Appeared in such stage musicals as "Can-Can," "Irma La Douce" and "Bye Bye Birdie.".
As a young woman she sanded floors and parked cars to pay for her ballet lessons.
Began taking dance lessons at the age of six. Moreover, at age 13 she lied about her age so she could become a chorus girl.
Best known in later years for her prolific television work, she played Lou Grant's spunky girlfriend on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and was Kramer's mom on "Seinfeld" who was the first to announce his first name to fans: Cosmo. She also earned Emmy nominations for appearances on Marcus Welby, MD and Archie Bunker's Place.
Born in Los Angeles and trained in dance, one of her early jobs was as a chorine at the Greek Theatre.
Her mother, June Bethel, was a seamstress.
Hollywood insiders originally whispered that 20th Century Fox hired her only as a threat to the troublesome Marilyn Monroe who was often late or did not show up on the sets. She went on to span a career of over 50 years until her death.
Married four times, she had two daughters, Dawn and Erica, from different marriages.
Measurements: 35 1/2-23 1/2-35 1/2 (measured in 1955), 37-24-38 (early 1970s), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
Used as a bargaining chip by Fox against an unreliable Marilyn Monroe, she was found to have Monroe's exact weight and measurements at the time. She later played MM's unbalanced mother in a Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980) (TV).
Was discovered in a Santa Monica night club by a famous choreographer who enticed her to New York for a role in a Broadway musical, which in turn began her stage career.