Debbie Reynolds
Biography
Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 - December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, businesswoman, film historian, and humanitarian. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portrayal of Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three Little Words, and her breakout role was her first leading role, as Kathy Selden in Singin' in the Rain (1952). Other successes include The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953), Susan Slept Here (1954), Bundle of Joy (1956 Golden Globe nomination), The Catered Affair (1956 National Board of Review Best Supporting Actress Winner), and Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), in which her performance of the song "Tammy" reached number one on the Billboard music charts. In 1959, she released her first pop music album, titled Debbie. She starred in How the West Was Won (1963), and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), a biographical film about the famously boisterous Molly Brown. Her performance as Brown earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her other films include The Singing Nun (1966), Divorce American Style (1967), What's the Matter with Helen? (1971), Charlotte's Web (1973), Mother (1996) (Golden Globe nomination), and In & Out (1997). Reynolds was also a cabaret performer. In 1979 she founded the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in North Hollywood, which still operates today. In 1969 she starred on television in the eponymous The Debbie Reynolds Show, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. In 1973 Reynolds starred in a Broadway revival of the musical Irene and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical. She was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance in A Gift of Love (1999) and an Emmy Award for playing Grace's mother Bobbi on Will & Grace. At the turn of the millennium, Reynolds reached a new younger generation with her role as Aggie Cromwell in Disney's Halloweentown series. In 1988 she released her autobiography titled, Debbie: My Life. In 2013, she released a second autobiography, Unsinkable: A Memoir. Reynolds also had several business ventures, including ownership of a dance studio and a Las Vegas hotel and casino, and she was an avid collector of film memorabilia, beginning with items purchased at the landmark 1970 MGM auction. She served as president of The Thalians, an organization dedicated to mental health causes. Reynolds continued to perform successfully on stage, television, and film into her eighties. In January 2015, Reynolds received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2016 she received the Academy Awards Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. In the same year, a documentary about her life was released titled Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds; the film premiered on HBO on January 7, 2017. On December 28, 2016, Reynolds was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center following a medical emergency, which her son Todd Fisher later described as a "severe stroke". She died that afternoon, one day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher.
Known For

