Mary Tyler Moore was born on December 29, 1936, in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to a family that relocated to California when she was eight years old. Her childhood was marked by turmoil due to her mother's struggles with alcoholism. Moore attended a Catholic high school, married upon graduation in 1955, and had a son, Richard Meeker Jr., soon after.
Moore's early career began as a dancer, landing her first break in 1955 as Happy Hotpoint, a dancing kitchen appliance in commercials for The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. She transitioned to acting, initially landing guest roles on TV series, before securing a recurring role as Sam, the sultry answering service girl, on Richard Diamond, Private Detective.
Moore's breakthrough came with her role as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, a critically acclaimed comedy that aired from 1961 to 1966. She received multiple Emmy Awards for her work and divorced her first husband, marrying advertising executive Grant Tinker.
After The Dick Van Dyke Show ended, Moore focused on film, starring in five movies, including Thoroughly Modern Millie and Change of Habit. She also appeared in the television movie Run a Crooked Mile, showcasing her dramatic acting abilities.
In the early 1970s, Moore returned to television, creating and starring in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which premiered in 1970. The sitcom was a commercial and critical success, featuring Moore as Mary Richards, a single woman working in a newsroom. The show was known for its realistic portrayal of women and its witty humor.
Moore ended The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1977, but struggled to distance herself from the iconic character. She attempted various projects, including dramatic roles in Ordinary People, Finnegan Begin Again, and Lincoln, for which she won multiple Emmy Awards. She also appeared in the comedy Flirting with Disaster and won a Tony Award for her Broadway performance in "Whose Life Is It Anyway?"
Throughout her life, Moore faced personal struggles, including the deaths of her siblings, her son's suicide, and her own battles with diabetes and alcoholism. She was married three times, with her longest and final marriage being to physician Robert Levine in 1983.
Moore was a vocal advocate for animal rights and diabetes awareness, and she was a vegetarian. She passed away on January 25, 2017, at the age of 80, due to complications from pneumonia and cardiopulmonary arrest.
