Candice Bergen

A photo of American actress, fashion model and photographer Candice Bergen, c. 1975.

A beauty who proved herself a master of light comedy during her 10-season run of the hit sitcom "Murphy Brown," Bergen won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes for the series, and also received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the comedy, "Starting Over," in which she got to sing - very badly.

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan

Edgar Bergen

American ventriloquist Edgar Bergen with two dummies (Charlie McCarthy in a tuxedo, and Mortimer Snerd), and his young daughter, Candice Bergen, approximately age four.

Candice had what she called the "weirdest" upbringing, as the only daughter of the world-renowned ventriloquist, who ultimately left her nothing n his will (though he did bequeath $10,000 to his favorite dummy).

Bergen told CBS News' Jane Pauley in 2015 that her father had warned her about her beauty: "When I was, like, 10 years old he said, 'You know, Candie, it's the beautiful women who commit suicide. So you must develop your interest in photography, develop your interest in writing, because it's the beautiful women who have nothing to fall back on.'

"So I never had any vanity about it, because I always saw it as being fatal, basically."

Bergen took up modeling, photography and acting, appearing in her first movie role before she was 20.

"The Group"

Candice Bergen's first film role was in Sidney Lumet's "The Group" (1966), about a cohort of graduates from an elite private girl's school who find romance, careers, and (in the case of Bergen's character) heretofore unacknowledged lesbianism.

"The Sand Pebbles"

Candice Bergen was 19 when she starred as a missionary in China evacuated by an American gunboat during the Boxer Rebellion, in "The Sand Pebbles" (1966).

She'd just been kicked out of college, she told Jane Pauley. "I always respected them for it. You were automatically expelled if you got two Ds, and I had three As and two Ds. And the two Ds were in gut courses, oddly enough. One was opera and one was painting, because painting class started at 8:00 and I could never get there on time."

She was not heart-broken to have been expelled, she said: "Because, what a life I had! But it certainly brought me up short."

"The Day The Fish Came Out"

Candice Bergen starred in the comedy, "The Day the Fish Came Out" (1967), Greek director Michael Cacoyannis' follow-up to his hit, "Zorba the Greek."

"The Magus"

Michael Caine and Candice Bergen starred in the 1968 film version of John Fowles' novel, "The Magus," about bizarre experiences on a Greek island.

"Honey Pie"

Candice Bergen appeared on the album cover of Skitch Henderson's 1969 record, "Honey Pie."

"The Adventurers"

The 1970 film "The Adventurers" may not have risen above its source Harold Robbins novel, but it did feature Candice Bergen along with Bekim Fehmiu.

"Getting Straight"

Elliott Gould is a post-grad student confronting an increasingly turbulent time on campus, as well as his girlfriend (Candice Bergen), in Richard Rush's "Getting Straight" (1970).

"Carnal Knowledge"

Candice starred in Mike Nichols' 1971 comedy-drama "Carnal Knowledge," which traces the relationships two young men (Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel) have with various women from their college days and beyond.

"Carnal Knowledge"

Candice Bergen and Art Garfunkel in Mike Nichols' "Carnal Knowledge."

"'Carnal Knowledge' was just a wonderful, perfect film to make," Bergen told Pauley, "because every piece was the perfect fit. And working with Mike Nichols was just an experience that every actor should have."

"The Hunting Party"

In "The Hunting Party" (1971), Candice Bergen, playing a cattle rancher's wife, is kidnapped by outlaw Oliver Reed.

"11 Harrowhouse"

Charles Grodin and Candice Bergen costarred in the jewel heist picture, "11 Harrowhouse" (1974).

"The Wind and the Lion"

In John Milius' historical epic, "The Wind and the Lion" (1974), set in 1904 Morocco, Candice Bergen played an American woman kidnapped by a band of Berber insurrectionists (led by Sean Connery).

"Bite the Bullet"

After appearing with Gene Hackman in "The Hunting Party," Candice Bergen costarred with him in another western, "Bite the Bullet," about a grueling 700-mile endurance race through the desert.

Bergen and Hackman later teamed up again in the 1977 Stanley Kramer thriller, "The Domino Principle."

"A Night Full of Rain"

Giancarlo Giannini and Candice Bergen starred in Lina Wertmuller's romantic drama, "The End of the World In Our Usual Bed On a Night Full of Rain" (1978).

"Oliver's Story"

In "Oliver's Story," the 1978 sequel to "Love Story," Ryan O'Neal - still grieving the loss of Ali MacGraw - falls for a beautiful heiress played by Candice Bergen.

"Starting Over"

Candice Bergen received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for "Starting Over" (1979), Alan J. Pakula's comedy about a recently divorced man (Burt Reynolds), who cannot decide between his new love (played by Jill Clayburgh) and his ex-wife (Bergen).

Bergen and Reynolds teamed up again in the 1985 thriller, "Stick."

Nuptials

Candice Bergen and French filmmaker Louis Malle on their wedding day, September 27, 1980, in France.

