Grease To Grit: The Unforgettable Journey of Adrienne Barbeau -Part 1

READ PART 2 HERE:

From Rizzo to Scream Queen – Adrienne Barbeau’s Candid Memoir There Are Worse Things I Could Do Reveals the Woman Behind the Role of Icon:

I have been a huge fan of Adrienne Barbeau since she appeared on television in the role of Bea Arthur's daughter Carol on the hit 1970s sitcom Maude. Maybe it was her raw authenticity that transcended the TV role; maybe it was her natural sensuality, her sharp jawline, glass-cutting cheekbones, and deep brown eyes. Growing up in the sixties and "˜70s, Adrienne Barbeau’s energy immediately drew me in. I care and recognize the contribution of her work across her long career.

I'm also one of those fans who is still steaming over HBO's cancellation of the dramatic and surreal series, Carnivàle. Adrienne's portrayal of Ruthie was not at all surprisingly captivating and jaw-dropping, watching her channel the grit of a wise and weathered soul who dances with Boa constrictors. Adrienne Barbeau's vivid presence embraced the curiosity of this extraordinary show and its transformative storytelling. And there is nothing more evocative and stirring than the sound of Stevie Wayne's smokey tones over the airwaves of KAB in John Carpenter’s The Fog. She sets the mood for one of cinema’s most haunting visions rolling in from the sea.

All I can say is that I'm beyond excited and extremely grateful to Adrienne Barbeau"”this legendary actress, performer, vocalist, author, and now trapeze artist! for granting me an interview amidst her busy schedule while on location shooting her latest project. She is so incredibly gracious with her time to answer my involved questions and sharing with us her perspective on life and her extensive career.

First of all, I can't urge people enough to read Adrienne Barbeau's memoirs There Are Worse Things I Could Do. She is a richly talented storyteller. Her memoir had reached No. 11 on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list in 2006.

In a cheerful, whimsical way, Adrienne Barbeau narrates her life story not only of her wandering existence as an all-around performer but as a versatile, strong, and self-possessed woman.

Her memoirs are witty and self-effacing; it is a lively, joyous, hilarious, intimate account of this genuine actress's life. She shares her adventures, not only her journey as a talented performer (acting & singing) & writer but also the authenticity and raw honesty with which she relates her funny, at times poignant experiences in the search for self-reflection and self-confidence. She boldly talks about her romantic relationships and her long-lasting friendships, both professional and private, putting a hilarious spin on her intelligent, personal narrative. I devoured the book in just two days, captivated by her vivid anecdotes, and it also offers a fascinating glimpse into the industry.

"Wow!! Adrienne, like Mame, has LIVED!!!! And like Candide, she emerges unscathed, as dear as she was when she began. But what a wild ride!!!" – Bette Midler

"There Are Worse Things I Could Do, says Adrienne Barbeau, but she couldn't do anything better than writing this delightful memoir." – Norman Lear

"I've rarely read a "˜Show Biz' autobiography that made me feel as much affection for the speaker." – George Romero

There is so much to take in, from growing up on a farm in California to life at 15 when she unriddles in the dramatic entries of her journals the depth of her teenage angst, philosophizing, and the deep thoughts of a young dreamer with intellectual wanderlust.

Adrienne Barbeau and cast in the Broadway production of Grease, 1972 photo courtesy of Playbill.

Adrienne reflects on her time in the original Broadway production of Grease as Rizzo, a role that helped launch her career. The book offers candid details about her relationships, the tumultuous romance with Burt Reynolds, and her second marriage to Billy Van Zandt in 1992. The couple divorced in 2018. It also tells the story of having twins when she was 54, giving birth to her sons Walker Steven and William Dalton Van Zandt.

Adrienne Barbeau Avoriaz, le 20 janvier 1980. (Photo by Jean-Louis URLI/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Adrienne Barbeau recounts with her readers, behind-the-scenes stories from various productions, including The Fog, Escape from New York, her work on Carnivàle, and more, including her working relationship with director and ex-husband John Carpenter that lasted from 1979 to 1984, working with directors George Romero and Wes Craven, and the grueling physical challenges due to budget cuts that forced constant script changes and challenging shooting conditions that she faced during the filming of his sci-fi fantasy Swamp Thing. All three films and HBO’s TV series have attained cult success.

Adrienne Barbeau and Swamp Thing 1982 courtesy of Embassy Pictures.

Adrienne also discusses her voice acting work in animated features like Catwoman in Batman: The Animated Series and shares a few hilarious misadventures, such as filming on location for the low-budget Burial of the Rats 1995 in war-torn Russia.

Adrienne Barbeau also talks about her debut album released in 1997, the self-titled Adrienne Barbeau, showcasing her versatility further. It's a great collection of country, blues, jazz, and pop tunes she performs in her concert appearances across the country. She went on tour, performing in concerts across the West Coast and Vegas.

She rounds out the book by discussing how prolific she’s been with her series of urban fantasy novels, the first of which was Vampyres of Hollywood, published in 2008.

Her official website is here. Her Instagram is here

The Accidental Scream Queen:

“You get typecast in Hollywood,” she said. “I think ‘Maude’ got everyone thinking I could only play comic women’s libbers. So in my TV work after ‘Maude,’ I did only drama. Now maybe ‘The Fog’ will help people think of me as slightly more versatile.”

The fluidity of labels. Labels are not fixed. The mutable nature of professional labels is challenging for actors who seek to redefine their artistic identities. In the dynamic landscape of the entertainment industry, an actor's perceived typecasting is often a transient construct, subject to evolution and redefinition. Actors are capable of transcending initial labels and reshaping industry perceptions. You can be many things all at once. It's what I call the; ‘Art of being many.’

She is considered a horror legend, yet she doesn’t have a strong affinity for the genre. She doesn't like to be scared, so it is ironic that she became a Scream Queen. It's also interesting that she wound up working with horror director royalty, the likes of John Carpenter, George Romero, and Wes Craven.

Adrienne Barbeau with director John Carpenter on the set of The Fog in 1979.

