Quick Facts
Best Known For
Mary Tyler Moore is an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and television star know for her roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
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Ed Asner - Full Biography (44:57)
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Valerie Harper - I, Rhoda (3:54)
Mary Tyler Moore - From Gams to Glitz
Watch a short video about Mary Tyler Moore and how her gorgeous legs got her a ticket to Hollywood.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show - Making it After All
During an era that showcased actresses in young wives and mother roles, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" revolutionized the image of women on TV.
Ed Asner - Full Biography
Short, stocky character actor Ed Asner won fame playing Lou Grant on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", and made enemies off the screen with his fiery liberal politics while starring in his own spin-off.
Valerie Harper - I, Rhoda
Actress Valerie Harper ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Rhoda") discusses her new autobiography, "I, Rhoda." Video courtesy of Simon & Schuster. Click "Buy Now" to learn more about the book.
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Play NowMary Tyler Moore. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 04:25, Jun 19, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/mary-tyler-moore-9413674.
Mary Tyler Moore. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/mary-tyler-moore-9413674 [Accessed 19 Jun 2013].
"Mary Tyler Moore." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Jun 19 2013, 04:25 http://www.biography.com/people/mary-tyler-moore-9413674.
"Mary Tyler Moore," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/mary-tyler-moore-9413674 [accessed Jun 19, 2013].
"Mary Tyler Moore," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/mary-tyler-moore-9413674 (accessed Jun 19, 2013).
Mary Tyler Moore [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Jun 19] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/mary-tyler-moore-9413674.
Mary Tyler Moore, http://www.biography.com/people/mary-tyler-moore-9413674 (last visited Jun 19, 2013).
Mary Tyler Moore. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/mary-tyler-moore-9413674. Accessed Jun 19, 2013.
Synopsis
Mary Tyler Moore was born on December 29, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York. She became one of television's most beloved wives on The Dick Van Dyke Show and won two Emmys for her work on the series. The Mary Tyler Moore Show -- featuring a single, 30-something woman in the working world -- started in 1970 and won her three more Emmys. Married three times, Moore is currently wed to Robert Levine.
Early Life and Career
Actress Mary Tyler Moore was born on December 29, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York. As the star of two hit series in 1960s and 1970s, Moore is one of the most popular actresses in the history of television. A skilled dancer, she started out in commercials, playing the part of a home appliance known as "Happy Hotpoint" in the mid-1950s. Moore also found work as an actress, landing some small parts and making her film debut in 1961 in X-15.
'The Dick Van Dyke Show'
Moore became one of television's most beloved wives on The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1961. As Laura Petrie, she demonstrated her talent for domestic comedy, and won Emmys in 1964 and 1966 for her work on the series. After the show ended in 1966, she made a few movies, including Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) and Change of Habit (1970). But it was her return to television that led to her most famous role.
'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'
The Mary Tyler Moore Show hit the airwaves in 1970, and Moore's character was in step with the times. Audiences identified with her portrayal of Mary Richards, a single 30-something woman in the working world. The comedy show followed Mary's personal and professional life as she worked at a television news department and also featured Ed Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight, Betty White, and Valerie Harper.
Moore won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in 1973, 1974 and 1976 for the show. Involved in the making of the show, Moore and her second husband Grant Tinker created and produced the series through their company MTM Enterprises. Their company produced a number of other popular television programs, including The Bob Newhart Show, Hill Street Blues, Remington Steele and several spin-offs from The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Later Years
Ending a seven-year run on television, Mary Tyler Moore tried again to find another series. She made several attempts, including 1978's Mary and 1995's New York News, but none of her new shows caught on with television audiences. She did, however, continue to have success in other acting endeavors. She won a Tony Award for her performance of Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1980) on Broadway. Moore also received an Academy Award nomination for Ordinary People that same year.
Personal Life
In addition to her acting, Mary Tyler Moore devoted much of her time to the American Diabetes Association. Married three times, she is currently wed to Robert Levine.
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BOOKS
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Learn more about Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong at Simon & Schuster.
Included In These Groups
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TV Moms: 1960s
View groupAs traditional family structures changed in America, so did the women of 1960s television. Mary Tyler Moore began wearing the pants in the family, when she traded in her housedress for capris on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Florence Henderson played the head of a blended family on The Brady Bunch, and Lucille Ball starred as a widow with big career aspirations on The Lucy Show. These shows, and others like them, reflected the burgeoning 1960s feminist movement. Their popularity among female viewers also proved a growing national interest in women's equality.
TV Moms: 1960s 5 people in this group
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Girl Scouts
View groupDid you know that since 1912, nearly 50 million girls in the United States have joined the Girl Scouts? Girl Scouts helped an amazingly diverse array of famous women develop a strong foundation of courage, confidence and character. It's no surprise then that quite a few famous women spent time in the sash. Celebrities who got their start selling cookies and earning merit badges include Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter and actress/writer Carrie Fisher; former first ladies Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Nancy Reagan; Olympic skaters Bonnie Blair and Peggy Fleming; astronaut Sally Ride; and iconic women's rights activist Gloria Steinem. Browse our collection of inspiring famous Girl Scouts who have certainly earned merit badges in their fields.
Girl Scouts 45 people in this group
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Beatty's Babes
View groupActor Warren Beatty's romantic exploits were legendary before he took on the real-life role of family man opposite wife Annette Bening. His list of conquests reads like a Hollywood who's who, from Jane Fonda and Natalie Wood to Brigitte Bardot and Madonna. Although a full count of Warren's women would probably be impossible, here's a few of his most famous lovers.
Beatty's Babes 30 people in this group
Included In These Groups
-
TV Moms: 1960s
View groupAs traditional family structures changed in America, so did the women of 1960s television. Mary Tyler Moore began wearing the pants in the family, when she traded in her housedress for capris on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Florence Henderson played the head of a blended family on The Brady Bunch, and Lucille Ball starred as a widow with big career aspirations on The Lucy Show. These shows, and others like them, reflected the burgeoning 1960s feminist movement. Their popularity among female viewers also proved a growing national interest in women's equality.
TV Moms: 1960s 5 people in this group
-
Girl Scouts
View groupDid you know that since 1912, nearly 50 million girls in the United States have joined the Girl Scouts? Girl Scouts helped an amazingly diverse array of famous women develop a strong foundation of courage, confidence and character. It's no surprise then that quite a few famous women spent time in the sash. Celebrities who got their start selling cookies and earning merit badges include Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter and actress/writer Carrie Fisher; former first ladies Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Nancy Reagan; Olympic skaters Bonnie Blair and Peggy Fleming; astronaut Sally Ride; and iconic women's rights activist Gloria Steinem. Browse our collection of inspiring famous Girl Scouts who have certainly earned merit badges in their fields.
Girl Scouts 45 people in this group
-
Beatty's Babes
View groupActor Warren Beatty's romantic exploits were legendary before he took on the real-life role of family man opposite wife Annette Bening. His list of conquests reads like a Hollywood who's who, from Jane Fonda and Natalie Wood to Brigitte Bardot and Madonna. Although a full count of Warren's women would probably be impossible, here's a few of his most famous lovers.
Beatty's Babes 30 people in this group

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