Kathy Pinna
Valerie Kathryn Harper
A photo of Valerie Kathryn Harper.
Known professionally as Valerie Harper and born (a Catholic) to a lighting salesman and a nurse in Suffern, New York, Valerie was the middle of three children.
She trained as a dancer and began her career in NYC as a chorus girl. She moved on to the comedy group Second City, where she met and married comedian Dick Schaal. They were married in 1964 and divorced in 1978.
In 1970, while living in Los Angeles. she auditioned for the role of "Rhoda" on the Mary Tyler Moore Show - and starred on the show for 4 years. Her spin-off from the Mary Tyler Moore Show, "Rhoda", was on tv for another 4 years, making her a fixture on 1970s tv.
A popular actress and comedian, she appeared in numerous television shows, movies, and theater productions and was nominated for Emmys (won 4), Golden Globes (won 1), and a Tony . She was also an activist for the E.R.A. and the Women's Liberation Movement and co-founded a charity that feeds the needy in L.A.
In 2009, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and in 2013, with brain cancer, both of which she courageously fought for several years.
On August 30, 2019, Valerie succumbed to her illnesses at age 80. She was survived by her husband, Tony Cacciotti, her husband since 1987, and their (adopted) daughter, actress Cristina Cacciotti.
Known professionally as Valerie Harper and born (a Catholic) to a lighting salesman and a nurse in Suffern, New York, Valerie was the middle of three children.
She trained as a dancer and began her career in NYC as a chorus girl. She moved on to the comedy group Second City, where she met and married comedian Dick Schaal. They were married in 1964 and divorced in 1978.
In 1970, while living in Los Angeles. she auditioned for the role of "Rhoda" on the Mary Tyler Moore Show - and starred on the show for 4 years. Her spin-off from the Mary Tyler Moore Show, "Rhoda", was on tv for another 4 years, making her a fixture on 1970s tv.
A popular actress and comedian, she appeared in numerous television shows, movies, and theater productions and was nominated for Emmys (won 4), Golden Globes (won 1), and a Tony . She was also an activist for the E.R.A. and the Women's Liberation Movement and co-founded a charity that feeds the needy in L.A.
In 2009, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and in 2013, with brain cancer, both of which she courageously fought for several years.
On August 30, 2019, Valerie succumbed to her illnesses at age 80. She was survived by her husband, Tony Cacciotti, her husband since 1987, and their (adopted) daughter, actress Cristina Cacciotti.
Date & Place:
Not specified or unknown.
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