Bergen was 34 when she met the director whose films include "Elevator to the Gallows," "Lacombe, Lucien," "Murmur of the Heart," "Pretty Baby" and "Atlantic City."

"I really just didn't know if I would ever meet the man that I wanted to marry," she told Pauley. "I mean, I met everyone, I knew everyone, and there were lots of remarkable men. And I just didn't hear the call of any of them until I met Louis."

The couple was married for 15 years and had one child, Chloe, before Malle died from lymphoma in 1995 at age 63.

"Rich and Famous"

Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen in George Cukor's "Rich and Famous" (1981), as former college friends whose career paths take decidedly different trajectories.

"'Rich and Famous' was a role that was great fun to play," Bergen told Pauley. "It was a character part and she -- Mary Noelle was her name -- was Southern and she was sassy. And it was very well written."

"Gandhi"

Candice Bergen, who also developed a career as a photojournalist, played famed photographer Margaret Bourke-White in Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi" (1982), opposite Ben Kingsley.

Bergen received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

"Murphy Brown"

Beginning in 1988, Candice Bergen starred as a no-holds-barred TV journalist in the comedy "Murphy Brown."

"Murphy Brown"

The sitcom aired for 10 seasons, during which Bergen received eight Golden Globe nominations and two wins, as well as five Emmy Awards (with two more nominations).

"Murphy Brown"

Unwed mother Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) gives birth in a 1992 episode of the series.

Murphy's decision to have the baby without a husband drew criticism from conservatives, including Vice President Dan Quayle, who found the show's protagonist to be "mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice."

His objections were inevitably mocked by the show's writers, who wrote Quayle's speech into the show.

Bergen & Rose

Five years after the death in 1995 of her first husband, Louis Malle, Candice Bergen married real estate developer Marshall Rose. The couple is pictured during the 38th AFI Life Achievement Award honoring Mike Nichols, held at Sony Pictures Studios on June 10, 2010 in Culver City, California.

"Miss Congeniality"

Candice Bergen as a beauty pageant director, and Sandra Bullock as an FBI agent going undercover, in the 2000 comedy, "Miss Congeniality."

"Sweet Home Alabama"

Reese Witherspoon, Patrick Dempsey and Candice Bergen starred in the romantic comedy  "Sweet Home Alabama" (2002).

"The In-Laws"

Actress Candice Bergen attends the world premiere of "The In-Laws" during the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival, at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center May 10, 2003 in New York City.

"Boston Legal"

Following her ten-year run on "Murphy Brown," Candice Bergen made appearance on several TV series, including "Sex and the City," "Law & Order" and "Family Guy," before joining the cast of "Boston Legal" in 2005.

Bergen played Shirley Schmidt, a founding member of the Crane, Poole & Schmidt law firm.

New York City

Actress Candice Bergen joins members of the Central Park Conservancy on April 29, 2003 at Central Park in New York City, during the Celebration of Central Park's 150th anniversary.

Candice & Chloe

Actress Candice Bergen and daughter Chloe Malle attend Diane Von Furstenberg Spring 2010 fashion show at Bryant Park on September 13, 2009 in New York, New York.

"The Michael J. Fox Show"

Charles Grodin and Candice Bergen (the "11 Harrowhouse" costars) played Michael J. Fox's parents celebrating Thanksgiving together in the 2013 sitcom, "The Michael J. Fox Show."

"A Merry Friggin' Christmas"

Robin Williams and Candice Bergen were among the cast of the darkly comic holiday film, "A Merry Friggin' Christmas" (2014).  It was one of Williams' last roles.

"Home Again"

Candice Bergen and Reese Witherspoon, costars of the film "Home Again,"  attend the WSJ. Magazine 2017 Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, in New York.

"Murphy Brown"

In 2018 newscaster Murphy Brown returned with many original cast members in a new incarnation of the classic series "Murphy Brown."  Pictured from left: Joe Regalbuto as Frank Fontana, Grant Shaud as Miles Silverberg, Candice Bergen as Murphy, and Faith Ford as Corky Sherwood.

"I was so thrilled to get back to playing Murphy because she's the richest, most outlandish, colorful, intelligent, accomplished character," Bergen told CBS News' Lee Cowan. "And she is a joy to play. I just loved playing her."

"Murphy Brown"

The cast of "Murphy Brown 2018. Pictured top row, from left: Nik Dodani, Grant Shaud and Jake McDorman; bottom row, from left: Tyne Daly, Faith Ford, Candice Bergen and Joe Regalbuto.

Series creator Diane English suggested that the political time is right to bring "Murphy Brown" back. "We're living in very divisive times so it's no question about it. And we deal with that, too, in the show. But we came back for a reason. We're here to make some noise."

"We haven't really articulated that we consider ourselves 'The Resistance,'" Bergen laughed. "But I think that's the subtext, certainly."

      
For more info: 
"Murphy Brown" (cbs.com)