Barbara Billingsley

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Birthday:

22 December 1915, Los Angeles, California, USA

Birth Name:

Barbara Lillian Combes

Height:

165 cm

Born Barbara Lillian Combes, she attended Los Angeles Junior College in the mid-1930s and then moved to New York City, where she worked as a model. In 1945, she received a contract from MGM, and she appeared in several films during the late 1940s and 1950s, sometimes without screen credit. In the 1950s, she turned to television and appeared in shows including the sitcoms Professional Father (1955) and The Brothers (1956), as well as guest-starring on "The Abbott and Costello Show", the David Niven anthology series, Four Star Playhouse (1952), and the sitcom, Mr. Adams and Eve (1957). In 1957, Billingsley began starring in the sitcom, Leave It to Beaver (1957), as "June Cleaver", mother to "Wally" and "Theodore", nicknamed "Beaver". She appeared in her most famous role for 234 episodes, remaining with the show until it ended after six seasons. After 17 years of semi-retirement, Billingsley returned to movies in 1980's Airplane! (1980), creating another iconic role by spoofing her wholesome image with a brief appearance in this send-up of 1970s disaster movies, as a middle-aged white passenger who could translate between a white stewardess and two African-American passengers, because "I speak jive". She also appeared in Still the Beaver (1983), which ran from 1983 to 1989, and voiced the character of "Nanny" in the Muppet Babies (1984) cartoon series, from 1984 to 1991. Billingsley continued to act occasionally, including appearances on the sitcoms, Roseanne (1988) and Empty Nest (1988), and died at her home, after having dealt for several years with the effects of a rheumatoid disease. Show less «

Husband Roy died on a Saturday, while we were gardening. The Thursday before, I was up for the part of the mother in a series Joe Connelly a...Show more »

Husband Roy died on a Saturday, while we were gardening. The Thursday before, I was up for the part of the mother in a series Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher were working on. Then Roy died, and nothing came of that series. But two months later, when they started on Leave It To Beaver, they remembered me and asked me to read for the part of June. I've always thought that they felt sorry for me. Show less «

June Cleaver didn't keep her house in perfect order, the prop man did it.

[When asked in 2000 if there was a difference between her and the June Cleaver character]: My sons say, no. Gradually what happened is the w...Show more »

[When asked in 2000 if there was a difference between her and the June Cleaver character]: My sons say, no. Gradually what happened is the writer started writing about you, as well as the character they created originally. So you all become mixed up. Show less «

[Of Jerry Mathers who played "The Beaver"]: Jerry told me it had been a dream of his always to be able to go to New York and be in a Broadwa...Show more »

[Of Jerry Mathers who played "The Beaver"]: Jerry told me it had been a dream of his always to be able to go to New York and be in a Broadway show. So all we have to do is decide what we want to do. You have to have a dream. Show less «

[When she auditioned for June Cleaver]: Well, I was doing the script, and I don't think I could have changed it. But I loved it.

[Who said in 2010 about the legacy of her June Cleaver character]: June Cleaver has always been a part of my life and always will be.

[on comparing real-life families to the TV families]: I just wish that we could have more families like those. Family is so important, and I...Show more »

[on comparing real-life families to the TV families]: I just wish that we could have more families like those. Family is so important, and I just don't think we have enough people staying home with their babies and their children. Show less «

[on "Leave It to Beaver"] It was a very happy experience for me, and very timely. There was never a fight on the set in seven years.

[on June Cleaver] She's been too good to me to play anything like that.

[In 1997]: She was the ideal mother. Some people think she was weakish, but I don't. She was the love in that family. She set a good example...Show more »

[In 1997]: She was the ideal mother. Some people think she was weakish, but I don't. She was the love in that family. She set a good example for what a wife could be. I had two boys at home when I did the show. I think the character became kind of like me and vice versa. I've never known where one started and where one stopped. Show less «

Good grief, I think everybody would like a family like that. Wouldn't it be nice if you came home from school and there was Mom standing the...Show more »

Good grief, I think everybody would like a family like that. Wouldn't it be nice if you came home from school and there was Mom standing there with her little apron and cooking waiting? Show less «

[In 2007]: They were always good kids, Tony had an exhibit of his artwork and sold 18 pieces. Pretty darn good, isn't it?"

[When she was the only actress to do a revival of the Leave It to Beaver (1957) movie, in 1997]: Tony and Jerry didn't want to be in it. The...Show more »

[When she was the only actress to do a revival of the Leave It to Beaver (1957) movie, in 1997]: Tony and Jerry didn't want to be in it. They were crazy. But it really didn't turn out very good. Show less «

[In 2008]: Some of those clothes came from Penny's. They weren't expensive clothes.

[Who said she wasn't June Cleaver in real-life]: It doesn't bother me that I'm June Cleaver. It's been a good career. I don't know where Jun...Show more »

[Who said she wasn't June Cleaver in real-life]: It doesn't bother me that I'm June Cleaver. It's been a good career. I don't know where June starts and Barbara ends. Our lives are so similar. I don't know why she's so popular, maybe it's because she had such a clean kitchen. Show less «

[In 2003]: Because I have a big hollow in my neck and the necklace covered the spot perfectly. So no matter what I was doing - cleaning, coo...Show more »

[In 2003]: Because I have a big hollow in my neck and the necklace covered the spot perfectly. So no matter what I was doing - cleaning, cooking or answering the phone - I had those darn pearls on, and there was a practical reason she wore high heels on the show. Show less «

Joe Connelly had seven children, and Bob Mosher had two, and they had a lot of material right there. Every show was taken from some kernel o...Show more »

Joe Connelly had seven children, and Bob Mosher had two, and they had a lot of material right there. Every show was taken from some kernel of truth, something that had happened to their children or a relative. Show less «

[on the death of Hugh Beaumont]: No father on television was ever better than Hugh.

