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Francas BergenAmerican actress and model
Date of Birth: 14.09.1922
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Modeling Career
- Film and Television Career
- Return to Film and Later Roles
- Personal Life
- Death and Legacy
Early Life and Modeling Career
Frances Bergen, born Frances Westerman on September 14, 1922, in Birmingham, Alabama, was the daughter of William Westerman and Lillie Howell Mabel. Following the death of her father from tuberculosis, her family relocated to Los Angeles. At the age of 14, she survived a car accident that resulted in a fractured skull.
In New York, Bergen became a successful model under the agency of John Robert Powers. She graced covers of magazines and billboards, notably as the iconic "Chesterfield Girl" and Ipana toothpaste model, using the stage name Frances Westcott.
Film and Television Career
Bergen made her film debut in 1953's Titanic and subsequently appeared in supporting roles in films such as Her Twelve Men and Interlude. On television, she gained recognition as Madame Francine in the Western series Yancy Derringer. Other notable TV credits include The Millionaire, The Dick Powell Show, Barnaby Jones, MacGyver, and Murder, She Wrote.
Return to Film and Later Roles
In the 1980s and 1990s, Bergen returned to the big screen with small roles in American Gigolo, A Chorus Line, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Next Morning, and Made in America. She also garnered critical acclaim for her performance in Henry Jaglom's independent film Eat. Bergen made guest appearances in her daughter Candice Bergen's hit sitcom Murphy Brown.
Personal Life
In 1941, Bergen met renowned ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. They married in 1945 and had two children: Candice Patricia Bergen and Chris Bergen. After Edgar's death in 1978, she dated Craig Stevens until his passing.
Death and Legacy
Frances Bergen passed away on October 2, 2006, at the age of 84. She was buried alongside her husband at Inglewood Park Cemetery in California. Bergen remains fondly remembered as a talented actress and model who graced both the big and small screens.
