Marilu Henner on Celebrity Apprentice
Marilu Henner has been a Broadway, movie, and television actress for over 35 years, but does she have what it takes to win this year’s “Celebrity Apprentice?”
Marilu was born on April 6, 1952 in Chicago, IL. Her mother Loretta ran the Henner Dance School and served as the president of the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Arts. Marilu began taking dance lessons at age two and by age 14, she was teaching classes. She also studied with the Illinois Ballet Company. She starred as Marty in the pre-Broadway Chicago University production of Grease in 1971. She was asked to join the production on Broadway, but decided instead to join the national touring company, which also featured John Travolta as Sonny. The two would be romantically linked on and off for years, but remained good friends, even appearing together in the movie Perfect. Marilu later appeared on Broadway in Over Here!, Pal Joey, Chicago, and Tales of the Allergist’s Wife.
Marilu’s first movie was 1977’s Between the Lines, which also starred Jeff Goldblum. The next year, 1978, she landed the role which would make her a household name – that of Elaine Nardo in the hit series “Taxi.” It ran for five years and Marilu would appear in 1999’s Man on the Moon, which was about her “Taxi” co-star Andy Kaufman. In 1984, Marilu appeared in Johnny Dangerously with Michael Keaton. She starred with Burt Reynolds in 1985’s Cannonball Run II.
Marilu teamed up with Burt Reynolds again to star in the television series “Evening Shade,” which ran from 1990 until 1994. She briefly appeared on her own talk show, of which she was the executive producer. Her production company also produced “Medicine Ball” for Fox, and the made for television movie “Abandoned & Deceived.” “Abandoned & Deceived” told the story of Gerri Jenson, who founded ACES, an organization to help track down deadbeat moms and dads. She appeared with Jensen in Washington, D.C. in support of legislation to combat the problem of parents not paying child support. Realizing she could help make a difference, she also tried to shed light on the stalking and battering of women in the made for television movie “Fight for Justice: The Nancy Conn Story.”
Marilu is also the author of many books focusing on diet and health. She has written Marilu Henner’s Total Health Makeover, Marilu Henner’s 30-Day Total Health Makeover, Healthy Life Kitchen, Health Kids, I Refuse to Raise a Brat, and Health Holidays. Her show “Shape Up Your Life” is based on the information found in her books and airs on FitTV and The Discovery Channel.
Marilu is the mother of two boys, Nicholas and Joseph, by her second husband Robert Lieberman. She had her pregnancy with Joseph filmed for the 1995 documentary We’re Having a Baby. Marilu married her former college classmate, Michael Brown, on December 21, 2006.
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