Valerie Harper was best remembered for her roles in movies like Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She gained her spotlight for her part as Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and in the late 1970s, that character was a spin-off to her sitcom Rhoda. Valeria Harper’s career was spent on making people laugh, which eventually led her from the stage to television and feature films. Initially, her career was initiated as a dancer with the corps de ballet at Radio City Hall during its spectacular heyday.
Lately, the agents of pop culture artifacts decided to put four statuettes awarded to the late Valerie Harper up for bid at their “Holly: Legends and Explorers” event. Harper won the outstanding performance by an actress in a supporting role in comedy three years in a row for the role of Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, then won the outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for its spinoff Rhoda. It was reported that at the time of her death, Valerie Harper’s net worth and salary is approximately 1million dollars.
Valerie Harper was put into rest at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Saturday, September 7th, 2019.
Quick factoid
- Famously known: American actress.
- Earned her spotlight as she was best acknowledged for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show(1970-1977) and its spinoff Rhoda(1974-1978).
- Date of birth: 22nd August 1939
- Died on: August 30, 2019.
- Daughter of Iva Mildred and Howard Donald Harper.
- She was first married to Richard Schaal and second wedded to Tony Cacciotti.
- She debuted in the musical movie Take me along in 1959 as a dancer on Broadway.
- Net worth: is estimated at around 1 million dollars.
- Nationality: The United States of America.
How did she start up her quest at such a tender age?
From the role of a broadway dancer, television actress, stage actress, film actor, and writer, she gave a boost to her career.
Her other Broadway fame includes The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Paul Sills Story Theatre, Something Different, Subways Are For Sleeping, Wildcat, Take Me Along, and Li’l Abner.
Her stardom came with television work, including four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for her work in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda. After a little rest from television, she was an active actress on stage and in movies.
Her feature films include Freebie and The Bean in 1974, Chapter Two in 1979, The Last Married Couple in American(1980), and Blame It On Rio in 1984. Her last movie was Stars in shorts: No ordinary Love in 2016 and the last television series was Children’s Hospital by the year 2016.
She was popularly recognized for The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Rhoda Morgenstern, in its a spinoff too, Bean’s wife in Freebie and the Bean Consuelo, and her role in My Mom and the Girl Norma.
Innocence and Upbringing of late Valerie Harper
Valerie Kathryn Harper was born on 22nd August 1939 in Suffern New York to Howard Donald Harper and Iva Mildred Nee McConnell.
Harper was the second of her parents’ three kids. Her mother’s profession was a nurse. Meanwhile, her father was a lighting salesman, due to her dad’s career she spent most of her childhood in several places starting from South Orange, Pasadena, Monroe, Ashland, and finally to Jersey City.
She completed her schooling at Lincoln High School in Jersey City. And graduated from the Young Professional School in New York City by finishing off the ballet studies.
Harper got married to actor Richard Schaal in 1964, later the couple got separated in January 1978. On 8th April of 1987, she got married again to a producer and actor Tony Cacciotti. Eventually, the couple adopted a daughter named Cristina.
Valeria Harper’s Legacy
In 2006, Harper was diagnosed with lung cancer, a rare condition in which cancer cells spread into the meninges, although the doctors gave her only three months to live. Unfortunately, Harper aged 80, after battling thirteen years against cancer, left us on 30th August 2019.
Valerie Harper was put into rest at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Saturday, September 7th, 2019. The service took place from 12-2 p.m with an intimate and elegant memorial and mourning, and not more than two hundred attendees of friends and family.