BERGEN, Candice 1946–

(Olga Mallsnerd)

PERSONAL

Full name, Candice Patricia Bergen; born May 9, 1946, in Beverly Hills, CA; daughter of Edgar (a ventriloquist, comedian, and actor) and Frances (a fashion model under the name Frances Westcott; maiden name, Westerman) Bergen; married Louis Malle (a film director), September 27, 1980 (died November 24, 1995); married Marshall Rose (a real estate magnate), June 15, 2000; children: (first marriage) Chloe. Education: Attended University of Pennsylvania, 1963–65.

Addresses:

Agent—William Morris Agency New York, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019; William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Publicist—PMK/HBH, 700 San Vicente Blvd., Suite G910, West Hollywood, CA 90069.

Career:

Actress, producer, photographer, and writer. Formerly a model; freelance photographer and writer in the late 1960s; spokesperson for Sprint, 1990–98; appeared in numerous television commercials, including Polaroid SX–70 Land Camera, c. 1970s, Sprint, 1990s, and B101, 2001; appeared in print ads for Coach watches, 2000. The Smile Train (charitable organization), member of advisory committee.

Awards, Honors:

Golden Globe Award nomination, most promising female newcomer, 1966, for The Sand Pebbles; Golden Laurel Award nomination, new faces—female, 1966; Bronze Wrangler (with others), theatrical motion picture, Western Heritage Awards, 1976, for Bite the Bullet; Academy Award nomination, best supporting actress, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best supporting actress in a motion picture, both 1979, for Starting Over; named woman of the year, Hasty Pudding Theatricals, 1979; Film Award nomination, best supporting actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1982, for Gandhi; Emmy Awards, outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, and 1995, Golden Apple Award, star of the year, Hollywood Women's Press Association, 1989, Q Awards, best actress in a comedy series, Viewers for Quality Television, 1989, 1990, and 1991, Golden Globe Award, best actress in a comedy series, 1989 and 1992, Golden Globe Award nominations, best actress in a comedy series, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996, Emmy Award nominations, outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, 1990, 1991, and 1993, People's Choice Award, best female television performer, 1992 and 1996, Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, outstanding performance by an actress in a comedy series, 1995 and 1996, and American Comedy Award, funniest actress in a television series, all for Murphy Brown; honorary doctorate, University of Pennsylvania, 1992; Block-buster Entertainment Award nomination, favorite supporting actress—comedy, 2001, for Miss Congeniality; Teen Choice Award nomination, choice movie villain, 2003, for Sweet Home Alabama.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Herself (uncredited infant role), Unusual Occupations (documentary short film; also known as Unusual Occupations L–6–6: Film Tot Holiday), Paramount, 1947.

Lakey Eastlake, The Group, United Artists, 1966.

Shirley Eckert, The Sand Pebbles, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1966.

Electra Brown, The Day the Fish Came Out (also known as Otan ta psaria vgikan sti steria), International Classics, 1967.

Candice, Live for Life (also known as Vivere pour vivere and Vivre pour vivre), United Artists/Lopert, 1967.

Herself, Flash 02 (documentary short film), 1967.

Lily/Julie, The Magus, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1968.

Herself, Wedding of the Doll (documentary), 1968.

Sue Ann Daley, The Adventurers, Paramount, 1970.

Jan, Getting Straight, Columbia, 1970.

Kathy "Cresta" Marybelle Lee, Soldier Blue, Avco Embassy, 1970.

Susan, Carnal Knowledge, Avco Embassy, 1971.

Title role, T. R. Baskin (also known as Date with a Lonely Girl), Paramount, 1971.

Melissa Ruger, The Hunting Party, United Artists, 1971.

Maren Shirell, 11 Harrowhouse (also known as Anything for Love, Eleven Harrowhouse, and Fast Fortune), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1974.

Miss Jones, Bite the Bullet, Columbia, 1975.

Eden Pedecaris, The Wind and the Lion, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer/United Artists, 1975.

(Uncredited) Herself, The Lion Roars Again (documentary short film), Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 1975.

The Cassandra Crossing, Avco Embassy, 1976.

Ellie Tucker, The Domino Principle (also known as The Domino Killings and El domino principe), Avco Embassy, 1977.

Lizzy, The End of the World (in Our Usual Bed in a Night Full of Rain) (also known as A Night Full of Rain, La fine del mondo nel nostro solito letto in una notte piena di pioggia, and La fine del mundo in una notte piena di pioggia), Warner Bros., 1978.

Marcie Bonwit, Oliver's Story, Paramount, 1978.