One reason she earned the title: “Also, because I was identified emotionally and socially with John Carpenter and because the first couple of films were "˜horror films.' Then I've got another label started out. (at first) Oh she's a musical comedy girl, then she's a comedienne. – TV wouldn't even see me for drama until I finally cracked that nut. Oh she's a TV actress, oh she's a film actress, oh but it's horror queen.” (interview with Ernie Manhouse 2015)

"I never set out to act in horror films specifically. I wasn't even aware of the genre, really. But I was offered the role of Stevie Wayne in The Fog, and in those days, if you were known for your work on television, you couldn't get hired to do movies. So when The Fog came along, I jumped at the chance. None of us knew, back in 1979, that the film would still be as much loved today as it was then." And as far as the 2005 remake goes? "I haven't seen the remake. Probably never will." (Jesse Striewski in an interview for Rewind It Magazine interview Oct 28, 2021)

Adrienne Barbeau’s career trajectory is a testament to her versatility and resilience in an industry often quick to pigeonhole its talent. She first captivated audiences on Broadway, showcasing her theatrical chops before pivoting to the small screen, where she honed her comedic timing in one of Norman Lear’s crucible sitcom television series – Maude. Because of her fluid ability to adapt – the series catapulted her to prominence as a feminist standard-bearer and "˜sex symbol' in popular culture.

Adrienne – On the set of The Fog in 1979 with director John Carpenter.

"The Fog was my first feature film. And I think in part because I was married to John by that time and in part because The Fog was a horror film or a fantasy or whatever you call it, ghost film that then the label came. Oh, she does genre movies. They didn't even say genre in those days. She does horror movies. She's a Scream Queen. But it hasn't followed me all the way through. I ended up doing comedies Back to School and Cannonball Run and a lot of stuff that god forbid anybody should see. Which I took for various reasons." – (from the Rue Morgue interview)

As she made the leap to cinema and throughout her journey commanding attention on the silver screen, Adrienne Barbeau’s vibrant presence defies simple categorization. Adrienne’s career arc saw her evolve from a feminist icon in television comedy and drama to a captivating film siren and serious actor who embodies sensuality, resilience, and strength always – with apparent ease. Yet, among the myriad roles she’s inhabited, one label has clung to her from her die-hard fans who have fueled her her image with particular tenacity: is that of Scream Queen. Being the symbol of the genre, far from being a limitation, has become a crown she wears with distinction, a lasting emblem that resonates with fans and cements her status in the pantheon of horror cinema.

However, her career is a vibrant legacy of reinvention, proving that an actor’s essence can be simultaneously multifaceted and as well as iconic.

When she arrived in Los Angeles after her Broadway success, she faced the challenge of industry typecasting. Her theatrical background led to her being labeled primarily as a stage actress. Her transition to television with her role in the sitcom Maude at that time further narrowed perceptions of her as she became widely recognized as a comedienne.

This pigeonholing created significant obstacles for Adrienne when she sought artistic growth and expanding talents to embrace dramatic roles. Yet once again, her success in comedy paradoxically became a challenge to overcome, as she tried to be taken more seriously for dramatic parts and not be limited by a perceived lack of range.

"Maybe I was typecast – I had labels put on me right from the beginning because I started as a musical comedy actress on stage on Broadway.”

Adrienne Barbeau proudly welcomes the designation of Scream Queen with pride; though she has openly acknowledged that she has no interest in watching horror films, I do not have a hard time imagining Adrienne Barbeau in a recurring role as an action hero or badass cop brandishing a formidable weapon. Or having her own television show playing a woman cop like Angie Dickincon's Police Woman.

Adrienne has recognized that she’s more geared toward action movies and thrillers, citing an appreciation for the psycho-sexual suspense masterpiece Alan J. Pakula's Klute 1971, which starred Jane Fonda as high-price call girl Bree Daniels.

Adrienne has stated that she believes part of the reason she winds up exploring the horror world is the volume of offers that keep coming her way, in contrast to other genres. These projects have enabled her to play an emotional spectrum and women survivors who wind up being the heroine and not the victim.

“Those are the kinds of roles I’m drawn to and that I tend to play better than the victim, who knows. Although I didn’t start out doing them. I started out on Broadway doing musical comedy. I was the original Rizzo in Grease, and so, that’s a far cry from where I ended up. But because my first feature was The Fog and it was a genre film, I identified with that genre and I love doing them when they’re good, when they’re well written.” (2020 interview with Coming soon.)

Rob Zombie, Malcolm McDowell, and Adrienne Barbeau on the set of his reiteration of Halloween 2007.

While she has an affection for the horror movies she has a relationship with, she turned down a role in Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects in 2005, voicing her opinion that it was just "˜too much' for her. Zombie's film has a hyper-violent and grotesque vision for the genre that has evolved through a very anti-philosophical lens. The genre’s evolution in contemporary terms has adjusted the mechanisms that constrain its focusing range on the relentless assault on our senses. There are classical horror films that have successfully balanced psychological terror and raw, visceral impact for the audience. If Adrienne Barbeau didn't like being scared before, she certainly wouldn’t want to be involved with a film that disturbs beyond mere catharthis of our collective fears.

Note: Zombie has cast notable, extremely talented classic actresses in his film The Lords of Salem, the other notable Scream Queens – Meg Foster, Dee Wallace, and Judy Geeson. While the casting coup of having Adrienne sign on to the project might have sweetened the pot for me, I still couldn’t bring myself to watch it.

Adrienne, as Stevie Wayne, warns Antonio Bay about the menacing fog.

Nothing about horror film narratives drew Adrienne to the genre initially. Aside from the horror films she had starred in, Adrienne never watched scary movies, not even Hitchcock's seminal thriller, Psycho, in 1960. So, in a big way, the genre sort of found her.

It wasn't until she starred in The Fog that she was offered these types of films. Adrienne has graciously come to embrace the title and has said that she is incredibly grateful and enjoys doing them when they're well-written. She even incorporated a Scream Queen character – Ovsanna Moore, the 500-year-old vampire. into her novels, showing her appreciation for the title.

Adrienne Barbeau poses on the red carpet at Scarefest in Lexington, Ky. Pablo Alcala 2010.

Even if she's not a horror aficionado herself, Adrienne Barbeau's impact on the horror genre is unmistakable. Her nuanced performances, intelligence, versatility as an actress, willingness to take on challenging roles, and commitment to her characters have established her reputation as one of the most respected and enduring, formidable presences as a Scream Queen in the history of the horror genre.

Adrienne Barbeau as Ruthie, the snake charmer in HBO Carnivàle.

"The characters have gotten older. That’s about it. I’m still attracted to strong women’s roles, sometimes the villain, sometimes the heroine, rarely the victim."

Regardless of whether she sought to attain the honored title or not, Adrienne Barbeau's reputation as a queen of horror is cemented across the cinematic and television landscape, from scholarly discourse to popular culture. There's a diverse array of voices in film scholarship and fandom consensus among a chorus of film critics, historians, journalistic critiques, aficionados, genre enthusiasts, and grassroots horror communities alike – affirm that Adrienne Barbeau fervently ranks high on the level of Scream Queen. Her credentials as horror royalty are unassailable, garnering unanimous recognition from the highlights of pop culture.

Whether by design or chance, Adrienne Barbeau has emerged as a celebrated figure of the realm.

