How Did Brett Somers Die, What Was Her Legacy and Where Are Her Children?
Although the actress was popularly known as Brett Somers, she was actually given the birth name, Audrey Dawn Johnston. She was born on July 11th 1924, in New Brunswick, Canada. Not much is known about her parents apart from the fact that they relocated from Canada to Portland Maine, in the United States, where Brett was raised.
Although details of her educational background remain vague, Brett must have gotten at least a basic education to enable her to pursue a career as an entertainer. It is recorded that at the age of 18, the youngster, who dreamt of becoming an actress, decided to leave home and settle in Greenwich Village in New York City, in order to pursue her dreams.
During her time in New York as an aspiring actress, she changed her name to Brett Somers. She took up the first name “Brett” after the lead female character in the 1926 novel, ‘The Sun Also Rises’ written by Ernest Hemingway, while her chosen last name “Somers” was the maiden name of her mother.
Brett Somers Started Her Acting Career As A Member of Actors Studio in the Early ’50s
With a new name that she loved, Brett Somers joined the Actors Studio in 1952 and kicked off her career in theatre. Many of the appearances she made during that time were in dramatic programs such as Kraft Television Theatre, The Philco Television Playhouse, Robert Montgomery Presents, and Playhouse 90.
The actress debuted on Broadway in the play Maybe Tuesday, which turned out to be a flop but this did not discourage her as she subsequently performed other productions such as The Seven Year Itch and The Country Girl. Brett later went on to appear in a number of films, including the likes of A Rage to Live, Bus Riley’s Back in Town and a handful of others.
She Appeared In Top Primetime Shows Like The Odd Couple
Her acting resume also features numerous television works as she was cast in many roles on episodic primetime television such as Have Gun – Will Travel, The Fugitive, Love, The Love Boat, American Style, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, among others. Brett also landed one of her most notable roles in the early 1970s on the ABC sitcom The Odd Couple, where she portrayed the character of Blanche, the ex-wife of the character Oscar Madison, played by Jack Klugman, who happened to be her real-life husband at the time.
Brett Somers’ Stint On Match Game And Other Shows
More so, Bret is remembered for her appearance on the popular CBS game show, Match Game which also aired in the ’70s. On the show hosted by Gene Rayburn, contestants were required to match answers to questions presented by a panel of celebrities which Brett Somers was among and due to her witty remarks, she became a popular celebrity panellist on the show.
Between 2003 and 2004, Brett started her own show which she called, An Evening With Brett Somers. She also made an appearance in the 2004 PBS production, Magic Moments – The Best of ’50s Pop which was anchored by Wink Martindale,
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