Valerie Anne Bertinelli is an American actress, best known for her roles as Barbara Cooper Royer on the
television seriesA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
One Day at a TimeOne Day at a Time is an American situation comedy on the CBS network that aired from December 16, 1975 until May 28, 1984. It portrays Ann Romano, a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper and Schneider, their building superintendent .The show...
(1975–1984), Gloria on the
television seriesA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Touched by an AngelTouched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
(2001–2003) and Melanie Moretti on the sitcom
Hot in ClevelandHot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The...
(2010–present).
Early years
Bertinelli was born in
Wilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
to Irish/Italian-American parents Nancy (née Carvin) and Luke Bertinelli (a
General MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
executive). She had an older brother, Mark, who died at 17 months from an accidental poisoning before Valerie was born. Along with her other three brothers, one older and two younger, the family lived in
Claymont, DelawareClaymont is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 9,220 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, and
Clarkston, MichiganClarkston, known officially by the name City of the Village of Clarkston, is a small city located within Independence Charter Township in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 882 at the 2010 census.-Overview:...
. They later moved to
Oklahoma CityOklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
before moving to the Los Feliz section of
Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where Bertinelli studied acting at the Tami Lynn School of Artists. She attended Granada Hills High School until 1978 but did not graduate. As of January 2008, she was pursuing the last few credits needed for her high school diploma. She was raised Roman Catholic.
One Day at a Time
Following her appearance in an episode of
Apple's WayApple's Way is a television dramedy which aired on CBS from 1974-1975. It was created by Earl Hamner, Jr..-Premise:The Apples, a family from Los Angeles, seek refuge from the hectic pace of city living and relocate to the father's hometown of Appleton, Iowa, which was founded by the father's...
, Bertinelli was approached by producer
Norman LearNorman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
to audition for the role of cooperative daughter Barbara Cooper in a new
sitcomA situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
called
One Day at a TimeOne Day at a Time is an American situation comedy on the CBS network that aired from December 16, 1975 until May 28, 1984. It portrays Ann Romano, a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper and Schneider, their building superintendent .The show...
. The show debuted in late 1975. For the show's first season, Bertinelli was 15 and her character was written as a tomboy. The following year, in the show's first full season, Bertinelli's character was revised to be more appealing to a traditional male demographic. Bertinelli appeared in 207 out of the 209 episodes before the show left the airwaves on May 28, 1984. At one point, she and
Bonnie FranklinBonnie Gail Franklin is an American actress, best known for her starring role in the television series One Day at a Time.-Personal life:...
, who played her mother Ann Romano, were involved in plans for a
spin-offIn media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series, but it was never produced.
Three decades later, in 2005, during the One Day at a Time Reunion Special, Bertinelli was reunited with fellow cast members Franklin,
Mackenzie PhillipsMackenzie Phillips is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in American Graffiti and as rebellious teenager Julie Cooper Horvath on the sitcom One Day at a Time...
, and
Pat Harrington, Jr.Pat Harrington, Jr., is an American voice, stage, and television actor most popularly known for his role as building superintendent "Schneider" on the CBS sitcom One Day At A Time. He is the son of Pat Harrington, Sr.- Biography :...
to watch memorable clips from the original show's nine seasons. They talked about actors who had left the show as well as Phillips' drug problem, which had wreaked havoc on the set and caused Phillips to be fired from the show.
Post-One Day at a Time
After One Day at a Time, Bertinelli continued to act. In addition to starring in several
made for TV moviesA television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
and mini-series, she starred in two sitcoms in the 1990s: as private eye
SydneySydney is an American situation comedy series that aired on CBS in 1990. It was created and written by Michael J. Wilson and Douglas Wyman and starred Valerie Bertinelli, Matthew Perry and Craig Bierko.-Synopsis:...
, with
Matthew PerryMatthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
and
Craig BierkoCraig Philip Bierko is an American actor and singer.-Early life:Bierko was born in Rye Brook, New York, the son of Pat and Rex Bierko, who ran a local community theatre. Bierko's mother was a Jewish convert to Roman Catholicism...