Now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about the "˜art of being’ ‘many' other things.

"I'm Armenian. As far as I'm concerned, that explains it all."

Adrienne Barbeau has strong survivor roots. She projects a strength in her work that is a reflection, in many ways, of her Armenian heritage. She comes from a culture of strong women"”her aunts and grandmother"”who survived the genocide in Armenia. Even her mother was a strong, independent woman who went off on her own. So, this resilience is essentially in her DNA. Growing up on stories of these strong women who survived the Turkish massacre. Of course, in more colorful detail, which includes an aunt who wandered the desert naked for weeks, captured by the Turks, and made to work in opium dens, eventually escaping and making her way to America. She lived to be eighty-four, laughing while watching Adrienne in Maude. Compelling stories like this fill Adrienne's bittersweet and witty memoir.

Even the heroine Ovsana, the Armenian vampyre in her novels, mirrors her roots.

"The rest of it, I guess, is the person that I became, or maybe that I grew up as and then became. I'm not a victim [laughs]. I've sort of spent my life trying to grow into"¦if I say a strong person, I mean a capable person or a person who can take care of herself and hopefully take care of the people around her. I would like to think that if I were in a terrifying situation that I would act the way the characters that I've portrayed act [laughs]. I'm never tested. But I value strength in a person."

Adrienne Barbeau has brought a captivating blend of sultry charm and sharp intellect to her work as an actress on screen, on stage, and as an author for decades. Adrienne Barbeau's remarkable career continues to thrive after six decades of protean talent. From the dynamic stages of Broadway to the captivating world of theater and from television to the big screen and still on stage, she has showcased a colorful range of performances. Her journey also encompasses voice work and singing. After her incredibly well-written, honest, and amusing memoir, she set out to create an intriguing series of fiction novels with a truly dynamic and unconventional heroine. Adrienne Barbeau possesses an unwavering authenticity and resilience, highlighting her diverse creative pursuits and passion for storytelling.

Adrienne has also stated that growing up, she never really went to the movies and didn't watch television except for the few shows her grandmother would have playing on the TV.

She never had a silver screen icon that she looked up to. As a young girl, she hadn’t considered acting a viable career until her first and only year of college. She loved acting in community theater but never considered that you could earn a living at it. And – Adrienne Barbeau didn't envision herself as a star of film or television. What she learned, she learned by doing it.

As a young woman, she read the works of Rimbaud, Verlaine, and Baudelaire, as well as books by Mary Renault and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. She listened to Nina Simone and Carmen MacRae on the hi-fi. Nancy Willson, Annie Ross, Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Anita O'Day, Morgnana King and Mabel Mercer.

She began flirting with her career in 1963 near her hometown with the San Jose Civic Light Opera, taking the leap after moving to New York City in 1965 to pursue a career, hopefully to work on Broadway. This bold move foreshadowed her passion for a career defined by her willingness to step outside traditional boundaries"”a trait that would become a hallmark of her enduring career.

As a stage actress, she would go on to star in more than 25 musicals and plays, including Women Behind Bars, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. And for her iconic portrayal of tough cookie, Rizzo in Grease, Adrienne Barbeau received a Theater World Award and a 1972 Tony Award nomination.

Women Behind Bars 1983 at the Roxy in Hollywood photo by Ron Galella Getty images-156119693.

In 1968, she debuted in the chorus in the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, which opened on Broadway in 1964. After that, she moved into the role of Hodel in 1971, Tevye's daughter, and she would quickly become a cultural phenomenon. The New York Times praised it as “a musical that resonates with the heart and soul of its audience, capturing the joys and struggles of family life in a changing world.” Bette Midler played Hodel’s sister, Tzeitel, and the two actresses shared a dressing room and would become very dear friends.

Adrienne says of sitting in the audience, watching Midler’s performance, “She brought me to tears. She was a brilliant actress and a great friend.” (from the interview with Ernie Manhouse in 2015)

Adrienne Barbeau, Bette Midler, and Tanya Everett in the 1967 Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof.

In 1971, after leaving Fiddler, she made the bold move in her early career on the musical stage, playing Cookie Kovac in the lead role in the off-Broadway "˜nudie musical' Stag Movie.

She gained significance and caught audiences' attention in the 1970s with her breakthrough role – originating the feisty character of Betty Rizzo in the original Broadway production of Grease in 1972, which showcased her dynamic stage presence and vibrant singing voice.

Starring in the Broadway production of Grease, Adrienne Barbeau brought to life the engaging character Rizzo, helping launch her career. Her performance earned her a Tony nomination and Theatre World Award. It was her outstanding performance in Grease that brought her to the attention of Norman Lear and led to her being cast as Bea Arthur's daughter, the sassy live wire on the groundbreaking popular hit sitcom Maude, which premiered on television on September 12, 1972, and ran until 1978.

Moving from Broadway, Adrienne Barbeau made the transition to television as Carol Traynor in the groundbreaking television sitcom Maude starring the legendary Bea Arthur.

The show's rehearsals were relatively set up like a stage play, making the adjustment to working in front of the camera a bit easier. Carol was a role that allowed her to flex her versatile acting ability and become inspired by Bea Arthur's brilliant comedic timing. Though approaching the show as the ‘straight-woman’ to Bea Arthur,  Adrienne began showing off her comedic chops as the spirited single mother who butts heads with her irreverent, outspoken, and politically liberal mother, Maude Findley. A trailblazing series created by Norman Lear delivered thought-provoking comedy on some of the most controversial issues of that decade.

As Carol Traynor, Adrienne's portrayal of a liberated and independent young woman resonated with television audiences and solidified her status as a feminist icon of the 1970s.

Critics raved about her fiery intensity as Carol, delivering biting comebacks with impeccable timing. Her authentic chemistry with the master of unmatchable comedic delivery, Bea Arthur, was electric, creating some of the most memorable moments illustrating the conflict and connections of mother-daughter scenes in television history.

Because of the charismatic screen presence she has brought to television, she received a Golden Globe nomination for her work in 1977 for her performance in the enduring television series Maude in the category of Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Despite her early triumphs, she expressed a critical view of Hollywood, characterizing it as a “flesh market," and that she would rather appear in films that “explore the human condition” and “deal with issues." (from Roger Ebert – Chicago Sun-Times 1980)

Adrienne Barbeau and John Carpenter on the set of The Fog LA 1979 photo by Steve Schapiro/Corbis via Getty images-913769562.

In a Feb. 2006 interview with The Terror Trap, she stated, “John is a great director. He knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it. It’s simple, and it’s easy [working with him].”

