Polly Bergen
Biography
Polly Bergen was an American actress and singer. Born on July 14, 1930, in Knoxville, Tennessee, she began her acting career. Bergen won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her performance in The Helen Morgan Story. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her roles in Cape Fear and The Caretakers. Bergen also appeared in stage productions, including Follies, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She hosted her own weekly variety show, The Polly Bergen Show, and was a regular panelist on the TV game show To Tell. Bergen passed away on September 20, 2014.
Career overview
Polly Bergen's acting career spanned multiple mediums, including film and television. She is known for her performances in various roles, including her portrayal of Helen Morgan in The Helen Morgan Story, for which she won an Emmy Award in 1958. This recognition marked a significant milestone in her career, showcasing her talent and range as an actress.
In addition to her television work, Bergen also appeared in several films, including Cape Fear and The Caretakers. Her performance in The Caretakers earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. This nomination further solidified her reputation as a skilled and versatile actress.
Bergen's acting career also extended to the stage, where she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carlotta Campion in Follies in 2001. This recognition highlighted her ability to excel in a variety of roles and mediums, cementing her status as a talented and accomplished actress.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast (2019) as Self - Actress
- Struck by Lightning (2013) as Grandma
- Candles on Bay Street (2006) as Rosemary
- A Very Serious Person (2006) as Mrs. A
- Commander in Chief (2005) as Kate Allen
- Desperate Housewives (2004) as Stella Wingfield
- The Sopranos (1999) as Fran Felstein
- Twice in a Lifetime (1999) as Judge Deborah
- Doris Day: It's Magic (1998) as Self
- In the Blink of an Eye (1996) as Murial
- Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored (1996) as Miss Maybry
- For Hope (1996) as Molly Altman
- Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995)
- The Surrogate (1995) as Sandy Gilman
- Touched by an Angel (1994) as Stella Applegate
- Burke's Law (1994) as Rachel Doucet
- Leave of Absence (1994) as Janet
- Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal (1993) as Barbara Fox
- The Lightning Incident (1991) as Carol
- Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star (1991) as Self
- Baby Talk (1991) as Doris Campbell
- Cry-Baby (1990) as Mrs. Vernon-Williams
- My Brother's Wife (1989) as Myra Gilbert
- Mother, Mother (1989) as Barbara Cutler
- The Haunting of Sarah Hardy (1989) as Emily Thetford
- War and Remembrance (1988) as Rhoda Henry
- Addicted to His Love (1988) as Vivien Langford
- She Was Marked for Murder (1988) as Laura Lee Webster
- Jake and the Fatman (1987) as Emma Julian
- Making Mr. Right (1987) as Estelle Stone
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Dr. Jocelyn Laird
- Velvet (1984) as Mrs. Vance
- The Winds of War (1983) as Rhoda Henry
- Hotel (1982) as Elizabeth Hastings
- Born Beautiful (1982) as Marion Carmody
- The Million Dollar Face (1981) as Jo Burns
- How to Pick Up Girls! (1978) as Dana Greenberg
- Li'l Abner in the Dogpatch Today (1978) as Phyllis Shoefly
- The Love Boat (1977) as Maisie Nolan
- The Love Boat (1977) as Dana Pierce
- 79 Park Avenue (1977) as Vera Keppler
- Telethon (1977) as Dorothy Goodwin
- Bob Hope's World of Comedy (1976) as Self (archive footage)
- Ellery Queen (1975) as Dina Carroll-Winer
- Murder on Flight 502 (1975) as Mona Briarly
- Death Cruise (1974) as Sylvia Carter
- Thriller (1973) as Suzy Hunter
- An Echo of Theresa (1973) as Suzy Hunter
- The Danny Thomas Hour (1967) as Self
- A Guide for the Married Man (1967) as Technical Adviser
- The Dean Martin Show (1965)
- The Hollywood Palace (1964) as Self
- Kisses for My President (1964) as Leslie McCloud
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963) as Jennifer Randolph
- Move Over, Darling (1963) as Bianca Steele
- The Caretakers (1963) as Lorna Melford
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- Cape Fear (1962) as Peggy Bowden
- Belle Sommers (1962) as Belle Sommers
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self - Co-Host
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Janice Graham / Cathy Brandon
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959) as Self
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959) as Self - Hostess
- Startime (1959) as Self
- Kraft Music Hall (1958)
- The Dick Clark Show (1958) as Self
- The All-Star Christmas Show (1958) as Self
- Wagon Train (1957) as Kitty Allbright
- American Bandstand (1957) as Self
- The Polly Bergen Show (1957) as Host
- Art Ford's Greenwich Village Party (1957) as Self
- The Helen Morgan Story (1957) as Helen Morgan
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Nominee / Performer
- The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956) as Self
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Crystal Coe
- The Jimmy Durante Show (1954) as Self
- Max Liebman Presents (1954)
- The Blue Angel (1954) as Co-Host
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (1953) as Self - Hostess
- The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (1953) as Host
- Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) as Alice Owens
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Susan Barry
- Cry of the Hunted (1953) as Janet Tunner
- Arena (1953) as Ruth Danvers
- Fast Company (1953) as Carol Maldon
- The Red Skelton Show (1951) as Myrtle
- The Red Skelton Show (1951) as Sally Suey
- The Red Skelton Show (1951) as Clara Appleby
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Rosemary
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951) as Shirley
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951) as Dellie
- That's My Boy (1951) as Betty 'Babs' Hunter
- Warpath (1951) as Molly Quade
- The Stooge (1951) as Mary Turner
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self - Panelist
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- The Bob Hope Show (1950) as Self
- The Jack Benny Program (1950) as Polly Bergen
- The Men (1950) as Nightclub Singer (Uncredited)
- At War with the Army (1950) as Helen
- Champion (1949) as Radio and Jukebox Singer (voice) (uncredited)
- Across The Rio Grande (1949) as Polly Burgin
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Presenter