Happy birthday, Cloris Leachman!

Oscar- and Emmy Award-winning actress Cloris Leachman/AP photo

Cloris Leachman, the Energizer Bunny of  Hollywood octogenarians, celebrates her 83rd birthday Thursday, April 30.

Leachman, whose autobiography, “Cloris”, was released March 31, is a native of  Des Moines.

In her book, Leachman mentions encounters with two other stars who passed through Des Moines on their way to fame:

• When she was in her teens, Leachman worked at the same radio station as sportscaster Ronald “Dutch” Reagan. At the time, she thought he was a square. Years later, when they worked together in New York, she found him to be quite gallant.
• She’s known singer Andy Williams, an Iowa native, since they were 8. In fact, his aunt was her piano teacher.

Leachman coming to Des Moines

Leachman will present her stage show, “Cloris!”, at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 10, at the Greater Civic Center of Des Moines, 221 Walnut St. Tickets are $47.50 and $62.50 through Civic Center Ticket Office, (515) 246-2300, or www.civiccenter.org

Fun fact

Leachman’s mother-in-law was actress Mabel Albertson, who played Darrin’s mother on “Bewitched.”

Cloris Leachman dances back into spotlight

This is Cloris Leachman’s moment. And the 82-year-old actress and Iowa native is making the most of it.

Among her recent forays into the spotlight is her autobiography, which was released last week. In “Cloris,” co-written by her ex-husband, the Academy Award-winning actress describes her childhood in Des Moines, her colorful career, famous people she knew and worked with (Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Ronald Reagan and Jackie Kennedy among them) and her “epic” affair with actor Gene Hackman.

Leachman’s career comeback received a huge kick last fall when she lasted seven weeks as the oldest contestant on “Dancing With the Stars.” View the video here. (The youngest contestant, by the way, is Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, 17, of West Des Moines, competing this season.)

Since then, the spotlight rarely has been off Leachman.

In January, she was grand marshal of the Rose Parade.

In February, she was the object of Jack Black’s desire in a movie within an episode of “The Office.”

In March, she took on the role of PETA poster gal, posing in a gown made of head lettuce and red cabbage for an ad stating, “Let Vegetarianism Grow on You.”  (A vegetarian for four decades, she posed for the cover of Alternative Medicine Digest in 1997, her naked body painted with images of fruit.)

On May 10, she will perform her biographical show, “Cloris!”,  at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. The 4 p.m. performance will be a benefit for her alma mater, Roosevelt High School.

Leachman was born in Des Moines on April 26, 1926.

While she is best known today for comedy (”The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Young Frankenstein,” “High Anxiety”), Leachman received her Academy Award as best supporting actress in a dramatic role, playing a lonely, middle-aged wife who has an affair with a high school student in 1971’s “The Last Picture Show.”

A steadily employed performer in television since the days of live drama in the 1950s,  Leachman has won nine Emmy Awards, more than any other performer. She is the only actress to have won five Emmys in five categories.

While she has been playing it for laughs in her comeback, she has serious roles in her future, including the movie “Inglorious Basterds” (yep, the word is misspelled on purpose) starring Brad Pitt and directed by Quentin Tarantino.

And then there is “The Story of Bonnie and Clyde.” The Neshoba Democrat in Pennsylvania reports that Leachman has signed on to play Clyde Barrow’s mama in the movie, which will be filmed in Philadelphia and Neshoba County. Playing Bonnie will be Hilary Duff, according to the report.

Fun facts

In 1961, Leachman did a guest shot on “The Donna Reed Show.” Reed, a Denison native, is the only other Iowan to win an Academy Award. (Best supporting actress, “From Here to Eternity,” 1953)

In 1986, Leachman took over as the lead of the TV show “The Facts of Life” when Charlotte Rae (Mrs. Garrett), left the series. Leachman and Rae were classmates at Northwestern University.

Did you know

Leachman was Miss Chicago in 1946, which led to her being a contestant in the Miss America pageant.

Leachman was the mother in “Lassie” in the 1957-58 TV season.