Adrienne Barbeau's presence took a fascinatingly ironic turn during the 1980s as she became a prominent figure and embraced the horror and science fiction genres"”or perhaps I’ve said earlier, these genres seemed to have embraced her. She wound up starring in some of the most memorable cult classics, including John Carpenter’s The Fog in 1980 and Escape from New York, collaborating with her then-husband John Carpenter. She also appeared in George Romero's Creepshow and Wes Craven's Swamp Thing.

Because of her film debut in The Fog in 1980, her portrayal of the whisky-voiced Stevie Wayne, DJ and radio station owner of KAB, who guides the town of Antonio Bay through the killer clouded air, earned her a loyal cult following.

One of her most transformative roles was as the earthy snake charmer Ruthie in Daniel Knauf's HBO series – the surreal Carnivàle.

To highlight her remarkable versatility, Adrienne Barbeau delved into the world of voice work in leading animated series and the video game market, for example, Selina Kyle, formally known as Catwoman, and the voice of Hera in God of War III.

She even had a stint on the long-running daytime soap General Hospital and FX's original series, playing Alice Noone in the episode Sweet and Vaded for Sons of Anarchy, and she appeared in the Academy Award-winning ARGO.

Adrienne unleashed her musical passions in 2015, playing Berthe, Pippin's grandmother, in the avant-garde production – National Tour of Pippin, hanging upside down from a trapeze, singing "No Time At All."

Along with her wonderful memoir, There Are Worse Things I Could Do; she has written her urban fantasy series Vampyres of Hollywood, along with its dark romantic black comedy sequels, Love Bites and Make Me Dead.

Throughout her career, Adrienne has proved herself to be a woman of the world and continues to maintain a vibrant career, actively participating in various film, television, voice projects, and stage productions. She is also a friendly, familiar face at signing conventions and panels, where she warmly engages with her devoted fans and shares her experiences from her extensive career, highlighting her iconic roles.

Now let's get into The Last Drive In treatment!

"Having grown up poor on the farm, she (Adrienne’s mother) wanted to give me the opportunities she never had. She took me to the Burlingame Conservatory of Music, an hour's drive from our house."

Adrienne Jo Barbeau, born June 11, 1945, in Sacramento, California, has crafted a multifaceted career spanning theater, film, television, voice acting, and writing. Raised in the culturally vibrant city of San Jose, Barbeau’s formative years at Del Mar High School laid the groundwork for her future in the arts.

Her rich heritage, blending Armenian, French Canadian, Irish, and German ancestry, mirrors the eclectic roles she’s embraced throughout her career.

Adrienne grew up in a middle-class suburban home but spent her summers on her maternal grandparents’ twenty-acre grape farm near Fresno in Selma, California. Grandma's 78s on the record player played Eartha Kitt and Frankie Laine. It was the one real home she remembers"”Grandma's house"”even with no indoor plumbing. When she was in fifth grade, her mother had her take voice lessons, having been told that she could sing.

While attending Del Mar High School in San Jose, joining and performing in musicals with the San Jose Civic Light Opera in junior high and high school, graduating in 1963. She also enrolled at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. There, she remained for one year, dropping out when she was 19.

At the time, the Civic Light Opera was a million-dollar money-making operation that put on some really big productions, operettas, stage productions, and musicals. The San Jose Civic Light Opera opened doors for her to shine in musical theater. As a member of the Light Opera, her first role was being cast as Tuptim in the production of The King and I.

"My mother sort of prodded me to take ballet lessons when I was little and then voice lessons in the fifth grade, and by the time I was in high school, I was doing musicals with the San Jose Civic Light Opera, which was a very commercially successful community theatre organization in the San Francisco Bay area."

Adrienne Barbeau’s journey into entertainment began unexpectedly after she graduated high school and joined a USO tour with the Light Opera, igniting her passion for performing. In 1965, after they applied to the State Department, she joined the Light Opera's musical comedy revue on tour and got her first paying job entertaining the servicemen throughout Southeast Asia.

"The first time I got paid – $7.00 a day – was when I did a musical revue for our armed forces in Southeast Asia. We played bases in South Korea, on the DMZ, in Japan and Taiwan and the Philippines, and in Hawaii and an atoll in the South Pacific that was an atomic testing center. I was 18. But my first professional job was a series of roles in a summer stock theater in Michigan; that’s how I got my Equity card."

At that time, she had never thought that people could make a living from acting. She just figured she’d get her teaching credentials and teach Drama or Acting for the enjoyment of it.

All she knew about show business and New York was a girlfriend had been in an Off-Broadway production.

She said, "You ought to go to New York. You could study there, and that's where all the good voice teachers and acting teachers are." So I thought, well, okay, I'll do that. I didn't know a soul. I'd saved a thousand dollars from working in San Francisco. I just packed all my things in boxes and told my mother that when I got an address, she could mail it to me"¦"

Her plan was to go to New York and find a place to live while she started taking classes and auditioning. Something she had only done when she went to San Francisco to try out for the role of Luisa in The Fantasticks.

In 1965, Adrienne arrived in New York at the age of 19. She answered an ad in Back Stage magazine and ended up working at a restaurant called Matty's Mardi Gras, on 47th near Broadway, across from a large Armenian restaurant – the Golden Horn. Matty's nickname was "˜Matty the Horse,' no further explanation needed. After a while, she made more tips by dancing than waiting tables and tending bar.

She began earning money as a discotheque dancer to pay for acting classes. Adrienne wasn't wearing the go-go white vinyl boots, just a black leotard fishnet stockings and black high heels. The leotard was two-piece, and she had sewn fringe and sequins on the top that would shimmer and shine as she danced in cages and on top of a baby grand in New Jersey and Long Island"¦ (a few towns over from where I grew up.) In between, she was taking voice lessons from a voice teacher who almost "˜ended' her.

After a year of studying with this classical vocal coach twice a week, being told that her voice was a wreck, she lost confidence in her singing voice and ended lessons with her.

Adrienne began working in summer stock as a new member of Actor's Equity, but a year later, she still didn't have an agent. She couldn't get an actual appointment for an audition, but at least she could go to the union calls. 150 or 300 people in a basement, knitting, sometimes getting to sing a whole song.

In the summer of 1966, she auditioned for a production of The Pajama Game, belting out "Where is Love" from Oliver and ‘I Enjoy Being a Girl’ from Flower Drum Song. Getting a callback to sing Mr. Snow from Carousel and "˜My Lord and Master' from The King and I. She then called back to dance when they narrowed their selection to eight girls and matched them to the guys they'd already hired. Fortunately, she looked like she fit in and got the gig. This meant a month in the Poconos singing ‘When You're Racking with Clock.’

