Shelley Fabares, ‘Coach’ Star And Wife Of Mike Farrell, Dies At 82
Shelly Fabares, who starred in such TV hits as "Coach" and "The Donna Reed Show," as well as three Elvis Presley movies, has died.
By Cyrus Team ·
Shelly Fabares, who starred in such TV hits as Coach and The Donna Reed Show, as well as three Elvis Presley movies, has died.
Fabares, who had been married to M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell since 1984, died Saturday in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 82. Her cause of death was not given.
“To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter and comfort,” Fabares’ family said in a statement, via THR. “She was a devoted wife, cherished stepmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, family member and loyal friend whose warmth, generosity, humor and grace made an enduring difference in the lives of everyone who knew her. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued and cared for.”
Among Fabares’ biggest hits was The Donna Reed Show, where she played Mary Stone for seven seasons over 191 episodes, from 1958 to 1964.
Toward the end of her run on The Donna Reed Show, Fabares recorded the No. 1 hit “Johnny Angel.” Written by Lyn Duddy and Lee Pockriss, Fabares’ version of the tune reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 3, 1962.
Fabares also charted in 1962 with the hits “Johnny Loves Me” (No. 22) and "The Things We Did Last Summer" (No. 46), as well as “Ronnie, Call Me When You Get a Chance” (No. 72) in 1963.
Fabares followed up her success on the music charts by starring opposite Presley in three movies in three consecutive years: Girl Happy in 1965, Spinout in 1966 and Clambake in 1967.
It was Fabares’ starring role opposite Craig T. Nelson in the hit sitcom, Coach, however, that elevated the actress’ career to new heights. In the series, Fabares played Christine Armstrong, a television newscaster and girlfriend-turned-wife of Hayden Fox (Nelson), the head coach of the fictional college football team the Minnesota State Screaming Eagles.
The role earned Fabares two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1993 and 1994. Fabares appeared in all 199 episodes of the classic series, which ran for nine seasons from 1989 to 1997.
Fabares’ other major television series included a recurring role in the hit sitcom One Day at a Time, where she starred as Francine Webster over six seasons in 38 episodes, from 1978 to 1984.
The actress also starred in the 1971 TV movie Brian’s Song, where she played Brian Piccolo’s (James Caan) wife, Joy. The drama chronicled the terminal cancer battle of the real-life Chicago Bears player and the strong bond he shared with his teammate, Gayle Sayers (Billy Dee Williams).
Fabares married Farrell on Dec. 31, 1984. While fellow actors, Fabares and Farrell never appeared in any shows or movies together.
Shelley Fabares Appeared In More Than 90 Screen Projects
Born Michelle Marie Fabares on Jan. 19, 1944, in Santa Monica, Calif., Fabares’ screen debut was in a guest role in a 1954 episode of The Loretta Young Show.
Prior to being cast in The Donna Reed Show in 1958, Fabares appeared as a regular in 15 episodes of the Annette Funicello comedy series Annette, earlier that year.
Apart from her starring turns in The Donna Reed Show, One Day at a Time and Coach, Fabares starred opposite Brian Keith in creator Garry Marshall’s sitcom The Little People, which ran for 47 episodes over two seasons from 1972 to 1974.
Fabares also starred in the sitcom The Practice, opposite Danny Thomas, which ran for two seasons from 1976 to 1977, as well as the first season of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman spinoff series Forever Fernwood in 1977.
The prolific actress also appeared in dozens of TV series in a guest capacity throughout her career, which included turns in Annie Oakley, The Twilight Zone, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, Daniel Boone, Mannix, Love, American Style, McCloud, Police Story, Ironside and The Rockford Files.
She also appeared in guest roles in episodes of The Rookies, Medical Center, Barnaby Jones, Marcus Welby, M.D., Vega$, The Incredible Hulk, Fantasy Island, Mork & Mindy, The Love Boat, Newhart and Murder, She Wrote.
Fabares also voiced Martha Kent for the 1996 animated TV movie Superman: Last Son of Krypton, Superman: The Animated Series from 1996 to 2000 and The Justice League in 2003.
Fabares also voiced the mother of Clark Kent for the made-for-video movie Superman: Brainiac Attacks in 2006, which marked her final screen role.