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brenda Vaccaro
Vaccaro in the movie Where It's At (1969)
Born	Brenda Buell Vaccaro (1939-11-18) November 18, 1939 (age 85) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Education	Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1961–present
Spouse(s)	Martin Fried ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1970)​ William Bishop ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1978)​ Charles Cannizzaro ​ ​ (m. 1981; div. 1982)​ Guy Hector ​ (m. 1986)​
Partner(s)	Michael Douglas (1971–1976)

Brenda Buell Vaccaro (born November 18, 1939) is an American actress who has appeared on stage, in movies, and on television. Her career has lasted for more than 60 years.

During her long career, she has received many major awards for her acting. She was nominated for an Academy Award, which is one of the highest honors in the movie industry. She also won a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award for her performances. For her work in theater, she was nominated for three Tony Awards.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Brenda Vaccaro was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents, Christine and Mario Vaccaro, were Italian-American. Her father was a restaurateur, which means he owned and managed a restaurant. When Brenda was young, her family moved to Dallas, Texas. There, her parents opened Mario's Restaurant in 1943. She went to Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas.

When she was 17, Brenda moved back to New York City to become an actress. She studied at the famous Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre with a well-known acting teacher named Sanford Meisner. In 1961, she made her first appearance on Broadway in a comedy called Everybody Loves Opal. For her performance, she won a Theatre World Award, which is given to promising new actors.

A Successful Career on Stage and Screen

Brenda Vaccaro became a star on Broadway and in Hollywood. She is known for her unique, husky voice and her talented acting in both comedies and dramas.

Theater Work

After her first play, Vaccaro starred in many other Broadway shows. These included Cactus Flower (1965) and the musical How Now, Dow Jones (1967). Her acting was so good that she was nominated for three Tony Awards, which are the biggest awards for live theater.

Movie Roles

Vaccaro also had a successful movie career. In 1969, she appeared with famous actors Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight in the movie Midnight Cowboy. Her role earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.

One of her most celebrated roles was in the 1975 movie Once Is Not Enough. For her performance, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was also nominated for an Academy Award.

She appeared in many other movies, such as:

• Airport '77
• Capricorn One
• Supergirl
• The Mirror Has Two Faces
• Zorro, The Gay Blade
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Television and Voice Acting

Brenda Vaccaro has been a familiar face on television for decades. She starred in her own TV series called Sara in 1976. She also appeared as a guest on many popular shows, including Murder, She Wrote, The Golden Girls, and Friends. In 1974, she won an Emmy Award for a TV special called The Shape of Things.

Many people will recognize her voice from cartoons. She was the voice of Bunny Bravo, the mother of the main character in the animated series Johnny Bravo. She also voiced characters in The Smurfs and the movie Kubo and the Two Strings.

More recently, she appeared in the TV movie You Don't Know Jack with Al Pacino. She also had a role in And Just Like That..., a reboot of the show ... and the City.

Personal Life

From 1971 to 1976, Brenda Vaccaro was in a relationship with actor Michael Douglas. They met while working on the movie Summertree. She also guest-starred on his TV show, The Streets of San Francisco.

She has been good friends with the famous singer and actress Barbra Streisand for many years. They met when they were both starting out on Broadway in the 1960s. Later, Streisand directed Vaccaro in the movie The Mirror Has Two Faces.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of the many movies and TV shows Brenda Vaccaro has been in.

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Brenda Vaccaro para niños