, and
Café AmericainCafé Americain is an American sitcom starring Valerie Bertinelli which aired on NBC during the 1993-1994 television season. It was filmed at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California.-Overview:...
from the creators of Frasier. In 2001, she joined the cast of
Touched By An AngelTouched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
, opposite
Roma DowneyRoma Downey is an actress, singer, and producer, from Derry, Northern Ireland. She is best known as Tess's angel/employee, Monica, the main character of the TV series Touched by an Angel. She is also the wife of television producer, Mark Burnett.-Early life:Downey was born and raised in Derry...
and
Della ReeseDelloreese Patricia Early, known professionally as Della Reese , is an American actress, singer, game show panelist of the 1970s, one-time talk-show hostess and ordained minister. She started her career in the 1950s as a gospel, pop and jazz singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You...
, for the show's last two seasons.
Valerie Bertinelli, who had struggled with weight issues over the years, has lost a total of 50 lb (22.7 kg) as of March 2009, and had become a spokesperson for the Jenny Craig weight-loss program. She appeared in several Jenny Craig commercials along with
Kirstie AlleyKirstie Louise Alley is an American actress known for her role in the TV show Cheers, in which she played Rebecca Howe from 1987–1993, winning an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991...
and other celebrity Jenny Craig participants.
Although Bertinelli is compensated for her Jenny Craig appearances, she has stated that she considers herself a health and weight-loss activist rather than a hired weight-loss spokesperson. In 2008 she released the autobiography, Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound At A Time, which culminates in a description of her Jenny Craig experience (the book's title contains a wordplay on One Day at a Time). In 2009, she wrote a follow-up book Finding It: And Satisfying My Hunger for Life without Opening the Fridge.
On March 4, 2010, Bertinelli appeared as guest co-host on ABC's The View in the absence of
Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
. She now stars in the
TV LandTV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
series
Hot in ClevelandHot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The...
, a situation comedy which debuted in June 2010, along with
Betty WhiteBetty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
,
Wendie MalickWendie Malick is an American actress and former fashion model, known for her roles as Judith Tupper Stone on the HBO series Dream On , Nina Van Horn on the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! , Ronee Lawrence on the NBC sitcom Frasier and Victoria Chase on the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland .-Early...
, and
Jane LeevesJane Leeves is an English film, stage, and television actress, comedienne and dancer.Leeves made her screen debut with a small role in the 1983 popular British comedy television show The Benny Hill Show. Leeves moved to the United States, where she performed in small roles until she secured a...
. The show's second season aired in January 2011, and in February 2011 it was renewed for a third season.
She will get her own star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in 2012.
Personal life
Before marriage, Bertinelli briefly dated
Steven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
and was involved in a long-term relationship with actor Scott Colomby.
Bertinelli married
Eddie Van HalenEdward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
on April 11, 1981. They have a son
Wolfgang "Wolfie" William Van HalenWolfgang William Van Halen , is an American musician. He is the current bassist for Van Halen, replacing Michael Anthony in 2006.-Personal life:...
(born March 16, 1991) together. On December 5, 2005, she filed for divorce, which was finalized two years later on December 20, 2007.. She said in her book "Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time" that two main reasons led to her divorce from Eddie. First, that her husband became addicted to
cocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. Second, was Eddie's continued smoking, despite losing one-third of his tongue and undergoing treatment for tongue cancer. Bertinelli has been in a relationship with financial planner Tom Vitale since 2004. On May 20, 2010, they announced their engagement to be married and were married on January 1, 2011, in
Malibu, California. She wore a dress made especially for her by the designer
David MeisterDavid Meister in Cincinnati, Ohio is an American fashion designer known for his women’s wear. As a young child in Cincinnati, David was heavily influenced by style-conscious TV shows such as Sonny & Cher, which fueled his aspiration of becoming a fashion designer.Born and raised in Ohio, Meister...
