Debbie Reynolds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Debbie Reynolds
Reynolds in 1987
Born	Mary Frances Reynolds (1932-04-01)April 1, 1932 El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Died	December 28, 2016(2016-12-28) (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills
Occupation	Actress singer dancer businesswoman
Years active	1948–2016
Spouse(s)	Eddie Fisher ​ ​ (m. 1955; div. 1959)​ Harry Karl ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1973)​ Richard Hamlett ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1996)​
Children	Carrie Fisher Todd Fisher
Relatives	Billie Lourd (granddaughter)

Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was a famous American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career lasted for almost 70 years. She was known for her roles in many movies and TV shows.

Debbie Reynolds became very famous for her role as Kathy Selden in the movie Singin' in the Rain (1952). She also starred in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), which earned her an Oscar nomination. Younger audiences might know her as Aggie Cromwell from Disney's Halloweentown series. She was also a talented singer, and her song "Tammy" was a number one hit.

Debbie Reynolds was also a performer in live shows and had her own dance studio. She collected many items from movie history, like costumes and props. She received several important awards for her long career, including the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. She passed away in 2016, one day after her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher.

Her Early Life

Reynolds (right) with her grandmother O. Harman (center) and father Ray Reynolds in 1955

Debbie Reynolds was born on April 1, 1932, in El Paso, Texas. Her parents were Maxene N. "Minnie" Harman and Raymond Francis "Ray" Reynolds. Her father worked for the railroad. She had an older brother named William.

When she was young, her family moved to Burbank, California, in 1939. In 1948, at age 16, she won the Miss Burbank beauty contest. Soon after, she was offered a movie contract with Warner Brothers. The studio boss, Jack L. Warner, gave her the stage name "Debbie."

Becoming a Star

Her Film and TV Career

Debbie Reynolds was discovered by talent scouts from Warner Bros. and MGM at the Miss Burbank contest. Warner Bros. signed her first. After two years, she moved to MGM, where she starred in many movie musicals in the 1950s.

Her song "Aba Daba Honeymoon" from the film Two Weeks with Love (1950) was a big hit. It was one of the first soundtrack songs to become a gold record.

Gene Kelly, Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor during the Singin' in the Rain trailer (1952)

Her role in Singin' in the Rain (1952) made her a huge star. She worked with Gene Kelly in the movie. She said he taught her how to dance and work hard. In 1956, she appeared in Bundle of Joy with her husband at the time, Eddie Fisher.

Debbie Reynolds was one of the main stars in How the West Was Won (1962). She played the character Lilith Prescott throughout the story. She also sang three songs in the film.

Her role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) earned her an Oscar nomination. She played Molly Brown, a real-life strong woman.

In 1969, she starred in her own TV show, The Debbie Reynolds Show. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for this show. In 1973, she starred in the Broadway musical Irene and was nominated for a Tony Award.

She also voiced Charlotte A. Cavatica in the animated movie Charlotte's Web (1973). Later, she played Grace's mother, Bobbi Adler, on the TV show Will & Grace, which earned her an Emmy nomination.

For a younger generation, Debbie Reynolds became well-known as Aggie Cromwell in Disney's Halloweentown movies. She also voiced Lulu Pickles in the Rugrats cartoon. In 2013, she appeared in the TV movie Behind the Candelabra.

Her last film was Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2016). This documentary showed the close relationship between Debbie and her daughter, Carrie Fisher.

Music and Live Shows

Debbie Reynolds had a very successful music career. Her song "Tammy" (1957) was a number one hit on the Billboard charts. She also had other popular songs like "A Very Special Love."

Marquee listing Reynolds' world premiere at the Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, December 1962

She was a popular performer in Las Vegas, headlining at the Riviera Hotel for many years. In her live shows, she was famous for doing impressions of other celebrities. She could imitate stars like Mae West and Barbra Streisand.

Debbie Reynolds also performed on Broadway. She starred in the musical Irene in 1973, which was a big success. She also toured in other musicals like Annie Get Your Gun.

Her Other Ventures

Collecting Movie History

Reynolds loved collecting items from movie history. She started buying costumes and props from the famous 1970 MGM auction. She wanted to open a museum to share these treasures.

She displayed her collection first in her Las Vegas hotel and later in a museum in Los Angeles. Her collection included famous items like Marilyn Monroe's white dress from The Seven Year Itch. Sadly, she had to sell parts of her collection later due to financial challenges.

Business Ventures

In 1979, Debbie Reynolds opened her own dance studio in North Hollywood. She also released an exercise video. For a time, she owned a hotel and casino in Las Vegas, which she named the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel.

Her Family Life

Reynolds and Eddie Fisher on their wedding day, 1955

Debbie Reynolds was married three times. Her first marriage was to singer Eddie Fisher in 1955. They had two children, Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher. They divorced in 1959.

Her second marriage was to Harry Karl, and her third was to Richard Hamlett. Debbie Reynolds was also a leader for her daughter Carrie's Girl Scout troop.

She was involved with The Thalians, a charity that helps children and adults with mental health issues, for 56 years.

Her Passing

Reynolds in April 2013

On December 27, 2016, Debbie Reynolds' daughter, Carrie Fisher, passed away. The very next day, December 28, Debbie Reynolds had a severe stroke and died at the age of 84.

Her son, Todd Fisher, said that his mother was deeply affected by Carrie's death. He mentioned that she had said, "I want to be with Carrie," shortly before she passed away. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills. A part of Carrie Fisher's ashes was also laid to rest there.

Awards and Honors

Debbie Reynolds received many awards and honors throughout her career.

• 1951: Nominated for a Golden Globe for Three Little Words.
• 1956: Won Best Supporting Actress from the National Board of Review for The Catered Affair.
• 1965: Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
• 1973: Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Irene.
• 1997: Won a Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy from the American Comedy Awards.
• 1997: Won a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress for Mother.
• 2000: Nominated for an Emmy Award for her role in Will & Grace.
• 2014: Received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
• 2015: Received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy Awards.

Her handprints and footprints are at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Filmography

Partial Television Credits

Images for kids

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  Reynolds in 1998

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  Reynolds prior to performing a show in Las Vegas in 1975

See Also

In Spanish: Debbie Reynolds para niños

• List of American film actresses
• List of people from California
• List of people from Texas