Marilu Henner biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Actress Marilu Henner was born Mary Lucy Pudlowski on April 6, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois. The third of six children, she attended the University of Chicago for three years, before deciding to wholeheartedly pursue an acting career. Billed as Marilu Henner, she originated the supporting role of Marty in the musical Grease at the University of Chicago's Community Theatre. Henner dropped out of school in 1972, in order to travel with the national company of Grease, at which time she carried on a highly publicized romance with costar John Travolta. In 1976, she moved to New York, landing her first Broadway role in Over Here! Following a handful of forgettable stage performances, Henner made her cinematic debut as a stripper in the 1977 sleeper Between the Lines.

'Taxi'

In 1978, Henner landed the breakthrough role of her career as receptionist-turned-cabbie Elaine Nardo in the hit TV sitcom Taxi. A handful of film roles followed, including Blake Edward’s farce The Man Who Loved Woman (1983), which starred Burt Reynolds, Kim Bassinger, and Julie Andrews. Over the next few years, Henner's body of work ranged from disappointing films like 1985’s Perfect (which paired her with former beau John Travolta) to well-received comedies like L.A. Story (1991), starring Steve Martin and Patrick Stewart.

In 1990, Henner found renewed success on TV in the sitcom Evening Shade. She enjoyed a four-year run in her role as Ava Evans Newton, the wife of a high school athletics coach played by Burt Reynolds. In 1994, Henner hosted her own short-lived daily talk show, Marilu. Later that year, she published a revealing autobiography, By All Means Keep on Moving, in which she candidly discussed her sexual exploits with many of her Taxi costars, including Tony Danza and Judd Hirsch.

Ventures Outside Acting

In 1999, Henner played herself in the critically acclaimed film Man on the Moon, which documented the life of former Taxi cast member and famed comedian Andy Kaufman. She has coauthored a book on child rearing - I Refuse to Raise a Brat: Straightforward Advice on Parenting in an Age of Overindulgence (1999), and published two bestselling guides on health and beauty - The 30 Day Total Health Makeover (1999) and Healthy Life in the Kitchen (2000). Henner recently returned to the stage, headlining a national tour of the revival of Annie Get Your Gun.

Not one to slow down, Henner continues to pursue her career as a health and wellness expert. She has published several more books on the subject, including 2002's Healthy Holidays, as well as offering online classes to support her total health makeover program.