Valerie Bertinelli

Infobox actor
name = Valerie Bertinelli

---

caption = Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli at the 1991 Emmy Awards
birthname = Valerie Anne Bertinelli
birthdate = birth date and age|mf=yes|1960|4|23
birthplace = city-state|Wilmington|Delaware
spouse = Eddie Van Halen (1981–2007) (divorced)

Valerie Anne Bertinelli (born April 23, 1960) is an American film and television actress best known for her role as Bonnie Franklin's daughter, Barbara Cooper Royer, on the long-running television series "One Day at a Time".

Early years

Bertinelli was born in Wilmington, Delawareimdb|0000933] to American parents Nancy and Andy Bertinelli (a General Motors executive). She had an older brother, Mark, who died at 17 months from an accidental poisoning before Valerie was born. [Bertinelli, Valerie, "Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time" (2008). Free Press.] Along with her other older and two younger brothers, the family lived in Claymont, Delaware and Clarkston, Michigan before moving to Van Nuys, California where Bertinelli studied acting at the Tami Lynn School of Artists. She attended Granada Hills High School until 1978 but did not graduate. As of January 2008, she is pursuing the last few credits needed for her high school diploma. She was raised Catholic. [ [http://www.lifetimetv.com/shows/ip/portraits/9705/9705_credits.html Lifetime TV] ]

Career

Following her guest-star role on "Apple's Way", Bertinelli was approached by producer Norman Lear to audition for the role of a cooperative daughter, Barbara Cooper Royer, in a new sitcom called "One Day at a Time". The show debuted in late 1975. For the show's first season, Bertinelli was 15, and her character was written as a tomboy. The following year, in addition to the show having a full season, Bertinelli's character became more likable to male demographics.

During the show's third season, Mackenzie Phillips, who played Bertinelli's sister, began to have drug problems, and was later arrested. Partly as a result of this, Bertinelli and Phillips didn't speak for several years, except when in character.

During the show's eighth season, both Bertinelli's and lead Bonnie Franklin's characters married male characters.

Bertinelli appeared in all but two episodes of "One Day at a Time", and remained on the show until it was canceled in 1984. At one point, she and Franklin were involved in plans for a spin-off series, but it was never produced.

Two decades later in 2005, during the "One Day at a Time" Reunion Special, Bertinelli was reunited with Phillips, Franklin, and Pat Harrington Jr. to watch memorable clips from the original show's nine seasons. They talked about actors who had left the show, and about Phillips' drug problem which wreaked havoc on the set.

After "One Day at a Time", Bertinelli went on became a prolific actress. She starred in one short-lived TV series, "Sydney". In 2001, she joined the cast of "Touched By An Angel" opposite Roma Downey and Della Reese for the show's last 2 seasons.

Bertinelli, who had slowly gained weight over the years, has lost a total of 40 lbs. as of January 2008, and has become a spokesperson for the Jenny Craig weight-loss program. She can be seen in Jenny Craig commercials along with Kirstie Alley and other celebrity Jenny Craig participants.

Celebrities who promote such things as weight-loss programs are often perceived to be in professional decline. However, although Bertinelli is compensated for her Jenny Craig appearances, she has stated that she considers herself a health and weight-loss activist rather than a hired weight-loss spokesperson, and that she continues to receive proposals for more conventional acting work. She is currently promoting her new autobiography, "Losing It—And Gaining My Life Back One Pound At A Time", which culminates in a description of her Jenny Craig experience. (The book's title contains a wordplay on "One Day at a Time".)

Personal life

Before marriage, Bertinelli dated Steven Spielberg [cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20179909,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines |title=Valerie Bertinelli: My Early Romance with Steven Spielberg | date=2008-02-22| accessdate=2008-02-22 | publisher=People.com] and Scott Colomby.

Bertinelli married Eddie Van Halen on April 11, 1981. They had a son, Wolfgang "Wolfie" William Van Halen, on March 16, 1991. On July 9, 2002, they announced that they had been separated since October 2001. She filed for divorce on December 5, 2005 which was finalized on December 20, 2007. [ [http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/21/vanhalen.divorce.ap/index.html CNN, retrieved 2007-12-22] ]

In a candid interview on February 25, 2008 with Oprah Winfrey, Bertinelli revealed that she and ex-husband Eddie both cheated. Valerie says, "I cheated. He claims to this day that I cheated first, but I don't know. I don't know about the timing." She has also spoken out about a lusty "lesbian moment" when she kissed another woman.

Bertinelli has been in a relationship with financial planner Tom Vitale since 2004. [cite web | url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/valerie-bertinelli-gives/070810-05 | publisher=TV Guide | title=Valerie Bertinelli Gives Us the Skinny on Her New Life | author=Margy Rochlin | date=2007-08-10]

Bertinelli remains close to her former "One Day at a Time" co-star, Glenn Scarpelli.

Filmography

Commercials

* J.C. Penney (at age 11)
* Jenny Craig

Television

* "Apple's Way", 1974, guest appearance, CBS drama series
* "One Day at a Time", 1975 – 1984, CBS situation comedy series
* "The Secret of Charles Dickens", 1978, CBS hour-long special
* "Young Love, First Love", 1979, CBS television movie
* "The Promise of Love", 1980, CBS television movie
* "The Princess and the Cabbie", 1981, CBS television movie
* "The Seduction of Gina", 1984, CBS television movie
* "Shattered Vows", 1984, NBC movie-of-the-week
*
* "Number One with a Bullet", 1987, USA television movie
* "I'll Take Manhattan", 1987, miniseries
* "Pancho Barnes", 1988, CBS
* "Taken Away", 1989, USA television movie
* "Sydney", 1990, short-lived television series
* "In a Child's Name", 1991
* "What She Doesn't Know", 1992, USA television movie
* "Murder of Innocence", 1993, USA television movie
* "Café Americain", 1993, NBC short-lived television series
* "Murder of Innocence", 1993 television movie
* "The Haunting of Helen Walker", 1995, USA television movie
* "A Case for Life", 1996, ABC
* "Two Mothers for Zachary", 1996, ABC
* "Night Sins", 1997, CBS miniseries
* "Personally Yours", 2000, USA television movie
* "Touched by an Angel", 2001 – 2003, CBS (as Gloria)
* "Crazy Love", 2003, television movie
* "Finding John Christmas", 2003, USA television movie
* "The Rachael Ray show", 2007, ABC, daytime correspondent
* "Claire", 2007, USA television movie
* "True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet", 2008, television movie

Films

* "C.H.O.M.P.S.", 1979, Hanna-Barbera family comedy
* "Ordinary Heroes", 1986
* "Number One with a Bullet", 1987
* "Saved!", 2004

Production companies

* Tuxedo Limited
* Bertinelli, Inc. [ [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800042975/bio YahooMovies, retrieved 2007-08-10] ]

Trivia

Turned down several feature film roles in the eighties because of gratuitous nudity.

Was considered for Lori Singer's role in Footloose (1984) and Meg Tilly's role in The Big Chill (1983).

Ranked #29 in VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Kid Stars".

Among other female celebrities like Olivia Newton John, was offered 1 million dollars by Hustler magazine editor Larry Flynt to pose nude showing genitalia.

References

External links

*imdb|0000933
*amg name|2:5908

Persondata
NAME = Bertinelli, Valerie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = actress
DATE OF BIRTH = April 23, 1960
PLACE OF BIRTH = Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =