2016 needs to just END ALREADY. It has now been confirmed by her son, Todd, that Hollywood Queen Debbie Reynolds has passed away at the age of 84, just one day after the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher.
Born Mary Frances Reynolds, Debbie earned herself a Hollywood contract at the young age of sixteen. She played in small film roles before breaking out in 1952, with the film classic Singin’ in the Rain. A modest success at the time, the film has since (correctly) been regarded as a film classic, in no small part thanks to Reynolds’ charisma, proving herself a lovable heroine who would rightly make any man dance up and down the rain-soaked streets. She continued her career in movie musicals with hits such as Meet Me in Las Vegas, Tammy and the Bachelor, The Mating Game, and Bundle of Joy, which she stared in with Eddie Fisher, her husband of four years, with whom she had two children, Carrie and Todd Fisher (this relationship later ended with one of the most famous Hollywood feuds of all time, with Fisher leaving her for her former friend Elizabeth Taylor). While she received multiple Golden Globe nominations, she was only nominated for the Oscar once, in 1964, for The Unsinkable Molly Brown, a musical based on the life of famous Titanic passenger Molly Brown. Other famous roles include How the West Was Won, The Singing Nun, Divorce American Style, How Sweet it Is, That’s Entertainment!, and Behind the Candelabra.
Of course, modern audiences would know her from one of two beloved roles. The first is as Grace Adler’s (Debra Messing) mother on Will and Grace, a fantastic performance which earned her an Emmy nomination. The second was for the Halloweentown series on Disney Channel, a beloved series for the millennial generation, and one that saw her playing the role of Agatha Cromwell, the grandmother of the family.
Of course, Reynolds was also known outside the world of filmmaking. She was dedicated to preserving film history, and amassed a collection of $10 million worth of film memorabilia, including Chaplin’s bowler hat and Marilyn Monroe’s white dress.
Reynolds was 84 at the time of her death from a stroke. This is indeed a tragic loss, and I’m sure that she is now sharing a fantastic dance with Gene Kelly and Donald O’Conner, as her beloved daughter looks on making sarcastic comments.
Add Comment