Debbie Reynolds was the stage name of Mary Frances Reynolds, an American actress, singer and entrepreneur. Her career lasted more than 70 years. Reynolds’ portrayal of Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three little words earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. Her breakthrough as Kathy Selden in Singing in the rain was her first leading role.
Reynolds played the notoriously rowdy Molly Brown in the biographical film The unsinkable Molly Brown. She also starred in How the West was won. Reynolds was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her work as Molly Brown. Later she played roles in Mother, In out, and Charlotte’s Web. When she played Aggie Cromwell in the Disney Halloween town film series from 1998 to 2006, her talents were rediscovered by a younger generation.
In addition to her acting talents, Reynolds had a number of business endeavors, including owning a dance studio and a Las Vegas hotel and casino. Reynolds was also an avid collector of movie memorabilia, starting with pieces purchased at the historic 1970 MGM auction. She presided over many years. The Thalians, a group that supports causes related to mental health. Reynolds maintained a solid career well into her old age. Reynolds died tragically in 2016 after suffering a stroke at the age of 84. She had two famous children: Todd Fisher, a director and producer, and Carrie Fisher, an actress known for playing Princess Leia in Star Wars, who also passed away. Here’s a list of Debbie Reynolds’ biggest movie roles.
6/6 In out
In the 1997 movie In outfictional actor Cameron Drake (Matt Dillon), honors his high school teacher Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline), after receiving an award by revealing his sexual orientation to millions of people. This comes as a surprise to Brackett’s parents (Wilford Brimley and Debbie Reynolds), his principal (Bob Newhart), and most importantly, his fiancée (Joan Cusack). Brackett comically tries to convince everyone he’s your typical straight American when a media blitz hits his small community in Indiana.
5/6 Three little words
The 1950’s American Music Film Three little words is a biopic of Kalmar and Ruby’s Tin Pan Alley songwriting duo. Along with Vera-Ellen and Arlene Dahl as their husbands, it features Fred Astaire as lyricist Bert Kalmar and Red Skelton as composer Harry Ruby. Helen Kane, a singer, is played by Reynolds in a brief but remarkable appearance. The American Film Institute honored the film by nominating it for inclusion in their 2006 list of the Greatest Movie Musicals.
4/6 Charlotte’s Web
This 1973 animated film Charlotte’s Web, produced by Hannah-Barbera Productions, adapts the well-known children’s story by EB White, in which the young farm pig Wilbur, voiced by Henry Gibson, tries to avert a terrible fate. Charlotte, voiced by Reynolds, a clever spider who develops a fascinating strategy to prevent the friendly piggy from being slaughtered, is Wilbur’s most steadfast ally of all farm animals. While Charlotte’s attempts at writing words into her fine web may seem improbable, they could still succeed. Reynolds called Joseph Barbera and stated that she was willing to participate in the film even if she wouldn’t be paid because she liked the original story so much, according to Joseph Barbera’s autobiography.
3/6 The unsinkable Molly Brown
The unsinkable Molly Brown is a 1964 film based on the book by Richard Morris, which is in turn based on a 1960s musical of the same name. The story is based on the fictional life of Margaret “Molly” Brown, who escaped the sinking of a the RMS Titanic in 1912. Reynolds’ character, Molly Brown, is a country girl who wants to leave her roots and marry a rich man.
Johnny Brown (Harve Presnell), who recently sold his profitable claim to a silver mine in Colorado, is the person who finds them. Molly accidentally sets the hidden money on fire in a stove. But Johnny quickly finds gold and elevates the duo to royal status in Denver. Having money doesn’t guarantee happiness, however, and with their relationship in trouble, Molly sets off for Europe before embarking on an incredible journey back on the Titanic.
2/6 Singing in the rain
A musical romantic comedy from 1952, Singing in the rain with Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Reynolds. The three stars play actors caught up in the transition from silent movies to talkies and playfully portray Hollywood in the late 1920s. The film subsequently gained popularity and has since been used as a reference in countless other movies, TV series, plays, and even in a comic book. One of the first 25 films selected by the U.S. Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1989, per LA Timesbecause it was “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”.
1/6 Halloweentown Series
Disney Channel’s Original 1998 Movie Halloween town would serve as the first chapter in the Halloween town franchisee. The story revolves around Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown), who on her 13th birthday discovers that she is a witch, finds a hidden portal and travels to Halloweentown, a magical location where her grandmother Aggie (Reynolds) also lives and where ghosts, ghouls , witches and werewolves live separately from the human world. Reynolds has done an amazing job portraying the somewhat sassy and sarcastic older witch who seems to genuinely care about her family and wishes her daughter Gwen (Judith Hoag) would embrace her roots. Marnie soon finds herself embroiled in a battle against evil wizards, curses and endless twists and turns. The film was so successful that three more were made, including one with a different lead actress: Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge in 2001, Halloween Town High in 2004, and Return to Halloweentown in 2006. In 2017, rumors surfaced of a fifth film, according to E! Newsbut no official announcement has been made.