Mary Tyler Moore was an Academy Award-nominated and seven-time Emmy Award-winning American actress and comedian, primarily known for her roles in sitcoms and television.Moore is arguably best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977), in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a news producer at WJM-TV in Minneapolis, and for her early role as Laura Petrie, wife of television comedy writer Rob Petrie (played by Dick Van Dyke) on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966). Moore played leading roles in two of the most fondly remembered classic comedy series, making a tremendous impact on television over two decades.She also appeared in various films over the years. Her best-remembered performance came in 1980's Ordinary People, which garnered her an Oscar nomination for a role that was the polar opposite of the characters viewers had become accustomed to seeing her portray on television. She has also been active in charity work and various political causes, particularly animals and diabetes rights.
Her sister, Elizabeth Moore, was born 3 months earlier than her own son. Elizabeth was born March 20, 1956, and Richard was born July 3; both in Los Angeles at Queen of Angels Hospital.
Left dancing for acting because it "lacked the spotlight", and she "really wanted to be a star".
First television appearance was in 1955 as "Happy Hotpoint" the Hotpoint Appliance elf, in commercials aired during the sitcom "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" (1952) .
Was a strong animal rights activist.
Entered Betty Ford clinic for "Social Drinking Habit".
On October 14, 1980, her son Richard Meeker Jr. died of an accidental gunshot to the head while handling a small.410 shotgun. The model was later removed from the market because of its hair trigger.
Was a vegetarian.
(20 March 2001) Celebrity sponsor of the Great American Meatout.
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent) at age 33.
She testified before Congress in 2001 (along with actors Kevin Kline and Jonathan Lipnicki and former astronaut Jim Lovell , commander of Apollo 13) calling for an increase in funding for diabetes research and support embryonic stem cell research, which she called "truly life affirming". Also present in the hearing room were about 200 children with diabetes and their families, who were in town for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International Childrens Congress 2001.
Told David Letterman that her (and others) nickname for Dick Van Dyke when they did "The Dick Van Dyke Show" together was Penis Von Lesbian, a play on his real name.
Bronze statue capturing her character Marys signature hat-toss went on display May 8, 2002 at the Minneapolis intersection where the scene for "Mary Tyler Moore" was originally filmed. On hand for the ceremony, Moore tossed her tam, but this time, into an appreciative downtown crowd.
Founded MTM Enterprises in 1969 with ex-husband Grant Tinker. Sold the company in 1990.
She appeared in the Broadway play "Sweet Sue" with Lynn Redgrave and a fully nude Barry Tubb.
Mary Tyler Moore portrayed the first Sam, who was in charge of the answering service on CBS Televisions "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" . Only her voice and her legs were known to the viewer.
(December 2003) Walked out of the Neil Simon play "Roses Dilemma", citing problems with the playwright. Reportedly, he sent her an insulting note prior to an appearance regarding her failure to memorize lines. The problem was that he had kept rewriting her lines and expected her to learn them on the spot. She was replaced by actress Patricia Hodges , but the play closed two months later to poor reviews.
Was named as "Queen of Brooklyn" at the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival.
Was paired with Richard Chamberlain for "Holly Golightly" , a musical adaptation of Truman Capote s earlier novel (and film), Breakfast at Tiffanys . When it became obvious during pre-Broadway tryouts that no amount of play-doctoring was going to save a potentially disastrous show, producer David Merrick announced that he was closing the show one week prior to its scheduled Broadway opening, as he put it, "out of consideration for the audience".
Was a heavy smoker during the time "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was in production. Had since quit. She was trying to quit smoking during filming directed by Carl Reiner when she discovered that she was going to be off-screen for the majority of the episode. Moore later admitted in an interview with Larry King that she smoked three packs of cigarettes a day.
She won the Tony Award after taking over the lead in the play "Whose Life Is It Anyway?". She was so good that she was given a special Tony because she was not eligible for a traditional nomination due to being a replacement performer. She won the Tony Award when her company, MTM, backed the revival of the play "Joe Egg".
MTMs mascot is a cute orange-striped kitten named Mimsie.
The kitten that was the mascot for Marys company, MTM Enterprises, would meow at the end of all MTM shows. In addition, it would even "wear costumes" reflecting the theme of the MTM show: At the end of each "St. Elsewhere" episode, the kitty is seen wearing a surgical mask and it had a policemans hat tilted on its head at the end of "Hill Street Blues" and Sherlock Holmes trademark deerstalker hat and pipe at the end of "Remington Steele" .
