Hollywood is sad today after learning of the death of Polly Bergen. The 84-year old actress died of natural causes surrounded by family in her Connecticut home yesterday. While her name may not ring an instant bell, her work will. Bergen was one of those actresses' that kind of popped up everywhere and often stole scenes. She most recently played Stella Wingfield on Desperate Housewives and was well known for her turn as Mrs. Vernon-Williams in Johnny Depp's Cry Baby. Bergen also starred in the original Cape Fear.
Bergen got her start in Hollywood back in the 1950's when she was cast in a Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis film an her career took off from there. She made albums, starred in stage productions and musicals and then found great success in film. In later years Bergen reached a new audience while starring as Felicity Huffman's mother on Desperate Housewives and appearing on The Sopranos as a mistress of Tony's father. At one point in time Bergen had her own variety show.
The late actress obviously found a great deal of success in Hollywood on all levels and she was one of the greats that made her mark in various genres. It's always kind of refreshing to see an actress like Bergen who certainly owned her fame, but also appeared to work because she really loved her job. Are you a fan of actors and actresses that may not be household names but are more than capable of holding their own? Bergen was one face that many were thrilled to see pop up onscreen in any project, what role did you love her in the most? Tell us in the comments below!