Family Guy

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Rugrats

The Love Boat

The Love Boat

Wings

RuPaul's Drag Race
All Movies (110)
- Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes2024 · as Self (archive footage)
- Commitment to Life2023 · as Self (archive footage)
- Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age2021 · as Self
- Sœur Sourire: Who Killed the Voice of God?2021 · as Self (archive footage)
- Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds2017 · as Self
- The Slippers2016
- Tab Hunter Confidential2015 · as Self
- Committed2014 · as Self
- Behind the Candelabra2013 · as Frances
- In the Picture2012 · as Aunt Lilith
- Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom2012 · as Self
- One for the Money2012 · as Grandma Mazur
- Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1970's2009 · as Self
- The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story2009 · as Self
- Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression2009 · as Self
- The Brothers Warner2008 · as Self
- Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History2008 · as Self
- The Jill & Tony Curtis Story2008
- Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project2007 · as Self
- Return to Halloweentown2006 · as Agatha 'Aggie' Cromwell
- Get Aboard! 'The Band Wagon'2005 · as Self (archive footage)
- Halloweentown High2004 · as Agatha 'Aggie' Cromwell
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies2004 · as Self
- Connie and Carla2004 · as Herself
- Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales2003 · as Herself
- Rugrats: Babies in Toyland2002 · as Lulu Pickles (voice)
- Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer2002 · as Self
- What a Glorious Feeling: The Making of 'Singin' in the Rain'2002 · as Self
- Cinerama Adventure2002 · as Self
- Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge2001 · as Agatha 'Aggie' Cromwell
- Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood2001 · as Self (archive footage)
- These Old Broads2001 · as Piper Grayson
- Rugrats in Paris: The Movie2000 · as Lulu Pickles (voice)
- Virtual Mom2000 · as Gwen
- A Gift of Love: The Daniel Huffman Story1999 · as Shirlee Allison
- Keepers of the Frame1999 · as Herself
- The Christmas Wish1998 · as Ruth
- Halloweentown1998 · as Agatha 'Aggie' Cromwell
- Zack and Reba1998 · as Beulah Blanton
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie1998 · as Mrs. Claus / Mitzi / Mrs. Prancer / School Teacher (voice)
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas1998 · as Debbie Reynolds (voice)
- In & Out1997 · as Berniece Brackett
- Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years1997 · as Self
- Mother1996 · as Beatrice Henderson
- Wedding Bell Blues1996 · as Debbie Reynolds
- Wedding Bell Blues1996 · as Self
- That's Entertainment! III1994 · as Self - Co-Host / Narrator
- Heaven & Earth1993 · as Eugenia
- Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul1993 · as Self
- The Bodyguard1992 · as Debbie Reynolds
- Battling for Baby1992 · as Helen
- Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder1989 · as Amanda Cody
- Couples Do It Debbie's Way1988
- Sadie and Son1987 · as Sadie
- Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood1987 · as Self
- The Best of Broadway1985 · as Herself
- That's Dancing!1985
- Do It Debbie's Way1983 · as Self
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage1983 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!1982 · as Self (archive footage)
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland1981 · as Alice
- Leapin' Lizards, It's Liberace!1978 · as Herself
- The People's Command Performance: '771977 · as Self
- Bob Hope's World of Comedy1976 · as Self (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment, Part II1976 · as (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment!1974 · as Self - Host / Narrator
- Charlotte's Web1973 · as Charlotte (voice)
- Hollywood: The Dream Factory1972 · as Self (archive footage)
- What's the Matter with Helen?1971 · as Adelle Bruckner
- Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children1969 · as Self
- How Sweet It Is!1968 · as Jenny
- Mondo Hollywood1967
- Divorce American Style1967 · as Barbara Harmon
- The Singing Nun1966 · as Sister Ann
- Goodbye Charlie1964 · as Charlie Sorel / Virginia Mason
- The Unsinkable Molly Brown1964 · as Molly Brown
- The Story of a Dress1964 · as Self
- Mary, Mary1963 · as Mary McKellaway
- My Six Loves1963 · as Janice Courtney
- How the West Was Won1962 · as Lilith Prescott
- The Second Time Around1961 · as Lu Rogers
- The Pleasure of His Company1961 · as Jessica Poole
- Pepe1960 · as Debbie Reynolds
- The Rat Race1960 · as Peggy Brown
- Hedda Hopper's Hollywood1960 · as Self
- The Gazebo1959 · as Nell Nash
- It Started with a Kiss1959 · as Maggie Putnam
- Say One for Me1959 · as Holly LeMaise
- The Mating Game1959 · as Mariette Larkin
- This Happy Feeling1958 · as Janet Blake
- Tammy and the Bachelor1957 · as Tammy Tyree
- Bundle of Joy1956 · as Polly Parish
- The Catered Affair1956 · as Jane Hurley
- Meet Me in Las Vegas1956 · as Debbie Reynolds (uncredited)
- The Tender Trap1955 · as Julie Gillis
- Hit the Deck1955 · as Carol Pace
- Athena1954 · as Minerva
- A Star Is Born World Premiere1954 · as Self
- Susan Slept Here1954 · as Susan Beaurgard Landis
- Give a Girl a Break1953 · as Suzy Doolittle
- The Affairs of Dobie Gillis1953 · as Pansy Hammer
- I Love Melvin1953 · as Judy Schneider / Judy LeRoy
- Skirts Ahoy!1952 · as Debbie Reynolds (uncredited)
- Singin' in the Rain1952 · as Kathy Selden
- Challenge the Wilderness1951 · as Narrator (uncredited)
- Mr. Imperium1951 · as Gwen
- Two Weeks with Love1950 · as Melba Robinson
- Three Little Words1950 · as Helen Kane
- The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady1950 · as Maureen O'Grady
- June Bride1948 · as Boo's Girlfriend at Wedding
All TV Shows (62)
- The 7D2014 · as Grandmommers Whimsical (voice)
- The Talk2010 · as Self
- RuPaul's Drag Race2009 · as Self - Guest Judge
- The Penguins of Madagascar2008 · as Granny Squirrel (voice)
- The Reichen Show2005 · as Self - Guest
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
- Kim Possible2002 · as Nana Possible (voice)
- First Monday2002
- Family Guy1999 · as Mrs. Wilson (voice)
- Will & Grace1998 · as Bobbi Adler
- Hollywood Squares1998 · as Self - Panelist
- Touched by an Angel1994 · as Betty Poplovich
- Intimate Portrait1993 · as Self
- Vicki!1992 · as Self
- Rugrats1991 · as Lulu Pickles (voice)
- Wings1990 · as Deedee Chappel
- Roseanne1988
- Sidewalks Entertainment1988
- The Golden Girls1985 · as Truby
- Jennifer Slept Here1983 · as Alice Farrell
- Madame's Place1982 · as Self
- Hotel1982
- Late Night with David Letterman1982 · as Self - Guest
- Entertainment Tonight1981 · as Self
- Aloha Paradise1981 · as Sydney Chase
- Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters1980 · as Self
- The Love Boat1977 · as Sheila Evans
- The Love Boat1977 · as Doris Talbert
- Alice1976
- The Sonny and Cher Show1976
- Dinah!1974 · as Self
- Great Performances1971 · as Self
- The Pearl Bailey Show1971 · as Self
- Bracken's World1969
- The Debbie Reynolds Show1969 · as Debbie Thompson
- The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour1969 · as Self
- The Dick Cavett Show1968 · as Self - Guest
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In1968 · as Self
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In1968 · as Self (uncredited)
- The Carol Burnett Show1967 · as Self - Guest / Various Characters
- The Merv Griffin Show1962 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self - Guest Host
- The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self
- The DuPont Show of the Week1961 · as Self
- Kraft Music Hall1958
- American Bandstand1957 · as Self
- The Steve Allen Show1956 · as Self - Recipient
- Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Nominee
- Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Memoriam (archive footage)
- Ford Star Jubilee1955
- MGM Parade1955
- The George Gobel Show1954 · as Self
- The Oscars1953 · as Self
- This Is Your Life1952 · as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour1950 · as Self
- The Bob Hope Show1950 · as Self
- What's My Line?1950 · as Self
- The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self
- Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Presenter
- Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Hostess
- Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Nominee