Brett Somers
| Brett Somers | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Audrey Dawn Johnston July 11, 1924 New Brunswick, Canada |
| Died | September 15, 2007 (aged 83) Westport, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Colon and stomach cancer |
| Other names | Audrey Klugman, Dawn Johnston |
| Occupation | Actress, comedian, singer, game show panelist, writer |
| Years active | 1955–2006 |
| Spouse(s) | Robert Klein (19??–19??; divorced) Jack Klugman (1953–2007; her death) |
| Children | Leslie Klein (died 2003) David Klugman (b. 1959) Adam Klugman (b. 1963) |
Brett Somers (born Audrey Dawn Johnston; July 11, 1924 – September 15, 2007) to Harry E. and Molly S. Johnston. She was a Canadian-American actress, singer, and game show personality who was born in Canada and raised in Maine. Brett was best known as a panelist on the 1970s game show Match Game and for her recurring role as Blanche Madison opposite her real-life husband, actor Jack Klugman, on The Odd Couple.
Born in New Brunswick, Canada, Somers grew up near Portland, Maine. She ran away from home at age 18 to New York City to pursue a career in acting, settling in Greenwich Village. She chose the name "Brett" after the lead female character in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises; "Somers" was reportedly her mother's maiden name. She became a U.S. citizen late in life.
After moving to New York, she married and had a daughter, Leslie, before divorcing her first husband. In 1953, she married actor Jack Klugman; they had two sons, Adam (who shared his July 11 birthday with Brett) and David. It was long reported that Somers and Klugman separated in 1974 but remained legally married until her death. However, California records indicate the couple divorced in August 1977.
A lifelong member of The Actors Studio from 1952 on, Somers began her career in theater and made many of her initial television appearances in dramatic programs such as The Philco Television Playhouse, Kraft Television Theatre, Playhouse 90, and Robert Montgomery Presents.
...
Wikipedia