Jessica Potter, Starting Over, Paramount, 1979.

Merry Noel Blake, Rich and Famous, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer/United Artists, 1981.

Margaret Bourke–White, Gandhi (also known as Richard Attenborough's Film: Gandhi), Columbia, 1982.

(As Olga Mallsnerd) Voice of SAL 9000, 2010 (also known as 2010: The Year We Make Contact), 1984.

Kyle McLaren, Stick, Universal, 1985.

Herself, Frames from the Edge, 1989.

Herself, Who Is Henry Jaglom? (documentary), Calliope Films, 1995.

Interviewee, Belly Talkers (documentary), 1996.

Kathy Morningside, Miss Congeniality (also known as Miss Undercover), Warner Bros., 2000.

Mayor Kate Hennings, Sweet Home Alabama, Buena Vista, 2002.

Sally Weston, View from the Top, Miramax, 2003.

Judy Tobias, The In–Laws (also known as Ein Ungleiches Paar and Wild Wedding—Ein ungleisches Paar), Warner Bros., 2003.

Television Appearances; Series:

Title role, Murphy Brown, CBS, 1988–98.

Narrator, Understanding, 1994.

Herself, Exhale with Candice Bergen, Oxygen, 2000—.

Shirley Schmidt, Boston Legal, ABC, 2004—.

Judge Amanda Anderlee, a recurring role, Law & Order: TrialbyJury, NBC, 2005.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Elaine Conti, Hollywood Wives, ABC, 1985.

Herself, "Beauty," The Human Face (documentary; also known as The Human Face with John Cleese), The Learning Channel, 2001.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Morgan Le Fey, Arthur the King (also known as Merlin and the Sword), CBS, 1985.

Ewa Berwid, Murder: By Reason of Insanity (also known as My Sweet Victim), CBS, 1985.

Sydney Biddle Barrows, Mayflower Madam, CBS, 1987.

Mary Horton, Mary and Tim (also known as Tim), CBS, 1996.

Daisy Lowendahl, Footsteps, CBS, 2003.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Judge Amanda Anderlee, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, NBC, 2004.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The Way They Were, syndicated, 1981.

Host, The Best of Brazilian Television, 1982.

Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All–Star 50th Anniversary, CBS, 1986.

Memories Then and Now, CBS, 1988.

Herself, It's Up to Us: The Giraffe Project, PBS, 1988.

Guest, The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1989.

CBS Premiere Review Spectacular, CBS, 1989.

Host, Paris '89, TBS, 1989.

CBS Comedy Bloopers, CBS, 1990.

CBS Comedy Bloopers II, CBS, 1990.

Comic Relief IV, HBO, 1990.

Time Warner Presents the Earth Day Special, ABC, 1990.

Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake, PBS, 1991.

Funny Women of Television: A Museum of Television and Radio Tribute (also known as Funny Women of Television), NBC, 1991.

A User's Guide to Planet Earth: The American Environment Test, ABC, 1991.

Aretha Franklin: Duets, Fox, 1993.

Bob Hope: The First Ninety Years, NBC, 1993.

Host, Great Television Moments: What We Watched, ABC, 1993.

Laughing Matters (also known as Funny Business), Showtime, 1993.

Voice of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, A Century of Women (documentary; also known as A Family of Women), TBS, 1994.

CBS Sneak Peek II, CBS, 1994.

Comic Relief VI, HBO, 1994.

The American Film Institute Salute to Jack Nicholson, CBS, 1994.

Herself, The World of Jim Henson (documentary), HBO, 1994.

Herself, All–Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Streets Forever! (also known as Sesame Street's All–Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Streets Forever), ABC, 1994.

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies, HBO, 1995.

The Murphy Brown Special, CBS, 1995.

Host, Images of Life: Photographs That Changed the World, CBS, 1996.

Night of about 14 CBS Stars (also known as CBS Fall Preview), Comedy Central, 1996.

The 53rd Presidential Inaugural Gala (also known as An American Gala), CBS, 1997.

Herself, Intimate Portrait: Jacqueline Bisset (documentary), Lifetime, 1997.

AFI's 100 Years … 100 Movies, CBS, 1998.

Artists and Entertainers: People of the Century: CBS News/Time 100, CBS, 1998.

CBS: The First 50 Years, CBS, 1998.

Interviewee, Intimate Portrait: Faith Ford (documentary), Lifetime, 1998.

The American Film Institute Salute to Robert Wise, NBC, 1998.

Host, Influences: From Yesterday to Today, 1999.

Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Primetime Special, NBC, 1999.

A Home for the Holidays, CBS, 1999.

Intimate Portrait: Diane von Furstenberg (documentary), Lifetime, 2000.

Herself, The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 2001.

Murphy Brown: TV Tales, E! Entertainment Television, 2002.

Host, AFI's 100 Years … 100 Passions, CBS, 2002.

The 26th Annual Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 2003.

Herself, The Passions of Louis Malle (documentary), 2003.

Herself, CBS at 75: A Primetime Celebration, CBS, 2003.

Great Women of Television Comedy: A Museum of Television & Radio Special, NBC, 2003.

Hollywood Home Movies (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2004.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Copresenter, The 39th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1967.

Presenter, The 42nd Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1970.

Copresenter, The 45th Annual Academy Awards, NBC, 1973.

Copresenter, The 46th Annual Academy Awards, NBC, 1974.

Copresenter, The 576h Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1985.

The 41st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Presentation, Fox, 1989.

The 61st Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1989.

The 42nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Presentation, Fox, 1990.

Presenter, The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1990.

Herself, The 63rd Annual Academy Awards, 1991.

The 49th Annual Golden Globe Awards, TBS, 1992.

Presenter, The 44th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Fox, 1992.

The 6th Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1992.

Presenter, The 45th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, ABC, 1993.

Presenter, The 46th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, ABC, 1994.

Presenter, The 8th Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1994.

Presenter, The 47th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Fox, 1995.

Presenter, The 1996 Emmy Awards (also known as The 48th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards), ABC, 1996.

American Comedy Honors, Fox, 1997.

Presenter, The 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, 1997.

Presenter, The Walt Disney Company Presents the 8th American Teacher Awards, 1998.

Herself, The 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, Fox, 2000.

Herself, The 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, NBC, 2002.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

You Bet Your Life, NBC, 1957.

The Hollywood Palace, 1964.

Mystery guest, What's My Line?, 1965.

Enid, "The Rebel," Coronet Blue, CBS, 1967.

"The Woody Allen Special," The Kraft Music Hall, NBC, 1969.

Herself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1973, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1990.

Commentator, Today Show, NBC, 1975.

Host, Saturday Night Live, NBC, 1975, 1976, 1986, 1987, 1990.

Herself, The Muppet Show, syndicated, 1976.

Barbara, "Moving Day," Trying Times, PBS, 1987.

Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1987, 1988.

CBS This Morning, CBS, 1988.

Entertainment Tonight, syndicated, 1988 and 1989.

Good Morning America, ABC, 1988 and 1989.

The Pat Sajak Show, CBS, 1989.

The Phil Donahue Show, syndicated, 1989.

"TV's 50th Anniversary Special," Today Show, NBC, 1989.

Murphy Brown, "The Keys," Seinfeld, NBC, 1992.

Narrator, "Little Penguin's Tale," Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories, 1992.

Herself, Late Show with David Letterman, CBS, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2000.

Interviewee, "Edgar Bergen: His Many Voices," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1995.

Murphy Brown, "Murphy's Law," Ink, CBS, 1996.

Herself, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1996, 1997.

60 Minutes, CBS, 1998.

Voice of Gloria Ironbox, "I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar," Family Guy (animated), Fox, 2000.

Voice of Murphy Brown, "A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Bucks," Family Guy (animated), Fox, 2000.

Enid Mead, Vogue, "A 'Vogue' Idea," Sex and the City, HBO, 2002.

Enid Mead, Vogue, "Plus One Is the Loneliest Number," Sex and the City, HBO, 2002.

The View, ABC, 2002, 2003.

Herself, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, CBC, 2003.

Herself, "Strangers with Candice," Will & Grace, NBC, 2003.

Live with Regis and Kelly, 2003.

The Early Show, 2003.

Enid Frick, "Splat!," Sex and the City, HBO, 2004.

Judge Amanda Anderlee, "The Brotherhood," Law & Order, NBC, 2004.

Reader, Between the Lines, Arts and Entertainment, 2004.

Television Work; Series:

Co–executive producer, Murphy Brown, CBS, 1996–98.

Executive producer, Exhale with Candice Bergen, Oxygen, 2000—.

Television Work; Movies:

Co–executive producer, Mary and Tim (also known as Tim), CBS, 1996.

Stage Appearances:

(Stage debut) Sabrina Fair, Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, NY, 1967.

(Broadway debut) Darlene, Hurlyburly, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1985.

Radio Appearances:

(Radio debut) The Chase and Sanborn Show Starring Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, 1952.

