Lesley Ann Warren


Actor
Lesley Ann Warren

About

Also Known As
Lesley Warren
Birth Place
New York City, New York, USA
Born
August 16, 1946

Biography

A greatly underutilized talent in features, this stage-trained actress has shone in numerous TV-movies, miniseries and music-oriented specials. America first discovered Lesley Ann Warren as a fresh-faced ingenue; she was a radiant "Cinderella" (CBS, 1966) in the now classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical TV special. The next year, Warren made her feature debut in "The Happiest Millionai...

Family & Companions

Jon Peters
Husband
Executive. Former hairdresser turned film executive; married in 1967; divorced in 1977.
Jeffrey Hornaday
Companion
Choreographer. Together 1980-87.
Scott Baio
Companion
Actor. Dated briefly.
Ron Taft
Husband
Executive. Former vice president of Columbia; now vice president of Electric Entertainment; born c. 1947; became engaged in October 1996; married in January 2000.

Notes

"If there comes a point where you're not playing the sexy mother, so what."---Warren to People, May 23, 2005.

Biography

A greatly underutilized talent in features, this stage-trained actress has shone in numerous TV-movies, miniseries and music-oriented specials. America first discovered Lesley Ann Warren as a fresh-faced ingenue; she was a radiant "Cinderella" (CBS, 1966) in the now classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical TV special. The next year, Warren made her feature debut in "The Happiest Millionaire," a Disney musical starring Fred MacMurray. She followed up with another Disney songfest, "The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band" (1968), in which she was the love interest of John Davidson. Warren then turned her attention to the small screen, appearing in numerous TV-movies, busted pilots, miniseries and guest spots. Whereas feature assignments were few and far between--only three between 1968 and 1982--TV realized Warren's potential as a lead.

Warren could ennoble some dubious material. She brought conviction, toughness and sympathy to her portrayals of B-girls, struggling moms, and plucky careerists. Her many miniseries credits include portraying a plucky poor girl who becomes a high class madam in "Harold Robbins' '79 Park Avenue'" (NBC, 1977), the mistress of a plantation romanced by a Yankee in "Beaulah Land" (NBC, 1980) and a Jewish immigrant in "Evergreen" (NBC, 1985). In 1986's "A Fight for Jenny," she was a woman embroiled in a custody battle due to her relationship with a black man. Despite her roots as an affluent Jewish-American from New York City, Warren has often played Southern woman as in "Baja Oklahoma" (HBO, 1988), and "Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story" (ABC, 1992). Other TV-movies have had such provocative titles as "Portrait of a Stripper" (CBS, 1979) and "Portrait of a Showgirl" (CBS, 1982).

Warren's feature career was revived after an Oscar-nominated turn as the bleached blonde moll of a gangster (James Garner) in Blake Edwards' "Victor/Victoria" (1982). Her Norma Cassidy evoked memories of both Jean Harlow (for her sultry presence) and Jean Hagen's "Singing in the Rain" character (for her whiny 'Noo Yawk' accent). But whatever career momentum Warren might have gained was dissipated with less than stellar follow-up roles. She appeared in the disastrous "A Night in Heaven" (1993) as a neglected wife who embarks on an affair with a male stripper (Christopher Atkins). She fared slightly better in two Alan Rudolph films, "Choose Me" and "Songwriter" (both 1984), although she was wasted as the female lead in Mel Brooks' "Life Stinks" (1991) and as the manager of a C&W singer in "Pure Country" (1992). Warren did win critical admiration for her sexy mother of a returning Korean War veteran in "Going All the Way" (1997).

Over the next several years, Warren continued to take on a wide range of roles, including playing an aging actress in Steven Soderbergh's film "The Limey" and the artful "Twin Falls, Idaho" (both 1999). She also made somewhat frequent appearances on television, including a recurring stint on "Will & Grace" as the loelorn mistress of Will's father (Syndey Pollack) beginning in 2001, and had multiple appearances on the NBC crime drama "Crossing Jordan." In 2002, Warren had a supporting role as Maggie Gyllenhaal's mother in the award winning film "Secretary." In 2005 she joined Bob Newhart for a multiepisode stint on "Despearte Housewives," in which she played Sophie, the mother of Susan Meyer (Teri Hatcher).

