Polly Bergen

Polly Bergen (b. Nellie Paulina Bergin in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 14, 1930 - ) – Actress and singer. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Polly Bergen grew up in Richmond, Indiana, and embarked on a singing career. Partly due to heavy smoking, she abandoned singing altogether in the 1960s in favor of acting on film and television. After appearing in small and supporting roles in film starting in 1949, she landed her first lead in the original Cape Fear in 1962. On television, she had a long run as a panelist on To Tell the Truth (1956-61), hosted her own variety show (1957-58), and won an Emmy for her portrayal of self-destructive singer Helen Morgan (1902-1941) on a episode of Playhouse 90 (1957). Shortly after her award-winning acting role, she recorded Bergen Sings Morgan, one of four albums she made with Columbia. Recently, she has appeared on The Sopranos and Desperate Housewives. As for her singing, she quit smoking around 2000 and enlisted the help of vocal coach Trish McCaffrey. As a result, she received a Tony Award nomination in the category of Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in a revival of Sondheim’s Follies (2001).