May 15, 2020

Hello fans,

Today's featured celebrity is a lady that has done it all! She's a singer, producer, director, a star of both the small and big screens, and a legend of the Broadway stage. It's the incredibly talented Linda Lavin!

Most of us know her from the hit TV series Alice, but her accolades stretch well beyond that show. What a career! Let's see what's keeping her busy these days...

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Take care,
Steve

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Linda Lavin

Learn More About Linda Lavin, see Then & Now pictures, and find out What He's Been Up To on Celebrity Nooz

BIRTH DATE: October 15, 1937 in Portland, Maine, USA

BIRTH NAME: Linda Lavin

CLAIM TO FAME: Linda Lavin is an American actress and singer best known for playing the title character in the sitcom Alice, which ran from 1976 to 1985, and for her stage performances, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway.

FAMILY LIFE: Lavin has been married three times. Her first marriage to Ron Leibman ended in divorce in 1980. Her second marriage to Kip Niven, whom she met on the set of Alice, ended in a bitter divorce in 1992. While Lavin has no biological children, she is stepmother to the children of her second husband and plays an active role in their lives and that of her grandchildren, and is stepmother to those of her third and current husband, artist/musician Steve Bakunas, whom she married in 2005.

INFO: The daughter of David Joseph Lavin, a businessman, and Lucille Potter Lavin, an opera singer, a famous coloratura soprano and performed many times for TV and radio.

Both sets of grandparents, Simon and Jessie Lavin and Harry and Esther Potter, emigrated from Russia.

Lavin has been onstage since the age of five.

She studied acting at HB Studio in New York City.

Attended Waynflete School before enrolling and graduating, in 1959, from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Joined the Compass Players in the late 1950s.

Lavin began her career with Broadway appearances in the musical A Family Affair (1962).

She "arrived at showbiz stardom with a featured role" in the musical It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman (1966).

She left Barney Miller to star in the lead role in Alice.

The series was based on the Martin Scorsese-directed Ellen Burstyn film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Lavin portrayed Alice Hyatt, a waitress and singer, the character that Burstyn had played. Lavin performed the series' theme song, "There's a New Girl in Town," which was written by David Shire and Alan and Marilyn Bergman and was updated for each of the first six seasons.

Lavin produced and starred in A Matter of Life and Death, the 1981 telefilm based on the work of nurse thanatologist Joy Ufema.

Lavin made her feature film debut in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984).

After more than a decade away, appearing on television, Lavin returned to the Broadway stage in 1987 in Neil Simon's play Broadway Bound.

She directed the 1990 telefilm Flour Babies.

While living in Wilmington, North Carolina, her and he husband worked within the community to rehabilitate impoverished neighborhoods including renovating many homes, donating a park to the city and creating a community theatre, the Red Barn Studio.

In 1997, Lavin founded The Linda Lavin Arts Foundation in Wilmington to promote performing and visual arts in education. Her foundation has created a theater program called Girl Friends.

Her recording, Possibilities was released by Ghostlight Records in 2012.

Lavin as been nominated and won many awards, including...

Lavin was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame for 2010 in January 2011.

Tony Awards
1970 Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play - Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Nominated)
1987 Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - Broadway Bound (Won)
1998 Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play - The Diary of Anne Frank (Nominated)
2001 Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (Nominated)
2010 Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - Collected Stories (Nominated)
2012 Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - The Lyons (Nominated)

Drama Desk Awards
1987 Outstanding Actress in a Play - Broadway Bound (Won)
2008 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play - The New Century (Won)

Obie Award
1994-95 Outstanding Actress - Death Defying Acts (Won)
2012 Performance The Lyons (Won)

Golden Globe Awards
1979 Best TV Actress in a Musical or Comedy - Alice (Won)
1980 Best TV Actress in a Musical or Comedy - Alice (Won)
1981 Best TV Actress in a Musical or Comedy - Alice (Nominated)

Primetime Emmy Awards
1979 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Alice (Nominated)

TRIVIA: When she was a teenager, Linda's parents encouraged her to keep practing the piano, but she admits she hated to playing it.