She started taking acting classes with the top ‘movements’ and approaches to acting of the 1960s. It was a big deal to take classes with Stella Adler – that essentially lasted about a month. She had turned out to be a great teacher for men, but Adler didn't wind up being someone she wanted to study with and decided to quit the day; she got yelled at for walking into class wearing a hat.

Then, heading down to the Village, she started another acting class, this time with Bill Hickey (the wonderful character actor), at HB studios. For Adrienne, she considered these acting classes a wonderful experience.

Her friend Leslie, who was a great musical director, taught her that the key to acting (maybe just in musicals) was to pick up your cues. So for her first scene for Bill Hickey, a dramatic scene, when her acting partner finished talking, she picked up her cue and naturally delivered her line because that's how Leslie taught her to do it. It was for The Days and Nights of Beebee Fenstermaker.

"My scene partner and I rehearsed for days, and when the time came to do the scene in class, I did what I'd been taught was good acting. I picked up my cues. It was a very dramatic scene, and whenever my partner finished speaking. I didn't let a beat go. By. I spoke right away, just the way I had in West Side Story and Carnival and Flower Drum Song. There was dead silence when we finished the scene. Then Bill spoke. "˜You know," he said, "sometimes in life, we THINK before we speak.' I was mortified."

But this was a very eye-opening experience for her and added a new element of acting she could draw on. Moving on to Lee Strasberg's acting class, getting into the great teacher's class was considered a coup. You had to be invited. You can imagine how excited Adrienne was until she actually took his class. Holding an imaginary cup with imaginary steam didn't quite resonate with her. In addition the class had a very exclusive vibe where you didn't get offered to share a scene if you weren't performing on Broadway.

She was dancing at night in New Jersey and at the 8th Wonder on Eight Street in the Village. She did a stint as a tarantella dancer for "Carnavale Italiano" at Mamma Leone's restaurant in midtown. And during the day, she went to auditions.

Later, in an entertaining third-season episode of Maude, the titular character organizes a telethon for one of her charitable causes. The storyline spotlights Adrienne's background in musical theater and earlier work go-go dancing to pay the rent when she shows off her dancing skills"”shaking it on stage with a wonderful Burlesque number.

After settling into her routine in New York City, she made her Broadway debut in 1968. This came after a grueling five-hour audition for Hal Prince and his casting director, Shirley Rich.

"And then on a Friday afternoon in February 1968, I got a call from Hal Prince's casting director, Shirley Rich. We'd never met, but she had my photo and resume on file, thanks to my three-by-five index cards, and she wanted me to audition for Fiddler on the Roof on the following Tuesday. They were replacing an understudy to Levy's second daughter. There was another actress already in the show who would also be auditioning for the understudy role. For the first time ever, a complete sense of certainty settled over me. I knew this was my job. I hadn't seen Fiddler, and I didn't know the role, but I knew I was going to be hired. And it wasn't anything I was doing to myself. I wasn't convincing myself or pretending to be positive to try to overcome my nerves. I just knew.” (pg 71 There Are Worst Things I Could Do)

Adrienne Barbeau was cast to replace the girl who played Levy's second daughter in the original cast of the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, which had been running since 1964. Once again, she began learning by just doing. She then moved into the role of Hodel, Tevye's second daughter, who stands up to her father and runs off with her boyfriend to Siberia.

Hodel is Tevye's strong-willed daughter who defies tradition by falling in love with a revolutionary. Adrienne’s performance showcased her vocal talents and emotional depth, particularly in the poignant song Far From the Home I Love, which reflects Hodel’s struggle between familial loyalty and personal desire.

Adrienne and Bette Midler who played Tevye's eldest daughter Tzeitel, shared a dressing room for two years doing Fiddler. The two have remained lifelong friends.

Dennish McMullen and Adrienne Barbeau in Stag Movie on stage in 1971.

Adrienne Barbeau, Tod Miller, and Stan Wiest in the musical  Stag Movie on stage at Gate Theater in 1971.

During the early 1970s, there were a bunch of nude stage productions"”it was the trend of that time period: Paint Your Wagon, Hair, and Oh! Calcutta! Then there was – Stag Movie.

After leaving Fiddler on the Roof, she appeared in the Off-Broadway show Stag Movie, a musical review that spoofed the porno industry. Naturally, it called for some nudity, and she had to pose for promotional photos for the theatrical programs, which would later come back to remind her.

Barbeau, as Cookie Kovac, and Brad Sullivan, as Rip Cord, were “quite jolly and deserve to be congratulated on the lack of embarrassment they show when, on occasion, they have to wander around stark naked. They may not be sexy, but they certainly keep cheerful,” – Clive Barnes -theater critic for The New York Times Jan. 4, 1971 review.

The play was about a Broadway producer who, having presented three family"type musicals that had all flopped, decides to make a pornographic musical based on the classic stag film.

The show had 13 musical numbers, one of which featured Adrienne singing nude in many of them, some while upside down. But she was the star of the show, which boosted her confidence in her singing. Though she had been cast in the successful Fiddler for two and a half years, this would be her show.

Cookie is a naive young actress cast in an X-rated movie. The musical ran from January to March 1971 at The Village Gate. Bernard Barrow directed Stag Movie, and Doug Rogers wrote the show's musical numbers. The composer rewrote the character of Cookie for her.

"The female lead, Adrienne Barbeau, was amply proportioned and could sing; she sang in clinches and out"”she even sang on her back while miming sexual extremis, which must be some kind of first." (from Richard R. Lingeman- review, Feb. 14, 1971, The New York Times)

"I wasn't chomping at the bit to get onstage unclothed, but I needed to open a show in New York. I needed to get reviewed. I needed to be seen by agents, directors, and producers"¦ And I was. All 123 pounds of me. But this was New York to LA. I wasn't thinking about my weight or my body; I was thinking about hitting the high notes and learning the choreography. Not tap, thank God. Not easy, though, Singing upside down in a headstand on a raked platform with your unfettered breasts hitting you in the chin."

