Sandy Duncan
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Forever known, fairly or not, as a perky, pixie-cut performer, Sandy Duncan earned Tony nominations for her wonderful theatrical turns in "Canterbury Tales," "The Boy Friend" and "Peter Pan." The epitome of all-American charm, Duncan shined in such fluff as "Million Dollar Duck" (1971) and "Star Spangled Girl" (1971) and received an Emmy nomination for starring in "Funny Face" (CBS, 1971). That series became "The Sandy Duncan Show" (CBS, 1972) after filming was suspended while she underwent surgery for a tumor, which left her without vision in one eye. So pervasive was the subsequent urban legend that Duncan had a prosthetic eye, that the joke was referenced, decades later, most notably on "Family Guy" (Fox, 1999-2002; 2005- ). Although she earned another Emmy nomination for a powerful dramatic turn in the miniseries "Roots" (ABC, 1977), Duncan seemed more comfortable in featherweight family fare like "The Cat from Outer Space" (1978), animated projects like "The Fox and the Hound" (1981), "My Little Pony 'n Friends" (syndicated, 1984-87), and "The Swan Princess" (1994), and a ubiquitous series of Wheat Thins commercials. Her highest-profile screen role, however, came when she controversially replaced Valerie Harper as the sunny matriarch of the retooled "The Hogan Family," formerly known as "Valerie" and "Valerie's Family" (NBC, 1986-1990; CBS, 1990-91). Artistically gifted and endlessly charismatic, Sandy Duncan achieved pop culture immortality based more on the strength of her persona and her body of work than on any one role in particular.
Born Feb. 20, 1946 in Henderson, TX, Sandra Kay Duncan grew up with a unique spark that, even from a young age, helped her stand out from her fellow aspiring actresses. Determined to act since childhood, she gained her first professional experience as a teenager in regional theatrical productions of "The King and I" and "The Music Man" before making the leap to Broadway. Duncan's screen debut came on the soap opera "Search for Tomorrow" (CBS, 1951-1982; NBC, 1982-86), but she garnered more critical and popular buzz on the Great White Way, earning back-to-back Tony nominations for "Canterbury Tales" and "The Boy Friend," and winning a Drama Desk Award for her charming work in the latter musical. The winner of a Theatre World Award for her work in "Ceremony of Innocence," Duncan received an outpouring of positive media attention for her delightful stage performances, and the buzz buoyed her to Hollywood, where she filmed a string of popular TV commercials as well as earning a Golden Globe nomination as a featherbrained housewife in Disney's sweet but extremely silly family comedy "Million Dollar Duck" (1971).
Although very much in line with Disney's live-action output at the time, "Duck" was savagely plucked by critics and achieved a sort of cult status as one of the only three films ever to cause famed reviewer Gene Siskel to walk out. Duncan's star remained very much on the rise, however, and she landed the starring role on the sitcom "Funny Face" (CBS, 1971), playing an aspiring teacher and part-time actress. Although the show earned strong ratings and earned Duncan an Emmy nomination, it was canceled when she experienced a substantial health scare. After successful surgery to remove a tumor, Duncan lost all sight in her left eye, giving rise to an oft-repeated but untrue urban legend that she had it replaced with a glass prosthetic. Upon receiving a clean bill of health, the actress toplined "The Sandy Duncan Show" (CBS, 1972), which drew heavily from the "Funny Face" concept, but also proved equally short-lived. A similar lukewarm reception awaited her Golden Globe-nominated performance as a patriotic athlete in Neil Simon's "Star Spangled Girl" (1971). Not surprisingly, Duncan stepped back from screen acting for a spell.
