Lesley Ann Warren

Comely, versatile actress who plays emotionally fragile women, tough-minded careerists, hardworking single moms, and downright wacky ladies with equal verve and skill. She made her first show-biz splash right out of her teens, playing the lead in a 1966 TV musical production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella." Walt Disney saw her and signed the wholesome, fresh-faced Warren to play a supporting role in The Happiest Millionaire (1967), the last film he personally supervised. She also appeared in the Disney studio's The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968) before taking "adult" roles in the TV series "Mission: Impossible" (1970-71) and a slew of made-for-TV movies, as well as the lowbudget Pickup on 101 (1972). She worked extensively in TV movies and miniseries throughout the rest of the decade, most notably The Legend of Valentino (1975), Portrait of a Stripper (1979), and "Beulah Land" (1980).

Blake Edwards gave Warren a juicy part on the big screen in Victor/Victoria (1982), competing with Julie Andrews for the attentions of James Garner; she showed a real flair for broad comedy, and was Oscar-nominated for her uninhibited supporting performance. There haven't been many follow-ups of the same caliber, though she fared well in Choose Me, Songwriter (both 1984), and Baja Oklahoma (1988), in which she starred as a Texas barmaid who wants to be a songwriter. Mel Brooks gave her a good showcase in his otherwise forgettable Life Stinks (1991) as a homeless woman teetering on the edge of sanity. She remains active on television, and starred in Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992); in 1994 she costarred in the theatrical feature Color of Night