"I wasn't modest. I grew up in the theatre where you're changing clothes backstage and people are walking around. And as I said, I did an off-Broadway musical called Stag Movie And I took it because I had been in theatre for several years and I needed to originate a role in New York because I hadn't been seen that way. I had gone in as a replacement (Fiddler on the Roof)I needed to original a role in the city and get reviewed and have agents and producers come and see it and say Oh, this girl blah blah blah. "

Grease (1972) There Are Worse Things I Could Do:

"Actually, I almost didn't make it into the show. My first audition was just a meeting with the director Tom Moore. He asked me who. My favorite groups were from the 50s, and I told him The Drifters, The Platters, and The Shirelles. I didn't know it at the time, but Tom didn't know a thing about fifties music. He later said that he was just looking for actors who seemed to be feeling the truth and had a feeling for the period. The producers, Ken Waissman and Maxine Fox had hired him because they had seen his production of Welcome to Andromeda. Tom's strength was getting performances that were so realistic the audience didn't believe they were watching actors. That's what Ken and Maxine wanted for Grease. Years later, I was introduced to Madeline Kahn as "˜the girl who played Rizzo in Grease" She said, "˜You're an actress? You were so real I thought you were some chick they found on the streets.' It was a compliment I've never forgotten. And all because of Tom." (pg 88 There Are Worse Things I Could Do)

For her audition for Grease, Adrienne sang Over the Mountain and Love Potion Number 9 and then left town, thinking it was never going to happen, but they called her back.

Adrienne Barbeau originated the role of Betty Rizzo in the Broadway musical Grease, a character beloved for her tenacious, tough, biting commentary and quick wit who hid behind her high-spirited sarcasm to cover up her vulnerability. Betty Rizzo, affectionately known as Rizzo, is a central character in Grease. Adrienne is notable as the greaser chick who is unapologetically herself and refuses to embrace the societal expectations of femininity. Rizzo is the cocky leader of the Pink Ladies, a gang of girls who are navigating the complexities of teenage romance and friendships and embody the spirited defiance of the 1950s.

Rizzo, who, according to Adrienne Barbeau, is nothing like her, is significant for portraying a strong female figure in a male-dominated narrative. She challenges traditional gender roles and represents the complexities of teenage life, making her a memorable and iconic character in musical and film history. The original production bore very little resemblance to what came later. Adrienne’s version of the song was much different. Her singing voice and version of There Are Worse Things I Could Do sounded more substantial, powerful, and reflective, perhaps, as she called it, ‘a little dark.’

Though Stockard Channing's screen version was widely celebrated, it is Adrienne Barbeau who first breathed life into Betty Rizzo's complex persona. Adrienne's nuanced portrayal of Rizzo would lay the groundwork for all future iterations of the character, setting the standard for her enduring appeal. Like much of Adrienne's future work, she imbued the role with a gritty realism, whose layers of bravado reveal a tender core beneath the hardened exterior.

Her performance was a delicate balancing act of sardonic wit with moments of vulnerability, which made Rizzo a very relatable character. She wasn't just tough, an electric and undeniable presence on stage, but in her quieter moments, Adrienne Barbeau allowed glimpses into her inner turmoil, hinting at doubts and fears that drove her rebellious nature.

Adrienne Barbeau’s portrayal mixed fragility and strength, particularly in songs like "There Are Worse Things I Could Do," which reveals Rizzo’s insecurities beneath her tough, confident facade. This role certified her as a Broadway star and earned her a Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award for her creation of Rizzo in the original Broadway production of Grease led her back to California and the role of Bea Arthur's daughter, Carol, in the hit series Maude.

The song "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" nearly did not make it into the production. Producers Ken Waissman and Maxine Fox initially aimed to infuse the lyrics with a sense of 1950s morality. Although the decision to cut the song was challenging, they ultimately felt it was not working. However, Sylvia Herscher, who worked at E.H. Morris, the music publisher, happened to be present in the theater during this pivotal decision-making moment. She advised Ken that the issue wasn't with not the song itself but with the scene that led up to it. It failed to elicit sympathy for Rizzo from the greasers. Without a sense of vulnerability beneath her tough-as-nails exterior, why would anyone care about her? So, Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey revised the scene, and as fate would have it, it became one of the dramatic highlights of the second act.

“The Duality of Desire: Adrienne Barbeau’s Complex & Enduring Sex Appeal:

"Somewhere in the middle of the horse urine (growing up on the farm) and the hypnotist, I became a sex symbol. I never meant to be one. I still don't think of myself that way. But other people seem. What I was in my mind, at least, was an actress delivering straight lines in a comedy series. If the producers needed information related in a scene, my character was the one to do it. "˜"¦ What I didn't know is that when I said those things, I was usually walking down a flight of stairs and no one was even listening to me. They were just watching my breasts precede me." (pg 117 There Are Worst Things I Could Do)

I think part of what makes Adrienne Barbeau sexy is that she doesn't view herself through that lens. I just have to say that there are plenty of us who paid attention to Adrienne Barbeau's acting on Maude, even while she was walking down the stairs, as she would later joke! Adrienne has an inner, earthy sensuality.

"It's odd having people think of you in a way you don't think of yourself. I'm a short woman with a pretty good body and large breasts – that's not what I think of as sexy. Sexy is Anouk Aimee in A Man and a Woman or Jeanne Moreau in Jules and Jim. Sexy is Sophia Loren in Two Women or anything she's ever done. Sexy for me is some inner quality that has nothing to do with the way a woman looks."

“When I look back on my career. I never did play a sex symbol. My first love scene was with Swamp Thing – So in my mind I wasn't really getting offered those kinds of roles.”

The popularity of Adrienne Barbeau's 1978 cheesecake poster only fortified her status as a sex symbol. Part of her decision to do the poster was, in a way, a spoof on the earlier nude promotional photos from her musical Stag Movie that came back to haunt her. It was her way of evening the score somewhat.

 

""¦ by posing in what I thought was a middle suggestive manner, clothed, of course, in a purple Merry Widow corset type of thing. And I found that that poster nearly outsold the Farrah Fawcett, Cheryl Ladd, Suzanne Somers, and Cheryl Tiegs posters of the day"¦

"¦ I wanted to show America a new image of myself; I wanted to say that I am not the girl next door, that I am me. It was the seventies"¦ I had been on Maude for five seasons, and I wanted to capitalize on my sensuality. I had great fun with that poster, and it became one of the best-selling posters right behind those women. You know, I did attempt to follow that poster with another idea. I posed, kind of like a sexy All-American girl, just wearing a Rocky T-shirt. But I did not like the background. So it did not happen after all. I guess that one successful poster was bound to be the big hit that it was for many reasons."

TW: You are, to this day, a sex symbol to millions. Are you comfortable with that?

AB: “You know, the funny thing about that label is that I've probably only done two or three sex scenes in my career "“ and the first one was with a slimy green monster. But I don't mind, not at all. As long as that's not the only label they pin on me.” (The Time Warriors and Beyond 2020 interview)

“To me a sex symbol was Raquel Welch. Truly, if you look at my body of work except for Cannonball Run," I never had a love scene until I did Swamp Thing, and that was with a monster. That was just something that was put on me because of the way I was built. That wasn't anything in my head. But if it enabled me to compete for a role, then why not.” (interview with The Boston Globe 2017)

"I mean, I wanted to be a good actress. I wanted to get the jokes. But you know what, whatever works. I just wanted to show up and do good work "” I certainly never minded "” it was fine with me"¦. " – (from Rue Morgue interview)

“It just happened to be that I looked the way I did – I had never thought about it.” 