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on September 8, 1992.
Her sister, Elizabeth Moore, died in 1978 at age 21. Her death was ruled a suicide by drug overdose.
Met husband Robert Levine in 1982 when she took her mother to the hospital and he was the doctor.
Ex-stepmother of John Tinker and Mark Tinker.
Daughter of George (April 19, 1913-October 31, 2006), born in the state of New York, and Marjorie (ne Hackett) Moore (March 22, 1916-March 19, 1992), born in the state of Michigan. Both died in Los Angeles, California.
Best remembered by the public for her starring roles as Laura Petrie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and as Mary Richards on "Mary Tyler Moore" .
In an interview, she stated that her famous "Oh, Rob!" as "Laura Petrie" on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was based on the acting style of Nanette Fabray. On "Mary Tyler Moore" , Nanette Fabray played her mother.
Her brother, John Moore, died on December 26, 1991 in Los Angeles, California at age 47.
Kent cigarettes was one of the sponsors of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and would regularly hand out free cartons of Kents to the cast and crew. During an interview with David Letterman , Mary confessed that she did not like Kents, so she would always take her share of the cartons and trade them in at the local store for her preferred brand.
Though Moore would become inseparable from Edward Asner s character Lou Grant on the sitcom "Mary Tyler Moore" , both actors first co-starred in Elvis Presley s final feature Change of Habit .
Her vision had declined because of her diabetes, and she had to give up her hobbies, like ballet and horseback riding.
"That 70s Show" was filmed on the same soundstage as "Mary Tyler Moore" was in the 1970s. When she played Christine St. George on "That 70s Show", she arrived for her first days filming to find a huge WELCOME BACK MARY! banner waiting for her.
Attended WWE Wrestlemania 6 held in Canada.
Was mentioned by name in Peanuts comic strip by Snoopy.
Underwent surgery to remove a brain tumour.
Her publicist was Alla Plotkin.
Received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award on January 29, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
Her favorite episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was "The Dick Van Dyke Show" {My Blonde-Haired Brunette } .
Mary Tyler Moore was a descendant of Lt. Colonel Lewis T. Moore. While Commanding the 4th Va. Infantry Moore offered his home in Winchester, Virginia to be the headquarters for Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. From there, Jackson planned his Shenandoah Valley Campaign 1861-1862. In the 1960s, the house was purchased and converted into a museum and includes much of Stonewall Jacksons memorabilia. Mary Tyler Moore helped pay for the restoration, which is now a National Historic Landmark.
Was awarded "Golden Turkey Award" for "The Ecclesiastical Award for the Worst Performance by an Actor or Actress as a Clergyman or Nun" for her role in Change of Habit . She said she was thrilled to get it.
Resided in New York City in an Upper East Side co-op apartment building facing Central Park. This posh building was made famous as being the home of Pale Male , a red tailed hawk who had nested on a ledge there with his mates for over 12 years.
Longtime resident of Fairfield Countys Greenwich, Connecticut.
Following her death, she was interred during a private ceremony at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Her death was brought on by aspiration pneumonia, hypoxia and diabetes mellitus.
Wisconsin artist Gwendolyn Gillen, the creator of the bronze sculpture of Mary Tyler Moore, died on January 27, 2017 at age 76. Her passing in a Madison, Wisconsin hospice happened just two days after Ms. Moores death.
Smoked 60 cigarettes a day for many years.
When Mary moved to New York in the early 1980s, she took with her the knitted beret she had gleefully tossed in the air during the opening of her sitcom, and twenty seven needlepoint pillows she had made on the set during breaks in rehearsals. All of these keepsakes were stolen from her storage locker in the apartment building she lived in at the time.
Dated Warren Beatty in 1980. Mary and Diane Keaton were fighting over Warren. This went on for months.
Diabetes is an all-too-personal time bomb which can go off today,tomorrow, next year, or 10 years from now - a time bomb affecting,millions like me and the children here today.
Diets are for those who are thick and tired of it.
He can tell when my blood sugar is dipping low.
I feel about my dogs now, and all the dogs I had prior to this, the way I feel about children—they are that important to me. When I have lost a dog I have gone into a mourning period that lasted for months.
