Tony Nominee Polly Bergen Has Died at the Age of 84

Actress Polly Bergen, Emmy winner and Tony nominee, died today at her home in Connecticut. She was 84 years old.

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Bergen's long acting career began in the early '50s with roles in Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis films such as At War With the Army, That's My Boy, and The Stooge. She went on to star in such well-known films as Cape Fear (1962) and Cry-Baby (1990), which later was adapted into a Tony Award-nominated musical. Bergen won an Emmy Award for her portrayal of singer Helen Morgan in the '50s CBS series Playhouse 90 and was nominated for three additional Emmys for roles on The Winds of War (1983), War and Remembrance (1989), and Desperate Housewives (2008).

In addition, Bergen was a frequent guest on the long-running CBS game show To Tell the Truth. She also tried her hand at hosting with The Polly Bergen Show, an NBC comedy/variety show.

Bergen's first Broadway role came in 1953 when she appeared in the musical revue John Murray Anderson's Almanac. The actress and singer returned to the Great White Way frequently throughout her career, including in 1959's First Impressions and the original 1989 Broadway production of A.R. Gurney's Love Letters, which is currently appearing as a revival on Broadway. Most recently, Bergen appeared in the play Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks and the 2001 revival of the musical Follies, for which she received a Tony nomination.

Bergen was married and divorced three times, to Jerome Courtland, Freddie Fields, and Jeffrey Endervelt. She is survived by three children.