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Babysitter (2015)
Michael (2015)
Jobs (2013)
Peep World (2011)
A Little Help (2010)
Bound By a Secret (2009)
The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story (2009)
Herself
Constellation (2007)
My Tiny Universe (2006)
10th and Wolf (2006)
When Do We Eat? (2006)
The Shore (2005)
Recipe for Disaster (2004)
Secretary (2002)
Wolf Girl (2001)
The Quickie (2001)
Trixie (2000)
Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999)
The Limey (1999)
Twin Falls, Idaho (1999)
Richie Rich's Christmas Wish (1998)
All of It (1998)
Love Kills (1998)
Going All the Way (1997)
Natural Enemy (1997)
Bird of Prey (1995)
Murderous Intent (1995)
Color of Night (1994)
A Mother's Revenge (1993)
Pure Country (1992)
Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992)
Hearts On Fire (1992)
Life Stinks (1991)
A Seduction in Travis County (1991)
Worth Winning (1989)
Cop (1988)
Baja Oklahoma (1988)
Burglar (1987)
A Fight For Jenny (1986)
Apology (1986)
Clue (1985)
Songwriter (1984)
Choose Me (1984)
A Night in Heaven (1983)
Portrait of a Showgirl (1982)
Victor/Victoria (1982)
Race For the Yankee Zephyr (1981)
Portrait of a Stripper (1979)
Betrayal (1978)
Harry And Walter Go To New York (1976)
The Legend of Valentino (1975)
The Letters (1973)
Pickup on 101 (1972)
Nickie
Assignment: Munich (1972)
The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972)
Love, Hate, Love (1971)
The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)
Alice Bower
The Happiest Millionaire (1967)
Cordy Biddle

Music (Feature Film)

Baja Oklahoma (1988)
Song Performer

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story (2009)
Other

Cast (Special)

The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics (2008)
Herself
Lesley Ann Warren: A Cinderella Story (1999)
Broadway '97: Launching the Tonys (1997)
Presenter
P.T. Barnum: America's Greatest Showman (1995)
Voice
51st Annual Golden Globe Awards (1994)
Presenter
Willie Nelson The Big Six-O: An All-Star Birthday Celebration (1993)
In a New Light (1992)
27 Wagons Full of Cotton (1990)
Lola (1990)
The 16th Annual People's Choice Awards (1990)
Performer
1990 Ace Awards-11th Annual (1990)
Performer
The Dancing Princess (1987)
A Special Eddie Rabbitt (1983)
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman (1975)
Saga of Sonora (1973)
Cat Ballou (1971)

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Joseph (1995)
Family of Spies (1990)
Evergreen (1985)
Beulah Land (1980)
Pearl (1978)
Harold Robbins' "79 Park Avenue" (1977)

Life Events

1963

Professional Broadway debut at age 16, "110 in the Shade", the musical version of "The Rainmaker"

1966

Breakthrough role, starring in the CBS-TV adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella"

1967

Feature debut, "The Happiest Millionaire", a Disney musical; final film overseen by Walt Disney

1969

TV-movie debut, "Seven in Darkness", a plane crash drama starring Milton Berle

1970

Joined the cast of the popular CBS espionage series, "Mission: Impossible" for one season as Dana Lambert

1975

Starred as Lois Lane in the ABC-TV adaptation of the Broadway musical, "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman"

1982

Played her best known feature role, Norma Cassidy, the moll of James Garner in Blake Edward's "Victor/Victoria"; earned Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination

1983

Starred in the critically-drubbed "A Night in Heaven"

1985

Had leading role in NBC miniseries "Evergreen"

1991

Was Mel Brooks' leading lady in "Life Stinks"

1997

Returned to Broadway as co-star of the musical "Dream: The Johnny Mercer Musical"

1999

Co-starred in the Steven Soderbergh-directed "The Limey"

1999

Played recurring role as Christina Applegate's mother on the NBC sitcom "Jessie"

2000

Reteamed with Alan Rudolph as co-star of "Trixie"; screened at the Sundance Film Festival

2000

Had occasional recurring role on "Will & Grace" (NBC)

2001

Appeared in crime drama "The Quickie"

2002

Had supporting role in "Secretary" won Special Jury Prize at Sundance

2005

Guest-starred as the high-maintenance mother of Susan (Hatcher) on the ABC drama "Desperate Housewives"

2006

Starred as the mom in the Jewish comedy "When Do We Eat?"

Videos

Movie Clip

Trailer

Family

William Warren
Father
Real estate agent. Changed family surname from Warrenoff.
Carol Warren
Mother
Singer.
Christopher Peters
Son
Producer. Warren took a hiatus from acting to raise him; born c. 1968.

Companions

Jon Peters
Husband
Executive. Former hairdresser turned film executive; married in 1967; divorced in 1977.
Jeffrey Hornaday
Companion
Choreographer. Together 1980-87.
Scott Baio
Companion
Actor. Dated briefly.
Ron Taft
Husband
Executive. Former vice president of Columbia; now vice president of Electric Entertainment; born c. 1947; became engaged in October 1996; married in January 2000.

Bibliography

Notes

"If there comes a point where you're not playing the sexy mother, so what."---Warren to People, May 23, 2005.