WRITINGS

Books:

Knock Wood (autobiography), Linden Press, 1984.

Stage Plays:

The Freezer, published in Best Short Plays of 1968, 1968.

Contributor of articles and photographs to periodicals, including Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Interview, Life, National Geographic, Playboy, and Vogue.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Authors, Volume 142, Gale, 1994.

Gruen, John, Close Up, Viking, 1968, pp. 32–35.

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, 4th edition, St. James Press, 2000.

Newsmakers 90, Issue 1, Gale, 1990, pp. 22–25.

Reed, Rex, Travolta to Keaton, Morrow, 1979, pp. 134–38.

St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, St. James Press, 2000.

Periodicals:

American Film, October, 1981, pp. 67–70.

Chicago Tribune, April 5, 1984, pp. 1, 17.

Cosmopolitan, October, 1993, p. 182.

Good Housekeeping, January, 1996, p. 80; May, 1997, p. 122.

New York Times, April 13, 1984.

People Weekly, April 9, 1984, p. 97; May 11, 1992, p. 14; December 11, 1995, pp. 73–75; May 25, 1998, p. 54; October 4, 1999, p. 116; May 8, 2000, p. 168; July 3, 2000, p. 74.

Rolling Stone, January 26, 1989.

Time, May 11, 1992, pp. 59–60.

TV Guide, May 18, 1996, p. 18.

BERGEN, Candice

Nationality: American. Born: Beverly Hills, California, 9 May 1946; daughter of Edgar Bergen (a ventriloquist) and Frances Bergen (a fashion model). Education: Attended University of Pennsylvania, 1963–65. Family: Married Louis Malle (a filmmaker), 27 September 1980 (died 1995); children: Chloe. Career: Model, 1960s; free-lance photographer and writer, late 1960s; actress, from 1966; commentator on Today Show, NBC-TV, 1975; appeared in dozens of television programs including Arthur the King, 1985, Murder by Reason of Insanity, 1985, Hollywood Wives, 1985, Mayflower Madam, 1987, and Murphy Brown, 1988–98. Awards: Emmy Awards, outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, 1988, 1989, and 1992, Golden Globe Awards, best actress in a comedy series, 1988 and 1992, and several other television awards, for Murphy Brown.Agent: PMK, 955 S. Carillo Drive, #200, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Films as Actress:

1947

Unusual Occupations (Brandt) (as herself [uncredited infant role])

1966

The Group (Lumet) (as Lakey Eastlake); The Sand Pebbles(Wise) (as Shirley Eckert)

1967

The Day the Fish Came Out (Cacoyannis) (as Electra); Live for Life (Vivre pour Vivre) (Lelouch) (as Candice); Flash O2 (short) (Martialay) (as herself)

1968

The Magus (Green) (as Lily/Julie)

1970

The Adventurers (Gilbert) (as Sue Ann Daley); Getting Straight (Rush) (as Jan); Soldier Blue (Nelson) (as Cresta Marybelle Lee)

1971

The Hunting Party (Medford) (as Melissa Ruger); Carnal Knowledge (Nichols) (as Susan); T. R. Baskin (Date with a Lonely Girl) (Ross) (title role)

1974

11 Harrowhouse (Anything for Love) (Avakian) (as Maren)

1975

Bite the Bullet (Brooks) (as Miss Jones); The Wind and the Lion (Milius) (as Eden Pedecaris)

1977

The Domino Principle (The Domino Killings) (Kramer) (as Ellie Tucker)

1978

The End of the World in Our Usual Bed in a Night Full of Rain (La fine del mundo in una notte piena di pioggia)(Wertmuller) (as Lizzy); Oliver's Story (Korty) (as Marcie Bonwit)

1979

Starting Over (Pakula) (as Jessica Potter)

1981

Rich and Famous (Cukor) (as Merry Noel Blake)

1982

Gandhi (Attenborough) (as Margaret Bourke-White)

1984

2010 (2010: The Year We Make Contact) (Hyams) (as voice of SAL 9000)

1985

Stick (Reynolds) (as Kyle McLaren); Arthur the King (Merlin and the Sword) (Donner—for TV) (as Morgan Le Fey);Murder: By Reason of Insanity (also known as My Sweet Victim) (Page—for TV) (as Ewa Berwid); Hollywood Wives(Day—mini, for TV) (as Elaine Conti)

1987

Mayflower Madam (Antonio—for TV) (as Sydney Biddle Barrows)

1995

Who Is Henry Jaglom? (doc) (Rubin and Workman) (as herself)

1996

Mary and Tim (Jordan—for TV) (as Mary Horton) (+ co-exec pr); Belly Talkers (doc) (Luckow) (interviewee)

Publications

By BERGEN: books—

Knock Wood (autobiography), New York, 1984.