Defining a Decade: Adrienne Barbeau as Carol Traynor in her Television Breakthrough Debut in Norman Lear's Maude:

And Then There's Maude (1972-1978):

After she was nominated for the Tony Award for Grease, Norman Lear had either read reviews or heard that she was nominated for a Tony and sent his casting director to see Adrienne who was still performing in the show.

When Lear pitched the role of Carol to her for his new television sitcom, Maude, his casting people called her in for an interview in L.A. At first, she got word that she looked too young to be a mother of a 7-year-old son. She figured, well, that’s that, and went back to doing Grease. They called and said they wanted her back in L.A. for an audition; they couldn’t find what they were looking for. They gave Adrienne three scenes for her audition, and she got the part, moved back to California, and the rest is history. For Adrienne, it was a logical step.

"The only TV show I remember watching aside from I Love Lucy, my grandpa's westerns, and my grandma's tear-jerking game shows, was Adventures in Music with Karla Pandit. That was the extent of my experience with television. She was doing 8 weeks on stage she wasn't watching prime time."

Growing up, Adrienne Barbeau didn't know anything about television, particularly regarding the profound influence it would ultimately have on her career.

"The difficult time I had was going from stage to television. I had been in Grease playing this character who was a long way away from me. Then I went into Maude, where it took me a while to realize that they had hired me because they saw something in me that was right for the character. So I didn't have to go outside myself to act. I could just sort of tap in. I didn't have to create anything. If Carol was really angry, it wasn't like, "Oh my God, what am I going to do? I just had to sort of be Adrienne being Carol. And that worked."

" I think if anyone other than Bud Yorkin and Norman had been producing, they would have fired me. I wasn't "˜bringing anything to the table' as an actor. Norman kept telling me to relax and trust myself that I was really good, and if I couldn't trust myself, then to trust him because he knew I could do it, and he wouldn't have hired me if I couldn't."

Adrienne Barbeau has said in her memoirs that Norman Lear, who was the driving force behind Maude's liberal advocacy, was the first genius she'd ever met (pg 103). It has been said of Norman Lear, "He knew how to tell a story. He didn't always write great comedy, but he ‘rewrote’ great comedy."

In the groundbreaking sitcom Maude, created by Lear and airing on CBS from September 12, 1972, to April 22, 1978, Adrienne Barbeau played Carol Traynor, the divorced, rebellious single mother and daughter of Maude Findlay. Adrienne took over the role from Marcia Rodd, who had originally played Carol in the backdoor pilot featured on an episode of All in the Family. Maude is Edith Bunker's cousin.

The show would star iconic comedienne Bea Arthur as the titular character – who is on her fourth marriage. Maude is an outspoken, politically liberal woman living as a suburban housewife in Tuckahoe, New York. The series, a spin-off of Lear's All in the Family, continued to set the tone for a new movement in television sitcoms notable for boldly taking on sensitive or burning topics. The show's comedic brilliance stems from its nuanced ability to approach controversial subjects, pushing the boundaries through the prism of razor-sharp wit.

Maude was a significant part of the 1970s television landscape, known for its character-driven narratives and willingness to tackle provocative issues, like middle-class white feminism, class, gender, abortion ( a radical topic at the time), and race relations, often through the lens of Maude's strong-willed personality.

Making the passage from stage to television, Adrienne Barbeau noted that she was able to adapt to the format because the show's rehearsals were structured similarly to those of a stage play. Maude has a familiar quality reminiscent of Norman Lear's All in the Family. Both shows were filmed in front of a live audience, which made the transition easier for her.

What distinguished the ensemble of actors was their background working in theater. They had already mastered their art and knew how to connect with the audience.

"That's what Norman always did when he was casting. And it helped because we shot the show like a stage play we rehearsed for 3 1/5 to 4 days and we did it straight through with a live audience. Didn't stop. If we really were in trouble then we'd stop and pick it up. Then between the first show and the second show then they'd do their rewriting. This joke didn't work. There were two versions of the same episode and it was up to us to learn the new material – learn the new blocking – while we were eating dinner -and just go out and do it again. As though it were a stage play.”

“The first problem that I met up with was I was playing Rizzo in Grease, a character quite different than myself, and it took me a while to realize that I had been hired to play Maudes daughter because basically they saw me, as Maude's daughter. I didn't have to go outside of myself – I wanted to "˜act.' The other problem which I guess was a technical problem, was toning it down. If you've been out there playing musical comedy and kicking up your legs and making big broad gestures I guess you have to realize that the camera is much more intimate.” (from the wonderful interview with Ernie Manhouse for InnerViews 2015)

Adrienne stepped into the role of Carol, and though she initially felt a bit challenged about her place in the show, she perfectly reflected the role within the story of the changing attitudes of the reactive decade of the 1970s.

As Adrienne Barbeau’s profile rose through her portrayal of Carol, the cultural zeitgeist began to view her as an embodiment of women's rights and feminist ideals. She became inextricably linked with the cause of feminism. The media's sudden focus on the progressive issue tackled by the show made Adrienne, an actress and public figure, a voice for women’s empowerment.

“I had never clarified myself – my philosophical ideas about being in the world. I was a young woman trying to start a career in New York, so all I was thinking about was what do what I need to do to be the best I can as an actor, musical comedy performer what ever. The media came to me as a spokesperson for the womans movement. I sort of had taken it for granted that I was doing what I was doing you know. I guess if I look back at it, my mom – she worked all her life she – raised two children by herself. She was an independent woman. But I came from a line of Armenian women who were strong and did what had to be done. So Maude helped me to identify what was important to me and women's rights were important to me and the issues that we were dealing with on Maude were important to me and I was aligned with them. It made me realize I was aligned with them. And suddenly I became a spokesperson for all of these other issues.” (from the wonderful interview with Ernie Manhouse 2015)

Adrienne would eventually be invited to meet President and Mrs. Carter at an ERA reception at the White House several years into Maude. Because the show focused on social issues, particularly women's rights, Adrienne became very hypersensitive about the subject's weight.

"I realized we were having an impact," she says. "I love shows like that, that have some social significance. Whatever you believed in, we were about something. I was very proud."

"I think the one thing that helped was that Carol, my character on Maude, was not so very specific or so much a character, a type, let's say. She was written straight, and that's the way I played her. People who have had to play very strong or specific characters, like Sally Struthers did in All in the Family, had to overcome even more than I."

