Polly Bergen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Polly Bergen
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Bergen in 1953
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Nellie Paulina Burgin
July 14, 1930 Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
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| Died | September 20, 2014 (aged 84) Southbury, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Years active | 1949–2014 |
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| Children | 3, including Kathy Fields (stepchild) |
Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin; July 14, 1930 – September 20, 2014) was a talented American actress, singer, television host, writer, and businesswoman. She was known for her many roles in movies and TV shows, and also for her successful singing career.
Polly won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her amazing acting as Helen Morgan in a TV show called Helen Morgan (Playhouse 90). She was also nominated for a Tony Award for her work on stage in Follies in 2001. In movies, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her roles in Cape Fear (1962) and The Caretakers (1963).
She even had her own TV show, The Polly Bergen Show, and was a regular on the game show To Tell the Truth. Later in her career, she appeared in popular TV series like The Sopranos and Desperate Housewives. Beyond entertainment, Polly wrote three books about beauty and fashion, and she also started her own business.
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Early Life and Family
Polly Bergen was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on July 14, 1930. Her birth name was Nellie Paulina Burgin. Her parents were Lucy and William Hugh Burgin. Her father, who was a construction engineer, also had a talent for singing.
He even appeared with Polly on her TV show, The Polly Bergen Show, which was popular in 1957–1958. They even released a music album together called Polly and Her Pop.
A Star on Screen and Stage
Polly Bergen had a long and successful career in Hollywood. She starred in many films, including the original Cape Fear (1962), where she acted alongside famous stars Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. She also appeared in comedies with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, like At War with the Army and That's My Boy.
She played different kinds of roles, from Westerns like Warpath to comedies. In a fun movie called Kisses for My President, she played the first female president of the United States! She also starred with James Garner and Doris Day in the romantic comedy Move Over, Darling. Later, she appeared in the unique film Cry-Baby.
Polly was also a talented singer. She won an Emmy Award for her role as singer Helen Morgan in a TV show called Playhouse 90. She also had a successful music career and released albums. One of her albums, Bergen Sings Morgan, was very popular. In the 1950s, many people knew her as "The Pepsi Cola Girl" because she appeared in commercials for the drink.
On television, Polly was a regular on the game show To Tell the Truth. She also appeared on What's My Line? and was nominated for two Emmy Awards for her role as Rhoda Henry in the miniseries The Winds of War and its sequel War and Remembrance.
Polly also shined on Broadway, which is where live plays and musicals are performed. In 2001, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the musical Follies. She also acted in another play called Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.
Later in her career, Polly continued to appear in popular TV shows. She played Fran Felstein in HBO's The Sopranos in 2004. From 2007 to 2011, she had a guest role as Stella Wingfield in Desperate Housewives, which earned her another Emmy Award nomination. She also played the mother of a fictional U.S. president in the show Commander-in-Chief in 2006, which was interesting because she had played a president herself earlier in her career!
Beyond Acting: Business and Books
In 1965, Polly Bergen started her own cosmetics company, which was known for its "Oil of the Turtle" products. She also created her own lines of jewelry and shoes. Besides her businesses, Polly was also a writer, publishing three books that shared her tips on beauty, fashion, and charm.
Personal Life
Polly Bergen was married three times. Her first marriage was to actor Jerome Courtland from 1950 to 1955. In 1957, she married Hollywood agent and producer Freddie Fields. They adopted two children, Pamela and Peter, and Polly also had a stepdaughter, Kathy Fields. Polly became Jewish when she married Freddie. They divorced in 1975. Later, in the 1980s, she was married to businessman Jeffrey Endervelt.
Polly was a strong supporter of the Democratic Party and believed in feminism, which means she supported equal rights for women. She actively worked to promote the Equal Rights Amendment and believed in the importance of women's education.
Later Years and Death
Polly Bergen passed away on September 20, 2014, at her home in Southbury, Connecticut. She was 84 years old. She had been dealing with health issues, including emphysema, since the late 1990s. She was cremated after her death.
Images for kids
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Bergen in 1953
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Bergen at the 1989 Emmy Awards
See also
In Spanish: Polly Bergen para niños
