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Barbara BillingsleyAmerican stage, film, television and voice actress
Date of Birth: 22.12.1915
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Barbara Billingsley
Barbara Lillian Combes, known professionally as Barbara Billingsley, was born on December 22, 1915, in Los Angeles, California. She was an American actress of theater, film, television, and voice-over.
Early Life
Barbara Billingsley was the youngest daughter of Anglo-American parents, Robert Collyer Combes and Lillian Agnes McLaughlin. Her parents divorced when she was just four years old, and her father remarried while her mother went to work at a knitting factory. Barbara developed a love for drama in the second grade and participated in all school plays during her time at George Washington High School in Los Angeles. She graduated from high school in 1934.
Career
Before marrying Glenn Billingsley and changing her last name, Barbara began her career using her birth name, Barbara Combes. She spent a year at Los Angeles Junior College before making her way to Broadway, where she worked as a model for $60 a week. In 1945, she signed a contract with MGM but mostly had small, uncredited roles throughout the 1940s. However, her role in the science fiction horror film "Invaders from Mars" in 1953 led to opportunities in sitcoms like "Professional Father," "Brothers," and "Four Star Playhouse."
In 1957, Barbara became a guest star in the sitcom "Mr. Adams and Eve" alongside Howard Duff and Ida Lupino. She then played the lead role in the drama film "The Careless Years" with Natalie Trundy and Dean Stockwell. However, it was her role as June Cleaver in the television series "Leave It to Beaver" (1957–1963) and its sequel "Still the Beaver" that brought her the most fame. She also appeared in other family sitcoms such as "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," "Father Knows Best," "Make Room For Daddy," and "The Donna Reed Show."
Later Career and Personal Life
After "Leave It to Beaver" ended, Barbara remained close friends with Jerry Mathers, one of the stars of the show, for over 45 years. She continued her acting career with appearances in the comedy film "Airplane!" (1980) and as the voice of the nanny and the little train in the animated series "Muppet Babies" (1984–1991). In 1995, she played another sitcom mother in the series "Roseanne" and later appeared in the show "Candid Camera" alongside June Lockhart and Isabel Sanford.
Barbara Billingsley was married three times. She first married Roy Kellino, a British film director and the former husband of actress Pamela Mason, from 1953 until his death in 1956. She then married Dr. William S. Mortensen in 1959, and he passed away in 1981. Barbara and her second husband had two sons, Drew and Glenn Jr.
Barbara Billingsley passed away from polymyalgia at her home in Santa Monica, California, on October 16, 2010, at the age of 94. She was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in California.