Remaining a popular favorite for her sunny disposition, Duncan played "Pinocchio" (CBS, 1976) opposite Danny Kaye's Geppetto, hosted two Disneyland-themed specials, and impressed critics with what was arguably her best dramatic performance as Missy Anne Reynolds, a young woman of the plantation who teaches Kunte Kinte's daughter Kizzy (Leslie Uggams) to read and write, but then denounces Kizzy when she refuses to be her servant in the groundbreaking miniseries "Roots" (ABC, 1977). Duncan earned an Emmy nomination for her heartbreaking work, but focused her later career efforts on lighter fare, including the Disney romp "The Cat from Outer Space" (1978). Back on Broadway, she won a Tony nomination and the hearts of countless fans for her wonderful interpretation of the titular boy who would not grow up in the revival of "Peter Pan." Animation also proved a lucrative outlet for the sweet-voiced Duncan, who lent her pipes to such projects as "The Fox and the Hound" (1981), "My Little Pony 'n Friends" (syndicated, 1984-87), "Rock-A-Doodle" (1991) and "The Swan Princess" (1994).
For many viewers, Duncan was best known as the perky, pixie-cut Wheat Thins spokesmom and for stepping in to Valerie Harper's shoes when the actress left "Valerie" (a.k.a. "Valerie's Family") after two troubled seasons. The entrance of Duncan's Sandy Hogan gave the series new life as the revamped sitcom "The Hogan Family" (NBC, 1986-1990; CBS, 1990-91), but it sparked considerable controversy for the unprecedented manner in which Harper was fired, as well as her subsequent lawsuits against NBC (dismissed) and Lorimar (she won). Although Duncan joined Judith Light and Jill Eikenberry as one-time members of a girl group who reunite for a TV show in "My Boyfriend's Back" (NBC, 1989), she slowed her onscreen acting output after "The Hogan Family" wrapped, but continued to make time for hosting and talk show appearances. She returned to Broadway for a successful run, replacing Twiggy in "My One and Only," and went on to serve a stint as Roxie Hart in "Chicago."
Although she never truly earned a breakout screen role, Duncan remained a familiar and well-liked pop cultural figure. The animated series "Family Guy" (Fox, 1999-2002; 2005- ) featured a memorably bizarre joke in which show patriarch Peter (Seth MacFarlane) remembers his former job as the actress' glass eye. The urban legend surrounding her injury continued to fascinate, and a punk rock band experienced minor success under the name Sandy Duncan's Eye. Demonstrating a refreshing sense of self-deprecation, Duncan laughed about the strangeness of the myth in interviews while following her musical theater muse in multiple regional productions.
By Jonathan Riggs
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Music (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1958
Made stage debut in Dallas, TX, production of "The King and I"
1965
Broadway debut in "The Music Man"
1969
Earned first Tony nomination for her featured role in the musical "Canterbury Tales"
1970
Breakthrough stage role, the lead in the revival of "The Boy Friend"; earned second Tony nomination
1971
Feature film debut in "The $1,000,000 Duck"
1971
Primetime TV debut in episode of "Bonanza" (NBC)
1971
Starred in the CSB sitcom "Funny Face"; earned Emmy nomination
1971
Played title role in the film version of Neil Simon's play "The Star-Spangled Girl"
1972
Headlined a revamped sitcom "The Sandy Duncan Show" (CBS)
1976
Appeared in the Los Angeles stage production "Vanities"
1977
Co-starred in miniseries "Roots" (ABC), garnered second Emmy nomination
1979
Played "Peter Pan" in stage tour and on Broadway; third Tony nomination
1981
Provided a character voice for the Disney animated film "The Fox and the Hound"
1984
Headlined the stage musical "5, 6, 7, 8 . . . Dance!"; performed at Radio City Music Hall
1985
Toured opposite Tommy Tune in the Gershwin musical "My One and Only"
1989
Made first TV movie, "My Boyfriend's Back" (NBC)
1994
Provided the voice of the Queen in the animated feature "The Swan Princess"
1998
Announced to co-star with Tommy Tune in stage adaptation of "Easter Parade"; production later cancelled
1999
Assumed role of Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of "Chicago"
2002
Toured in "NY Loves America"
Family
Companions