[In 1993]: It's a terrible blow, but you can't wallow in your grief. When Roy died, my agent made me work all the time. And six months later...Show more »

[In 1993]: It's a terrible blow, but you can't wallow in your grief. When Roy died, my agent made me work all the time. And six months later, they called me to start the series." Show less «

A long time ago, I played a lot of these roles that were seemingly nice, but underneath the character was really the murderer. So, I didn't ...Show more »

A long time ago, I played a lot of these roles that were seemingly nice, but underneath the character was really the murderer. So, I didn't have to do a lot of research for this character. I just had to understand what she was thinking and feeling. Show less «

[on her point of views about witches and the occult among many other matters]: I'm very interested in the supernatural. Of course, I don't r...Show more »

[on her point of views about witches and the occult among many other matters]: I'm very interested in the supernatural. Of course, I don't really think there could be witches - but I could be wrong. Show less «

[Of Roseanne Barr]: You know, the first time I saw, 'Roseanne,' I thought, 'Ugh! I hate the messy house.' And she herself is this big, slopp...Show more »

[Of Roseanne Barr]: You know, the first time I saw, 'Roseanne,' I thought, 'Ugh! I hate the messy house.' And she herself is this big, sloppy woman. But she gives out some pretty good wisdom to her children. There's something there, a warmth and a love that we had in a different way. Show less «

[In 1989]: Television moms have taken a turn for the real.

[In 1988]: We're the ideal family. At least it's what everyone thinks is ideal. It's the way everybody would like their family to be.

[In 1987]: I was widowed and spending all my time raising my kids.

[In 1986]: I think it's great. I get invited to lecture about it, but I don't feel comfortable.

[on her comeback role as playing June Cleaver after an over 20 year absence]: Life has changed a lot in that time. But I still think the bas...Show more »

[on her comeback role as playing June Cleaver after an over 20 year absence]: Life has changed a lot in that time. But I still think the basic things are the same. Look at what they're doing on 'The Cosby Show.' Cosby is doing a lot of the same things we did 25 years ago. Show less «

[Of Hugh Beaumont]: I miss him very much, because we were so close. But Hugh was incapacitated after his stroke. He could hardly walk and hi...Show more »

[Of Hugh Beaumont]: I miss him very much, because we were so close. But Hugh was incapacitated after his stroke. He could hardly walk and his speech was impaired. So, it's best his fans remember him from the early shows. Show less «

[In 1984]: America is ready for us again. I like to remind you for 234 episodes. Audiences saw the Cleavers as their second family. Beaver a...Show more »

[In 1984]: America is ready for us again. I like to remind you for 234 episodes. Audiences saw the Cleavers as their second family. Beaver and Wally were their brothers, Eddie Haskell was their best friend and June was their mother. Oh, she may have been neat, neat, neat, but June was supposed to be a rolemodel. I always liked her. Show less «

[About being a housewife]: I know I'm typecasted. Have I ever been striding for a career, but I loved having a family and I loved having a h...Show more »

[About being a housewife]: I know I'm typecasted. Have I ever been striding for a career, but I loved having a family and I loved having a husband, I liked that one. Show less «

[In 1992]: They like to have that kind of family, the kids would, I think. Today [as you know] mothers work. I was working, but not June Cle...Show more »

[In 1992]: They like to have that kind of family, the kids would, I think. Today [as you know] mothers work. I was working, but not June Cleaver and because they work, things some things have to slip, and I think it's better to let the house go than the children. Show less «

[In 2000]: She was a loving, happy, stay-at-home mom, which I think is great, I'm not for every woman having to be out in the workplace. My ...Show more »

[In 2000]: She was a loving, happy, stay-at-home mom, which I think is great, I'm not for every woman having to be out in the workplace. My mother was. I had two children at home and I was working. But I think one who stays home, if she's doing a good job, it is the best job she'll ever have, and the most important. And I think our children need the mothers home. Show less «

It's unbelievable, it's really become quite a career being June Cleaver. That really didn't bother me. I was right where I wanted to be. I w...Show more »

It's unbelievable, it's really become quite a career being June Cleaver. That really didn't bother me. I was right where I wanted to be. I was happy being June Cleaver all these years. Show less «

[In 1991]: It was the ideal family, anybody would like to have a family like the Cleavers.

[In 1994]: I was going to do another series with Buddy Ebsen for the same producers, but somehow it didn't materialize. A couple of months l...Show more »

[In 1994]: I was going to do another series with Buddy Ebsen for the same producers, but somehow it didn't materialize. A couple of months later I got a call to go to the studio to do this pilot show. And it was Beaver. Show less «

Don't think your dreams don't come true, because they do. You'd better be careful what you wish for. And I truly and honestly - one day I am...Show more »

Don't think your dreams don't come true, because they do. You'd better be careful what you wish for. And I truly and honestly - one day I am doing the beaver show and I said, 'This is the show I have always wanted to do.' Show less «