Says one of her favorite roles is that of Patsy Newquist, the role she played in the 1968 play Little Murders.

Had it stipulated in her Alice contract that the producers allow her to sing.

Graduated with a theatre degree from William and Mary College.

Directed an all-Brazilian jazz version of As You Like It for the Wilmington Shakespeare Festival in 1998.

Sang the song "New Kid in Town" for the opening credits of her 1970's television series Alice.

In 1997, Linda came up with the idea for The Linda Lavin Foundation in Wilmington, North Carolina, which helps eleven to fourteen year old girls learn about performing and visual arts.

Trouble Finding Hand Sanitizer? No Worries WE HAVE IT IN STOCK!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: In 2020, Lavin performed the song "The Boy From..." from The Mad Show in Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration. And with recent appearances on hit series like Brockmire and Santa Clarita Diet, and the movie Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase she's might very well be the busiest octogenarian in the business.

CREDITS:

2019 Brockmire (TV Series)...Lorraine
- Banned for Life (2019) ... Lorraine

2019 Santa Clarita Diet (TV Series)...Jean
- A Specific Form of Recklessness (2019) ... Jean
- The Cult of Sheila (2019) ... Jean
- Forever! (2019) ... Jean
- The Chicken and the Pear (2019) ... Jean
- Belle and Sebastian Protect the Head (2019) ... Jean

2019 Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase...Flora

2019 Girls Weekend (TV Movie)...Marie

2018 Madam Secretary (TV Series)...June O'Callaghan
- E Pluribus Unum (2018) ... June O'Callaghan

2017-2018 9JKL (TV Series)...Judy
All 16 episodes

2017 How to Be a Latin Lover...Millicent

2016 Bakery in Brooklyn...Isabelle

2016 Manhattan Night...Norma Segal

2016 Mom (TV Series)...Phyllis
- Mahjong Sally and the Ecstasy (2016) ... Phyllis
- Kreplach and a Tiny Tush (2016) ... Phyllis

2015/I The Intern...Patty

2015 Bones (TV Series)...Judge Michael
- The Verdict in the Victims (2015) ... Judge Michael

2014-2015 The Good Wife (TV Series)...Joy Grubick
- The Deconstruction (2015) ... Joy Grubick
- Old Spice (2014) ... Joy Grubick
- Dear God (2014) ... Joy Grubick

2014 A Short History of Decay...Sandy Fisher

2013-2014 Sean Saves the World (TV Series)...Lorna Harrison
All 15 episodes

2013 Holiday Road Trip (TV Movie)...Woman on Street (uncredited)

2013 Bob's Burgers (TV Series)...Helen
- It Snakes a Village (2013) ... Helen (voice)

2012 Wanderlust...Shari Selman

2010 Maggie Tales (Short)...Narrator (voice)

2010 The Back-up Plan...Nana

2004-2005 The O.C. (TV Series)...Sophie Cohen
- The Chrismukkah Bar Mitz-vahkkah (2005) ... Sophie Cohen (voice, uncredited)
- The Return of the Nana (2005) ... Sophie Cohen
- The Nana (2004) ... Sophie Cohen

2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series)...Ursula Sussman
- Shandeh (2002) ... Ursula Sussman

2002 The Sopranos (TV Series)...Dr. Wendi Kobler
- No Show (2002) ... Dr. Wendi Kobler

2002 Courage the Cowardly Dog (TV Series)...Mama Bird
- King of Flan/Courage Under the Volcano (2002) ... (voice)
- The Quilt Club/Swindlin' Wind (2002) ... (voice)
- Dome of Doom/Snowman's Revenge (2002) ... (voice)
- Fishy Business/Angry Nasty People (2002) ... (voice)
- Mondo Magic/Watch the Birdies (2002) ... Mama Bird (voice)
- So in Louvre Are We Two/Night of the Scarecrow (2002) ... (voice)
- Feast of the Bullfrogs/Tulip's Worm (2002) ... (voice)
- Katz Under the Sea/Curtain of Cruelty (2002) ... (voice)
- Scuba-Scuba Doo/Conway the Contaminationist (2002) ... (voice)
- Hard Drive Courage/The Ride of the Valkyries (2002) ... (voice)
- Stormy Weather/The Sandman Sleeps (2002) ... (voice)
- Campsite of Terror/Record Deal (2002) ... (voice)
- Muriel Meets Her Match/Courage vs. Mecha-Courage (2002) ... (voice)