Her chemistry with Bea Arthur infused their witty banter and often potent interactions as they engaged in volatile mother-daughter exchanges about the struggles women faced navigating social norms and societal expectations even amidst their own personal dynamic. This was pretty powerful stuff for that decade in television. Carol's relationship with Maude is masterfully depicted, capturing both at times heavy, comedic, and poignant moments as they navigate the complexities of their generational divide and the personal challenges families face; in addition to Bea Arthur's incredibly giving spirit, she was a "Warm, loving, and funny, funny surrogate mom who could cook rings around the rest of us. Bea was the most giving actress I could ever hope to work with."

Opening Night of Bermuda Avenue Triangle Bill Macy and Bea at Tiffany Theater in W Hollywood, photo by Ron Galella via Getty Images 105282376.

Conrad Bain became like a surrogate father, and the rest of the cast, an incredible ensemble character actors, all became like a family – Ester Rolle's strong, dignified portrayal of Florida Evans, a proud black working-class mother who taught Maude a thing or two about middle-class women's -white fragility – was one of my favorite aspects of the show's first two seasons.

Conrad Bain was brilliant as the stuff-shirted pompous assed conservative. Their fiery chemistry mixed with revelation and deep affection hidden below the contentious banter was one of the show's defining foci, and Broadway stage comedian Bill Macy as Bea's husband Walter Findlay of Findlay's Friendly Appliances all share hilarious exchanges in Maude's orbit as she fights for women's voices to be heard.

Of course, Rue McClanahan as the delightfully flaky best friend and neighbor Vivian was delicious and really came into her own as the randy Southener Blanche Devereaux in The Golden Girls, a show that Maude's Susan Harris also developed.

According to Rue McClanahan’s autobiography, when Bill Macy dropped his pants as a prank, shouting a raunchy joke to the audience at a 1974 Emmy Awards ceremony, the consequence was the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences telling Norman Lear the show would no longer be eligible for an Emmy – until 1977 when Bea Arthur won for Oustanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

"It wasn't until early in our second season that I started doing good work. We shot our first "˜telethon' show, the lot of which involved Maude raising money for some cause and insisting that everyone in the household perform. Suddenly I was back in my metier, singing and dancing and I knew how to do that. Finally, I was comfortable and no longer self-conscious. My confidence returned, my insecurities disappeared, and Maude's daughter became a character people remember."

Around her third year working on Maude, Adrienne Barbeau started venturing into television movies and guest appearances on other series. She deliberately sought out dramatic and non-comedic roles, aiming to demonstrate her versatility as an actress and challenge the perception that she was limited to comedy.

The irony of Maude is that though it was primarily billed as a comedy, its groundbreaking approach to tackling serious social issues often blurred the lines between humor and drama. The show’s willingness to confront controversial topics head-on, such as abortion, alcoholism, and mental health, infused many episodes with an uncommon dramatic flex, like Lear's All in the Family; these un-traditional sitcoms of the era, in essence, engaged with dramatic content. They were witty dramas. Adrienne Barbeau was working within a dramatic context, not just a comedic one.

[on her on- and off-screen chemistry with Bea Arthur, who played Maude Findlay]: She was fantastic. She is fantastic… It was a great experience, all six years. Wonderful people to work with and something to be so incredibly proud of, which I took for granted at the time because I came from the stage, so I didn’t know television at all. I didn’t even know what was on. I didn’t know Norman Lear’s reputation or anything like that. It took me a while to realize that I had fallen into such a fantastic work situation. And most of that was because of Bea – because she’s such a professional, such a great woman to work with. We had a great time.

Bea Arthur had no ego as an actress. She was a true team player. Even with her collaborative spirit, I think only Bea herself could have made “God'll get you for that!" sound like pure gold. Nobody had comedic timing like Bea Arthur. This is an indisputable fact. The only thing Bea Arthur cared about was making the show the best it could be, and if that meant giving someone else the joke, she was the first person to suggest it.

[In describing Bea Arthur as a private lady, in real life]: “She wasn’t interested in the notoriety. She wasn’t interested in celebrity. She was interested in making people laugh and doing good work.”

"So I learned an enormous amount from her. Just by being in her presence. Just from hearing her delivery. Just by watching her. She was fearless in her ability to just stand there and wait for that laugh and keep going. I think I brought a good sense of professionalism to my craft even before we worked together because I had, just as she had, been raised in the Theatre. When you start out as a stage actress, you learn a great deal of professionalism. Or you get kicked out. And you learn to appreciate the job that everyone around you is doing: the stagehands, the director, the stage manager."

"Bea didn't have to be the star. The show was the star. And she was committed to doing whatever it took and doing the best she could. So I learned all of that from her. I learned, and maybe I didn't know it then, but I certainly learned it later on, on other shows because people did not react like that, but"¦ if we had a guest star and they had five lines or no lines or they were a celebrity, Bea was the first one to introduce herself and introduce everyone else. She was really welcoming that way., It's hard if you're a guest star on a show and you walk into a group of people who have been working together for three years. Some of them don't even want to be there anymore"¦ it's like, say your lines and see if you can find the bathroom. But Bea – was just wonderful." ( from Adrienne's memoir There Are Worst Things I Could Do)

Bea Arthur: "You just say the words like you mean them!" Bea Arthur shared her wisdom that being and knowing yourself was the key to acting.

Adrienne Barbeau considers herself very fortunate to have been a part of such an essential, groundbreaking sitcom. She especially loved playing Bea Arthur's daughter and has always maintained that Bea was absolutely the best to work with in every way. They had fantastic chemistry on and off camera, and the two remained friends right up until Bea Arthur's death on April 25, 2009.

Adrienne Barbeau on Bea Arthur in a 2018 interview with Dread Central: “I was doing an interview for this one-woman show that I am doing, and the interviewer asked, ‘What do people usually ask you,’ and I said, ‘They always want to know what it was like working with Bea.’ She was fantastic and, you know, I realized years later how much I took it for granted because it was my first experience on television. I just assumed that everyone was as giving as she was, as professional as she was, that everyone who was doing a TV show showed up knowing their lines and showed up on time and was willing to say to the writers, ‘I think this line was funnier if Ady had said it or Conrad had said it or Bill had said it.’ I mean, she was just the best, she was the best, very funny. She was not Maude when she wasn’t saying those lines. I don’t know if I’d say she was quiet. She was a homebody. She had her sons, her dog, and her cooking, and she wasn't into the celebrity scene, and she was a great lady. I loved her dearly, and we had a great cast, and they were my family for six years. I loved each of them and all of them, and it was the best experience anyone could’ve had, being introduced to television like that!”

Coming up next is Part 2, which includes my fantastic interview with this beloved icon!