In the 1970s, Valerie Harper burst on to the television screen in The Mary Tyler Moore Show >and captivated viewers and critics alike as the wisecracking-yet-vulnerable Rhoda Morgenstern. She was a regular on the TV series until 1974.
Catch clips of Valerie as Rhoda on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The popularity of Valerie’s Rhoda inspired CBS executives to create a spin-off series that put her character in the spotlight. The series, aptly titled Rhoda >, lasted four years and generated strong ratings. For her work as Rhoda in both television shows, Valerie received four Emmy awards and one Golden Globe.
Enjoy the Season Two Opening Scene of Rhoda
Valerie continued to work in television, appearing in the NBC series Valerie, later titled The Hogan Family. She also appeared as a special guest on Sex and the City, Touched by an Angel, Melrose Place and was one of the first actors featured on The Muppet Show.
Theater has played a major part in Valerie’s life. She began as a dancer/chorus girl on Broadway in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 2001, she returned to the Broadway stage to replace Linda Lavin in The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife. She first starred as Tallulah Bankhead > in Pasadena Playhouse’s production of Looped and followed the show to the Cuillo Center in West Palm Beach,Fla. Her portrayal of Tallulah has been referred to as her “second role of a lifetime.”
Get a sneak peek of Valerie as Tallulah in Early with the Stars: Rhoda’s Next Stage
