Valerie Harper Emmy Award Winner

Emmy Award winning American actress, Valerie Harper is best known for her bright portrayal of Rhoda Morgenstern-Gerard on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda. She was born in a Catholic / Lutheran family in Suffern in the year 1940.

She is currently involved with Tony Cacciotti, her partner and husband in a film based upon a true story of domestic violence. Valerie Harper career kicked off as a dancer at the Radio City Hall. She moved on to Broadway in the late 1950's performing in shows like Wildcat, Subways Are for Sleeping and Take Me Along.

She also featured in some rock and roll promo films such as Rock, Rock, Rock during this period and did cameos in movies like Li'l Abner. In the late 60's Valerie Harper acted in Carl Reiner's play Something Different and did a film With a Feminine Touch. She also co-wrote an episode of Love, American Style with her former husband Richard Schaal.

The real breakthrough came with the CBS sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show(1970-74), which is hailed as one of the most successful television programs in the U.S. Valerie Harper portrayal of Rhoda Morgenstern-Gerard earned her a series of Emmy Awards. The spin-off series Rhoda(1974-1978) with Valerie Harper in the lead role as the weight conscious and colorful Rhoda Morgenstern-Gerard won her an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

The 1974 movie Freebie and The Bean won her a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year. She also appeared in The Muppet Show, Night Terror, The Shadow Box and Don't Go to Sleep. Valerie Harper also acted in the 1984 movie, Blame It On Rio. In 1986 she played Valerie Hogan in the sitcom Valerie but in 1987 left the series after a fall out with the producers of the show.

She was replaced by Sandy Duncan. At this Valerie Harper went to the court over breach of contract and was awarded $1.4 million and 12.5% of the shows profits. She also starred in a guest role in the popular series Sex And The City. She is currently a member of the national board of directors of Screen Actors Guild. She appeared in the re-union TV movie Mary and Rhoda in 2000.

Valerie Harper is a vehement supporter of women rights. In the 1990s actively voted for the hormone replacement therapy for the Eli Lilly Company and have recently lent her voice in an effort to increase awareness about breast cancer at BreastCancer.org.

In 2000 she re-appeared in the Broadway stage in Charles Busch's play, The Tale of The Allergist's Wife as Marjorie Taub. Valerie Harper has also penned down a book titled Today I Am a Ma'am published in 2001. In 2005-06 she appeared as Golda Meir in the play Golda's Balcony at the Hobby Center in Houston, Texas. Valerie harper