By BERGEN: articles—

Sheff, David, "Playboy Interview: Candice Bergen," in Playboy (Chicago), December 1989.

On BERGEN: books—

Gruen, John, Close Up, New York, 1968.

On BERGEN: articles—

Zehme, Bill, "Hard Candy," in Rolling Stone (New York), 26 January 1989.

Orth, Maureen, "Candice Bergen Plays at Hollywood," in Vanity Fair (New York), February 1989.

Rosenblatt, Roger, "Candy Can," in Vanity Fair (New York), December 1992.

As the child of the legendary ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, Candice Bergen spent much of her childhood in the shadow of her father's more famous offspring—his dummies, Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. In adulthood, however, she quickly came into her own, first as a model, then as one of Hollywood's most beautiful and respected film and television actresses.

After attending the University of Pennsylvania and modeling on the side, 20-year-old Candice Bergen made her screen debut in Sidney Lumet's The Group (1966), playing the then shocking role of a beautiful lesbian in the Mary McCarthy story of a group of friends from a Vassar-like school. Following her successful debut, Hollywood was quick to cast the striking blond-haired beauty opposite top star Steve McQueen in The Sand Pebbles, a film nominated for eight Academy Awards. But most of the acting acclaim went to McQueen, who turned in what many felt was his best performance. To Hollywood, Bergen was still mostly just a very pretty face.

Nonetheless, Bergen continued to work steadily throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, establishing herself as a competent actress, who also happened to be very easy on the eyes, in a series of less-than-memorable films, including The Day the Fish Came Out, The Magus, The Adventurers, Getting Straight, and Soldier Blue. In 1971, Bergen joined an all-star cast including Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkel, Rita Moreno, Carol Kane, and Ann-Margret in Mike Nichol's Carnal Knowledge (1971). The story of two men's lives and sexual journeys featured Bergen as Garfunkel's rather proper and somewhat dull wife. In a film that could have been a breakthrough for Bergen, the acting honors once again went to someone else—Ann-Margret, who earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Bergen continued to soldier on in both leading and supporting roles in films as diverse as Bite the Bullet, The Wind and the Lion, and The Domino Principle. She even took over for Ali McGraw opposite Ryan O'Neal in the saccharine Oliver's Story. But though Bergen was regarded as a competent and always beautiful Hollywood star, it was not until she was cast opposite Burt Reynolds in Starting Over (1979) that she proved her mettle as an actress. As Jessica Potter, Bergen showed off her ability to play comedy, particularly in a scene in which she tries to seduce her ex-husband (Reynolds) wearing a see-through blouse and singing very badly. Bergen's willingness to make fun of herself and her own beauty signaled new possibilities for the 33-year-old actress. Hollywood thought so, too, and nominated Bergen for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Bergen followed up Starting Over with a starring role opposite another screen beauty, Jacqueline Bissett, in the fluffy George Cukor film, Rich and Famous. And, in a part in which film mimicked life, Bergen played photographer Margaret Bourke-White (Bergen is an avid amateur photographer) in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi. In 1980, Bergen married director Louis Malle, and for much of the decade she devoted herself to their marriage and their daughter. But in 1988, the 42-year-old actress returned to acting, playing the title role in the television sitcom, Murphy Brown. As the outspoken and often controversial investigative reporter, Bergen was finally able to return to the comedic form she displayed in Starting Over, and the sitcom became an 11-season hit as well a pop culture phenomenon.

Bergen and Brown were virtually synonymous for more than a decade, and though the actress did not make a film in the 1990s, she became more famous than ever—and, as a multiple Emmy Award winner, much more highly acclaimed. In 2000, Bergen resurfaced on the small screen to host a TV talk show. But one can only wonder if she will ever bring the talent she honed for eleven seasons on the small screen back to the medium in which she got her start.

—Victoria Price

BERGEN, Candice

BERGEN, Candice. American, b. 1946. Genres: Autobiography/Memoirs, Plays/Screenplays. Career: Actress and writer. Worked as model, during 1960s; freelance photographer and writer in late 1960s; commentator on Today Show, NBC-TV, 1975. Actress in motion pictures and television productions. Publications: Knock Wood (autobiography), 1984; The Freezer (play), 1968. Contributor to periodicals. Address: c/o William Morris Agency, 1 William Morris Place, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, U.S.A.