Candice Bergen

Candice Bergen, born in 1946, American actor and photojournalist, best known for portraying the title character in the television situation comedy “Murphy Brown.” Born in Beverly Hills, California, to ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and fashion model Frances Westerman Bergen, Candice Bergen was introduced to show business in 1952, when she appeared on her father's radio program. She enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in 1963, but she left two years later to begin a career as a fashion model in New York City. Bergen was an immediate success, and in 1966 she appeared in the motion picture The Group by American director Sidney Lumet. It was the first of many motion-picture roles in her career.

For her performances in such motion pictures as The Sand Pebbles (1966), Getting Straight (1970), Soldier Blue (1970), Carnal Knowledge (1971), and The Wind and the Lion (1975), Bergen was praised for her beauty but also received criticism for the stiffness of her acting. Later she was nominated for an Academy Award as best supporting actress for her role in the comedy Starting Over (1979).

“Murphy Brown” debuted on television in 1988 with Bergen in the starring role. In the show, which gained immediate popularity, Bergen's character was an outspoken television journalist who worked with a disparate group of characters to produce a television news program. The show completed its run in 1998.

Bergen won critical praise for her performance in the Broadway play Hurlyburly (1984) by American playwright David Rabe. In addition, she worked as a successful photojournalist for more than 25 years, contributing articles and photographs to many magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Life, National Geographic, Playboy, and Vogue. Her memoir, Knock Wood, was published in 1984.