Bertinelli endorsed
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in the Democratic primaries in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election.
On April 19, 2010, Bertinelli ran in the
Boston MarathonThe Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She completed the marathon with a time of 5:14:37.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 1974 |
Apple's Way Apple's Way is a television dramedy which aired on CBS from 1974-1975. It was created by Earl Hamner, Jr..-Premise:The Apples, a family from Los Angeles, seek refuge from the hectic pace of city living and relocate to the father's hometown of Appleton, Iowa, which was founded by the father's...
|
Peggy |
1 episode: "The Flag" |
| 1975–1984 |
One Day at a TimeOne Day at a Time is an American situation comedy on the CBS network that aired from December 16, 1975 until May 28, 1984. It portrays Ann Romano, a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper and Schneider, their building superintendent .The show...
|
Barbara Cooper Royer |
207 episodes
- Won Golden Globes Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1981,1982) Nominated – 1983
- Young Artist Awards (1981) – Best Young Comedienne – Nominated
- TV Land Awards
The TV Land Awards is an American television awards ceremony that generally commemorates shows now off the air, rather than in current production as with awards such as the Emmys. It is presented in a manner that spoofs other entertainment award ceremonies...
(2005) – Favorite Singing Siblings – Nominated |
| 1978 |
The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People |
Mamie Dickens |
1 episode: "The Secret of Charles Dickens" |
The Hardy BoysThe Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional teenage brothers and amateur detectives who appear in various mystery series for children and teens....
|
Wendy Chase/Gwynn |
1 episode: "Campus Terror" |
| 1979 |
Young Love, First Love |
Robin Gibson |
TV |
| C.H.O.M.P.S |
Casey Norton |
|
| 1980 |
The Promise of Love The Promise of Love is a 1980 television film directed by Don Taylor. The film was originally titled Personal Effects.- Plot :Starting in 1967 Oceanside, Kathy Wakeman is a high school senior who, soon after graduation, abandons her college plans to marry her mariner sweetheart Chuck Wakemore....
|
Kathy Wakeman |
TV |
| 1981 |
The Princess and the Cabbie The Princess and the Cabbie is a 1981 television movie aired on CBS on 3 November 1981 about a young woman who struggles with dyslexia.The film stars Valerie Bertinelli as Joanna James, an heiress who is sheltered from the real world. One day she meets literary cab driver, Joe Holiday , who...
|
Joanna James |
TV |
| 1982 |
I Was a Mail Order Bride I Was a Mail Order Bride is a 1982 made-for-tv romantic comedy film directed by Marvin J. Chomsky.- Plot :Kate Tosconi is a journalist in her early 20s working in Chicago for a women's magazine called Contemporary Woman Magazine. Having a special interest for trains, she is enthusiastic to do an...
|
Katarine "Kate" Tosconi |
TV |
| 1984 |
The Seduction of Gina |
Gina Breslin |
TV |
| Shattered Vows |
Mary Gilligan |
TV |
| 1985 |
Silent Witness Silent Witness is a 1985 television film directed by Michael Miller. The film is based on a true rape case in Massachusetts.- Plot :Anna and Kevin Dunne are a newlywed couple who have recently moved to Pittsburgh. She is working in a discount department store, he is a garbage man...
|
Anna Dunne |
TV |
| 1986 |
Ordinary Heroes |
Maria |
|
| Faerie Tale Theatre: Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp |
Princess Sabrina |
TV |
| Rockabye Rockabye is a 1986 crime drama film, starring Valerie Bertinelli, Rachel Ticotin, Jason Alexander, and Jimmy Smits.-Plot:While visiting New York City, Susannah Bartok was attacked, maced, and her son kidnapped...
|
Susannah Bartok |
TV |
| 1987 |
Number One with a Bullet |
Teresa Barzak |
|
| I'll Take Manhattan I'll Take Manhattan is a 1987 American television miniseries, adapted from Judith Krantz's novel of the same name. Screened by CBS, it tells the story of the wealthy Amberville family, who run their own publishing company in New York. After Zachary Amberville, the patriarch of the family, dies,...
|
Maxime "Maxi" Amberville (Cipriani) |
|
| 1988 |
Pancho Barnes Pancho Barnes is a 1988 biopic film, starring Valerie Bertinelli as Florence "Pancho" Lowe Barnes.-Plot:Leaving an arranged marriage to Reverend Rankin Barnes , Florence Lowe "Pancho" Barnes takes an interest in flying light planes in the 1920s, and soon rivals Amelia Earhart , breaking world...
|
Pancho Barnes |
TV |
| 1989 |
Taken Away |
Stephanie Monroe |
TV |
| 1990 |
Sydney Sydney is an American situation comedy series that aired on CBS in 1990. It was created and written by Michael J. Wilson and Douglas Wyman and starred Valerie Bertinelli, Matthew Perry and Craig Bierko.-Synopsis:...
|
Sydney Kells |
13 episodes |
| 1991 |
In a Child's Name |
Angela Cimarelli |
TV |
| 1992 |
What She Doesn't Know |
Molly Kilcoin |
aka Shades of Gray |
| 1993 |
Murder of Innocence |
Laurie Wade |
TV |
| Café Americain Café Americain is an American sitcom starring Valerie Bertinelli which aired on NBC during the 1993-1994 television season. It was filmed at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California.-Overview:...
|
Holly Aldrige/Holly Aldrich |
16 episodes,1993–1994 |
| 1995 |
The Haunting of Helen Walker |
Helen Walker |
TV |
| 1996 |
A Case for Life |
Kelly Porter |
TV |
| Two Mothers for Zachary Two Mothers for Zachary is a 1996 ABC television film. It was directed by Peter Werner and stars Valerie Bertinelli and Vanessa Redgrave. It is a true story adaptation of the Bottoms v. Bottoms family custody battle brought by a mother who disapproves of her daughter's lesbianism and the impact on...
|
Jody Ann Shaffell |
TV |
| 1997 |
Night Sins |
SBI Agent Megan O'Malley |
TV |
Touched by an AngelTouched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
|
Gloria |
59 episodes, 3 seasons |
| 2000 |
Personally Yours |
Susannah Stanton |
aka Wilderness Love |
| 2003 |
Crazy Love |
Wife |
TV |
| Finding John Christmas |
Kathleen McAllister |
TV |
| 2004 |
Saved! Saved! is a 2004 teen comedy-drama film involving elements of religious satire. It was directed by Brian Dannelly and written by Dannelly and Michael Urban. It stars Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri, Martin Donovan, and Mary-Louise Parker...
|
Cameo (as herself) |
|
| 2007 |
Claire |
Claire Bannion |
TV |
| 2008 |
True Confessions of a Hollywood StarletTrue Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet is a Lifetime Television comedy-drama film, based on a young-adult book of the same name by author Lola Douglas. The film stars Joanna "JoJo" Levesque and Golden Globe Award winner Valerie Bertinelli. The film was directed by Tim Matheson...
|
Aunt Trudy |
|
Boston LegalBoston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
|
Carol Hober |
1 episode: "Mad Cows" |
The DoctorsThe Doctors is an American syndicated talk show airing daily in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Sweden and Finland. It debuted on September 8, 2008. The hour-long daytime program is produced by Phil McGraw and his son Jay McGraw and is distributed domestically and globally by CBS Television...
|
Syndicated |
special guest, February 6, 2009 episode |
| 2010 |
More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet |
Aunt Trudy |
In talk |
| Hot in Cleveland Hot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The...
|
Melanie Moretti |
Screen Actors GuildThe Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2010) – Nominated |
Commercials
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 1972 |
J.C. PenneyJ. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
|
Herself |
at age 12 |
| 2007– |
Jenny Craig |
|
External links