Mary Frances “Debbie” Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned over seven decades.
Reynolds was born on April 1, 1932, in El Paso, Texas, to Maxene N. “Minnie” Harman and Raymond Francis “Ray” Reynolds, a Southern Pacific Railroad carpenter.
For her performance as Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three Little Words, she received a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer.
Her breakthrough performance as Kathy Selden in Singin’ in the Rain was her first main role (1952). Her other credits include The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953) and Susan Slept Here (1954).
Reynolds received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in January 2015. She earned the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2016.
The next year, a documentary about her life, Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, was released, which turned out to be her final cinematic performance; the film premiered on HBO on January 7, 2017.
Reynolds died on December 28, 2016, one day after her daughter, fellow actress Carrie Fisher, died of a hemorrhagic stroke.
Meet Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher
Debbie Reynolds’ only children were Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher. Reynolds’ high-profile marriage to musician Eddie Fisher produced the two children.
Todd and Carrie both grew up in the spotlight, and Carrie quickly followed in her mother’s footsteps as an actress. She rose to prominence after portraying Princess Leia in the Star Wars trilogy.
Todd published a memoir in 2018, two years after Carrie and Reynolds died. He talked about growing up with a famous mother and sister.
