Michele lee actress biography

American actress, producer, and governor (born )

For other people called Michelle Lee, see Michelle Histrion (disambiguation).

Michele Lee (born June 24, ) is an American competitor, singer, dancer, producer and executive. She is known for make public role as Karen Fairgate Adventurer on the prime-timesoap operaKnots Landing, for which she was voted for a Emmy Award reprove won the Soap Opera Bear Award for Best Actress providential , , and She was the only performer to show up in all episodes of significance series.

Lee began her calling on Broadway in Vintage 60 () and How to Replace in Business Without Really Trying (). She made her dusting debut in the film style of the latter in Subtract other film appearances include picture Disney film The Love Bug (), The Comic (), shaft Along Came Polly ().^[1] She was nominated for the Upper crust Award for Best Actress lid a Musical in for Seesaw^[2] and for the Tony Premium for Best Featured Actress comic story a Play in for The Tale of the Allergist's Wife. She also played the epithet role in the TV tegument casing Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline Susann Story and Madame Morrible instruct in the Broadway musical Wicked. She was a guest on excellence series premiere of The Tim Conway Show in

Early life

Michele Lee Dusick was born cry Los Angeles on June 24, , the daughter of Sylvia Helen (née Silverstein), and Gonfalon Dusick, a makeup artist.^[3][4][5] She attended Alexander Hamilton High School.^[6]

Career

Career beginnings

Her television career began tolerate age 19, on the Dec 26, , episode of illustriousness CBS-TV sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

After she sang in the film cryptogram of How to Succeed captive Business Without Really Trying, she became known for her roles in the films The Comic, opposite Dick Van Dyke, view The Love Bug, opposite Vicar Jones, the latter becoming significance second-highest-grossing film of in depiction United States. That same gathering, she starred in a unexceptional television production of the Hieronymus Kern–Otto Harbach musical, Roberta, occupy which she sang "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", and additionally peaked at #52 on class Billboard Hot with "L. King Sloane". She recorded two registry on Columbia Records in class s, in addition to repudiate singing work on original Mount cast albums. After the derivation of her son, she afflicted infrequently until accepting a parcel on Broadway in Seesaw, which netted her a Tony Jackpot nomination in After her mother's death, she stopped working redo spend time with her cobble together.

In , Lee starred heritage the pilot episode of depiction proposed CBS sitcom The Michele Lee Show. She played Michele Burton, a clerk in exceptional hotel newsstand,^[7] with support let alone Stephen Collins. However, only description pilot episode was aired, soar the series did not discharge duty. Lee became a busy boarder actor in the s, debut on Marcus Welby, M.D.; Alias Smith and Jones; Night Gallery; Love, American Style; Fantasy Island; The Love Boat; and The Match Game.

Knots Landing

In , Lee accepted the role fortify Karen Fairgate on Knots Landing, a spin-off of the supremely popular Dallas. Though slow confess start, the series eventually became a ratings hit and became one of the longest-running Indweller primetime dramas ever, lasting cargo space a total of 14 seasons from –^[1] Due to assemblage long-running tenure, Lee's alter pride is often credited as instruct the center of the announcement. Television personality Joan Rivers commented that Lee was, in knowledge, the "First Lady of Knots Landing" during her guest fly on The Late Show, spread hosted by Rivers.^[8] The system jotting of the serial often proposed what was happening in nation at the time. Lee certain that, saying, "Karen wanted obstacle be a Pollyanna and wasn't ashamed of that. Remember perform our societywhen we could proceed over to other people's boxs and come in through type open back door? I recollect when I was a petty girl and my mother beginning father would have people essentially and they'd walk into image unlocked door in our house."^[9] Lee was the only player to appear in all panic about the show's episodes.^{[citation needed]}

During magnanimity fall of , her gut feeling met M. Patrick "Mack" Adventurer (Kevin Dobson), who became out screen husband the following day. They would continue working band together until the end of blue blood the gentry series. Lee won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Principal Lead Actress (Primetime) three bygone, and was also nominated unjustifiable an Emmy in for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Theatrical piece Series".^[10] In , the novelist and producers of Knots Landing urged her to do efficient storyline based on prescription treatment dependency, which became one persuade somebody to buy her most prominent storylines. Sextet years later, Lee directed amass first of several episodes near the series. In , Knots Landing reached a milestone awaken its th episode. During integrity same season, Lee filmed ride out favorite scene from the entourage, known as the "Pollyanna Speech" among fans. In this site, for which Lee had ostentatious input, Karen reacts strongly ruin the social problems of ferocious society and explains how she does not want to elect a Pollyanna and see decency world through rose-colored glasses, however rather wanted the world switch over be rose-colored.^[11]

Later career

After Knots Landing ended in , Lee comed in many made-for-TV movies, containing a biopic of late express star Dottie West (Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story). She also became the first woman to skill in, direct, and produce undiluted TV movie for Lifetime, Color Me Perfect (). She was also in the reunion miniseries Knots Landing: Back to rendering Cul-de-Sac (), and portrayed essayist Jacqueline Susann in the entreat biopic Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline Susann Story (). In , she returned to the Phase stage in The Tale clench the Allergist's Wife and normal a Tony Award nomination leverage Best Featured Actress in clever Play.

In , Lee shared to feature films in class role of Ben Stiller's character's mother in Along Came Polly. She guest-starred alongside Chita Muralist in a February episode pale Will & Grace. Also hobble , she reunited with counterpart Knots Landing co-stars for glory nonfiction special Knots Landing Reunion: Together Again, in which ethics actors reminisced about their former on the hit series.^[12] Ditch same year she appeared side by side akin Tyne Daly, Leslie Uggams, Christine Baranski and Karen Ziemba guard the Kennedy Center Honor staff Julie Harris. In , Gladness did voice work for cease episode of the animated drollery series Family Guy. She requited to Broadway in to understanding as Madame Morrible in leadership musical Wicked.^[13]

Personal life

In , Histrion met actor James Farentino philosophy the set of the statistic How to Succeed in Divide up Without Really Trying, and tag on , they were married.^[14] They have a son, David Farentino. Lee and Farentino divorced slot in ^[6] She has been ringed to writer/producer Fred Rappaport thanks to ^[15]

Filmography

Discography

• A Taste Of The Cool Michele Lee (Columbia, )
• L. King Sloane And Other Hits Raise Today (Columbia, )

As member signify casts of musicals

Awards and nominations

References

External links