2002 Collected Stories (TV Movie)...Ruth Steiner

1999 Touched by an Angel (TV Series)...Amanda Randolph
- Jagged Edges (1999) ... Amanda Randolph

1998 Conrad Bloom (TV Series)...Florie Bloom
All 13 episodes

1998 Best Friends for Life (TV Movie)...Sarah 'Coop' Cooper

1996 The Ring (TV Movie)...Ruth Liebman

1996 For the Future: The Irvine Fertility Scandal (TV Movie)...Marilyn Killane

1996 Stolen Memories: Secrets from the Rose Garden (TV Movie)...Earline

1995 A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story (TV Movie)...Virginia Funicello

1994 Whitewash (TV Short)...Ms. Steunberg (voice)

1992-1993 Room for Two (TV Series)...Edie Kurland
All 26 episodes

1989 I Want to Go Home...Lena Apthrop

1989 See You in the Morning...Sidney

1987 Lena: My 100 Children (TV Movie)...Lena Kuchler-Silberman

1987 A Place to Call Home (TV Movie)...Liz Gavin

1986 Maricela (TV Movie)...Mrs. Gannett

1976-1985 Alice (TV Series)...Alice Hyatt / Mrs. Walden
All 202 episodes

1984 The Muppets Take Manhattan...Kermit's Doctor

1983 Another Woman's Child (TV Movie)...Terry DeBray

1981 A Matter of Life and Death (TV Movie)...Nurse Joy Ufema

1980 The $5.20 an Hour Dream (TV Movie)...Ellen Lissick

1979 Kaz (TV Series)...Helen 'Frenchy' Russo
- A Fool for a Client (1979) ... Helen 'Frenchy' Russo

1978 Like Mom, Like Me (TV Movie)...Althea Gruen

1977 Family (TV Series)...Annie Laurie
- Annie Laurie (1977) ... Annie Laurie

1976 Phyllis (TV Series)...Margaret Gates
- Widows, Merry and Otherwise (1976) ... Margaret Gates

1975-1976 Barney Miller (TV Series)...Det. Janice Wentworth
- Massage Parlor (1976) ... Det. Janice Wentworth
- Block Party (1976) ... Det. Janice Wentworth
- Grand Hotel (1975) ... Det. Janice Wentworth
- Heat Wave (1975) ... Det. Janice Wentworth
- Ms. Cop (1975) ... Det. Janice Wentworth

1975 Harry O (TV Series)...Alice
- Group Terror (1975) ... Alice

1974 Rhoda (TV Series)...Linda Monroe
- The Shower (1974) ... Linda Monroe

1974 Jerry (TV Movie)...Nina Pope

1974 The Morning After (TV Movie)...Toni

1971 The Great American Dream Machine (TV Series)
- Episode dated 13 January 1971 (1971)

1969 CBS Playhouse (TV Series)...Carol
- Sadbird (1969) ... Carol

1967 Damn Yankees! (TV Movie)...Gloria Thorpe

1963 The Doctors (TV Series)
- Beyond the Shadow of a Dream: Part 4 (1963)
- Beyond the Shadow of a Dream: Part 3 (1963)
- Beyond the Shadow of a Dream: Part 2 (1963)
- Beyond the Shadow of a Dream (1963)

1963 The Doctors and the Nurses (TV Series)...Doris Ilon
- Show Just Cause Why You Should Weep (1963) ... Doris Ilon

To see Then & Now pictures of Linda Lavin, visit: Celebrity Nooz