“Paper roses, paper roses, oh how real those roses seem to-,”oh, sorry, we didn’t see you there. We got a little carried away with the famous tune sung by the wonderful Marie Osmond. Whilst she had quite a musical talent, it isn’t surprising, as she is descended from the great show business family, the Osmonds.
Born in Utah within a family of 9 children (and the only daughter – the poor thing!), showbiz was in their blood, with all of her siblings pursuing careers in entertainment. Whilst she debuted with her brothers’ act, Marie enjoyed more success flying solo, with a starred country music career. With her brother, Donny, she hosted the TV show “Donny & Marie.” Active throughout the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s… it seems there was no slowing down for Ms. Osmond!
Barbara Feldon
Tall, beautiful, and intelligent, we can only be describing the incredible Barbara Feldon as Agent 99 from the series "Get Smart." With her good looks, it’s not surprising Feldon worked as a model, appearing in commercials for Revlon! Feldon’s character as Agent 99 was trailblazing, as it portrayed a woman who was extremely capable in handling a stressful and dangerous career. These days such a thing is commonplace, however, in the 60s and 70s, these ideas were relatively new, particularly coming out of Hollywood.
The character showed women that it was okay to be educated, to be clever, and to prove a man wrong, at a time where women were often suppressed and restricted to domestic ‘careers.’ Feldon made a number of TV movies and reprised her role as 99 in the 2008 "Get Smart" remake, as well as appearing in a number of plays and commercials.
Roxie Roker
Remember "The Jeffersons?" Then you’d most certainly remember Roxie Albertha Roker, who played the part of Helen Willis! The Bahamian actress was part of the first interracial couple to be shown on regular prime-time TV in the U.S. History making! Growing up in Brooklyn, Roxie’s credits go beyond her role on the series, including appearing in "The River Niger" on Broadway, as well as hosting the show "Inside Bed-Stuy," a public affair show which covered events in Brooklyn.
It is also worth mentioning that Roxie is none other than the mother of rocker Lenny Kravitz! Aside from her acting, Roxie was also an advocate for children’s rights, acknowledged by the city of Los Angeles for her important work. Sadly, Roxie was taken by breast cancer at a young age, passing away in 1995 at the age of 66.
Karen Grassle
Ah yes, whilst millions of Americans were enamored with Caroline Ingalls of "Little House of the Prairie," the blonde, blue-eyed beauty was to have a career that extended well beyond that singular role. Born in California, Grassle moved into acting and was granted a scholarship to study theatre arts at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Soon after her return, she debuted on Broadway. However, it was on the TV screen that she was to really make her mark.
Starring in over 180 episodes, Caroline was the matriarch, holding the family together (mothers of the world we salute you!). After the show finished, Grassle continued to star in TV shows and movies, including "Battered," "The Love Boat," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Wyatt Earp." These days, Grassle enjoys her success in San Francisco, with a keen interest in the theatre. The seasoned actress is still going strong, appearing in the 2017 film "Where’s Roman?"
Melissa Gilbert
Child actress gone director next is Melissa Gilbert. With her start as Laura Ingalls Wilder on "Little House on the Prairie," it was somewhat fitting (or is it bizarre? You decide!) that she was to also star later as Caroline “Ma” Ingalls on the Broadway version of the hit series! As she matured, her career went down the path of TV film gigs, as well as voice work for animated shows such as "Batman: The Animated Series."
She was popular enough that she was successful, winning the Democratic primary, however, had to pull out after head and neck injuries in an accident in 2012. The reason for her injuries? Well, Gilbert joined the cast of celebrities on season 14 of "Dancing with the Stars," and mid-performance fell and hit her head. She was rushed to the hospital, and, luckily made her recovery. Though it seems that the injuries were more extensive than initially thought, affecting her run for politics.