Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (born January 19, 1944) is an American actress and singer. Fabares is known for her roles as Donna Reed's oldest child, "Mary Stone," on The Donna Reed Show (from 1958 to 1963), and as Craig T. Nelson's love interest and eventual wife, Christine Armstrong Fox, on the sitcom Coach. She was also Elvis Presley's costar in three films.
Early life and career[]
Born Michele Ann Marie Fabares in Santa Monica, California,[1] she is the niece of Nanette Fabray.[2] Fabares began acting at age three and at age 10 made her television debut in an episode of Letter to Loretta. After guest-starring on various television series, Fabares landed the role of "Mary Stone" in the long-running family sitcom The Donna Reed Show.
Her national popularity led to a recording contract and two "Top 40" hits, including "Johnny Angel," which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, in April 1962.[2] It sold over one-million copies and was awarded a gold disc.[3] Fabares left The Donna Reed Show in 1963 (she would return periodically until its end in 1966) to pursue a film career. She appeared in a number of motion pictures, including three Elvis movies: Girl Happy (1965), Spinout (1966), and Clambake (1967).
During the 1970s, Fabares appeared on several television series, including Love, American Style, The Rockford Files, The Interns, Mannix and Fantasy Island. In 1971, she portrayed "Joy Piccolo" in the TV movie Brian's Song, the true story of terminally ill Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo (played by James Caan).
In 1978, Fabares played "Francine Webster" on One Day at a Time, a role she would reprise throughout the series run.
In 1989, she won the role of "Christine Armstrong Fox" on the ABC sitcom Coach. For her work, Fabares was nominated twice for a Primetime Emmy Award.[4]
After Coach ended in 1997, Fabares played the voice-role of Martha "Ma" Kent in Superman: The Animated Series. She reprised it twice for a 2003 episode of Justice League and the 2006 direct-to-video film Superman: Brainiac Attacks.
Personal life[]
Fabares is a lifelong friend of Annette Funicello. The two met in catechism class in the seventh grade.[5]
Fabares married Jan & Dean's record producer Lou Adler in June 1964 before separating in 1966. The couple divorced in 1980.[citation needed] In 1984, Fabares married actor Mike Farrell and is stepmother to his two children, Erin and Michael Farrell, from a previous marriage.[5]
In October 2000, she received a life-saving liver transplant after being diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis.[6]
Selected filmography[]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1955 | The Girl Rush | Kim - Age 9 | Uncredited |
| 1956 | Never Say Goodbye | Suzy Parker | |
| The Bad Seed | Margie | Uncredited | |
| 1957 | Jeanne Eagels | Teenage Girl | Uncredited |
| 1958 | Summer Love | Twinkie Daley | |
| Marjorie Morningstar | Seth's Girl Friend | Uncredited | |
| 1964 | Ride the Wild Surf | Brie Matthews | |
| 1965 | Girl Happy | Valerie Frank | |
| 1966 | Hold On! | Louisa Page | Alternative title: There's No Place Like Space |
| Spinout | Cynthia Foxhugh | ||
| 1967 | Clambake | Dianne Carter | |
| 1968 | A Time to Sing | Amy Carter | |
| 1987 | Hot Pursuit | Buffy Cronenberg | |
| 1990 | Love or Money | LuAnn Reed | Alternative title: For Love or Money |
| 2006 | Superman: Brainiac Attacks | Martha Kent (Voice) | Direct-to-video release |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1954–1958 | Letter to Loretta | Marie Schumann Kathy |
2 episodes |
| 1955 | Producers' Showcase | Rebecca Gibbs | 1 episode |
| Matinee Theater | Young Cathy | 1 episode | |
| Captain Midnight | Mary Kingsley | 1 episode | |
| 1956 | Annie Oakley | Prudy Warren | 1 episode |
| 1957 | Fury | Tomboy | 1 episode |
| 1958 | Walt Disney Presents: Annette | Moselle Corey | 15 episodes |
| 1958–1965 | The Donna Reed Show | Mary Stone | 191 episodes |
| 1959 | The Rebel | Nora Hendry | 1 episode |
| 1963 | Mr. Novak | Dani Cooper | 2 episodes |
| 1964 | The Eleventh Hour | Carol Hamilton | 1 episode |
| Arrest and Trial | Donna Blaney | 1 episode | |
| The Twilight Zone | Ellen Tillman | 1 episode | |
| 1968 | The Ghost & Mrs. Muir | Vanessa | 1 episode |
| 1969 | Daniel Boone | Charity Brown | 1 episode |
| Lancer | Melissa Harper | 1 episode | |
| Bracken's World | Hilary Saxon | 1 episode | |
| 1971 | Longstreet | Marianne Franklin | 1 episode |
| Brian's Song | Joy Piccolo | Television movie | |
| Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law | Lorraine Latham | 1 episode | |
| 1972 | McCloud | Natalie Rudell | 1 episode |
| Cade's County | Stephanie | 1 episode | |
| The Brian Keith Show | Dr. Anne Jamison | Unknown episodes | |
| 1974 | Police Story | Annette Weiner | 1 episode |
| Ironside | Charlotte Black | 1 episode | |
| The Rockford Files | Jolene Hyland | 1 episode | |
| 1975 | The Rookies | Ann McNeal | 1 episode |
| Matt Helm | Chris/Tina | 1 episode | |
| Barnaby Jones | Susan Burke | 1 episode | |
| 1976 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Norma Fritchie | 1 episode |
| 1977–1978 | Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman | Eleanor Major | Unknown episodes |
| 1978 | Vega$ | Linda Stockwood | 1 episode |
| The Incredible Hulk | Holly Cooper | 1 episode | |
| 1978–1984 | One Day at a Time | Francine Webster | 23 episodes |
| 1979 | Hello, Larry | Marion Alder | 3 episodes |
| 1980–1981 | Mork & Mindy | Cathy | 3 episodes |
| 1980–1985 | The Love Boat | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1983 | Matt Houston | Barbara Newton | 1 episode |
| ABC Afterschool Special | Fran Brogliatti | 1 episode | |
| Memorial Day | Ellie Walker | Television movie | |
| 1985 | The Canterville Ghost | Lucy | Television movie |
| Suburban Beat | Mimi | Television movie | |
| 1987 | Newhart | Diane Beckwith | 1 episode |
| 1988 | Run Till You Fall | Kathy Reuben | Television movie |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Liza Caspar | 2 episodes |
| 1989–1997 | Coach | Christine Armstrong | 199 episodes |
| 1993 | Deadly Relations | Shirley Fagot | Television movie |
| 1995 | The Great Mom Swap | Millie Ridgeway | Television movie |
| 1996 | Superman: The Last Son of Krypton | Martha Kent (Voice) | Television movie |
| 1996–1998 | Superman: The Animated Series | Martha Kent (Voice) | 8 episodes |
| 1997 | A Nightmare Come True | Lily Zarn | Television movie |
| 1998 | Playing to Win: A Moment of Truth Movie | Nancy Erickson | Television movie |
| 2003 | Justice League | Ma Kent (Voice) | 1 episode |
Discography w/Billboard chart peak positions[]
Albums[]
- Shelley! -- Colpix CP-426 (Mono)/SCP-426 (Stereo) -- #106, 7/62
- The Things We Did Last Summer -- Colpix CP-431/SCP-431 -- #121, 10/62
- Teenage Triangle -- Colpix CP-444/SCP-444 -- #48, 5/63
- Featuring four tracks each by Shelley, James Darren and Paul Petersen
- Bye Bye Birdie -- Colpix CP-454/SCP-454—1963
- Songs from the movie sung by Shelley, The Marcels, James Darren and Paul Petersen
- More Teenage Triangle -- Colpix CP-468/SCP-468—1964
- Second compilation featuring Shelley, James Darren and Paul Petersen
- The Best of Shelley Fabares -- Rhino R2 71651—1994
Singles[]
| Year | Title | B-Side | U.S. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 1962 | "She Can't Find Her Keys" |
"Very Unlikely"(with Paul Petersen) | Colpix 620; | |
| February 1962 | "Johnny Angel" | "Where's It Gonna Get Me" | 1 | Colpix 621 |
| April 1962 | "What Did They Do Before Rock 'n' Roll"(with Paul Petersen) | "Very Unlikely" (with Paul Peterson) |
Colpix 631 | |
| May 1962 | "Johnny Loves Me" | "I'm Growing Up" | 21 | Colpix 636 |
| August 1962 | "The Things We Did Last Summer" | "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" | 46 | Colpix 654 |
| December 1962 | "Telephone (Won't You Ring)" | "Big Star" | 109 | Colpix 667 |
| March 1963 | "Ronnie, Call Me When You Get a Chance" | "I Left a Note to Say Goodbye" | 75 | Colpix 667 |
| October 1963 | "Welcome Home" | "Billy Boy" | Colpix 705 | |
| January 1964 | "Football Season's Over" | "He Don't Love Me" | Colpix 721 | |
| January 1964 | "I Know You'll Be There" | "Lost Summer Love" | Vee-Jay VJ632 | |
| October 1965 | "My Prayer" | "Pretty Please" | Dunhill D-4001 | |
| August 1966 | "See Ya 'Round On the Rebound" | "Pretty Please" | Dunhill D-4041 |
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Primetime Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Coach |
| 1994 | Coach | |||
| 1965 | Laurel Awards | Nominated | New Faces, Female | |
| 2004 | TV Land Award | Nominated | Favorite Teen Dream - Female | The Donna Reed Show |
| 1994 | Young Artist Award | Won | Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award | The Donna Reed Show |
References[]
- ↑ Strodder, Chris (2000). Swingin' Chicks of the '60s: A Tribute to 101 of the Decade's Defining Women. Cedco Pub. p. 35. ISBN 0-768-32232-4.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits: The Inside Story Behind Every Number One Single on Billboard's Hot 100 from 1955 to the Present (5 ed.). Billboard Books. p. 107. ISBN 0-823-07677-6.
- ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 145. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ↑ Lisanti, Tom (2000). Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema: Interviews With 20 Actresses From Biker, Beach and Elvis Movies. McFarland. p. 283. ISBN 0-786-40868-5.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sanz, Cynthia (1991-04-15). "Shelley Fabares Fell for a Former M*A*S*H-Er, Mike Farrell". People 35: 72. ISSN 0093-7673.
- ↑ Slaughter, Adele (2002-04-24). "Shelley Fabares 'coaches' life-giving game plan". usatoday.com. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
External links[]
| File:Commons-logo.svg | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shelley Fabares. |
- Template:Title without disambig at the Internet Movie Database
- Shelley Fabares at TV.com
pl:Shelley Fabares fi:Shelley Fabares