Meghan Markle is reportedly asking for an apology from the royal family before returning to the UK after allegedly turning down an invite for her and her kids next month.

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are perhaps one of America’s favorite couples. They have been together for almost three decades now and share three children together.

Their eldest child just turned 27 years old, and they shared some pictures of the young man, and people have a lot of thoughts!

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are celebrating the 27th birthday of their firstborn child, Michael. To mark the occasion, the proud parents took a trip down memory lane and shared some heartfelt pictures of their son over the years.

The Live With Kelly and Mark hosts took to Instagram to post a cute video featuring images and videos of their firstborn. The caption read, “Happy 27th birthday to the founding member of our family @Michael.Consuelos you got the ball rolling, baby, and we love you!”

Reports circulating within entertainment circles suggest that legendary rock guitarist Jimmy Page, aged 79, is making headlines once again, this time for his purported plans to expand his family. According to these reports, Page is allegedly intending to welcome a child with his 34-year-old girlfriend, poet Scarlett Sabet, in the year 202

Page’s relationship with Sabet, a respected poet and writer, has been the focus of media attention in recent years, with the couple frequently making public appearances together. Despite the significant age gap between them, Page and Sabet’s relationship has endured, prompting speculation about their future plans as a couple.

Ben Affleck has reluctantly agreed to do damage control while he hashes out a divorce settlement with Jennifer Lopez, but he’s far from happy or comfortable about it. The actor is braced for a wretched summer as the pair’s blended family falls apart at the seams, a source exclusively tells In Touch.

“The last thing Ben wants to do is hurt Jen. He still loves and respects her,” the source explains. “And, of course, the family situation comes into this heavily, which is why he’s agreed to do this in a civilized and loving way, just like he did with Jennifer Garner.”

While In Touch first reported that Ben, 51, and Jennifer, 54, were “headed for a divorce” in May, the A-listers have yet to officially file to end their marriage. Before they take that next step, “they’re going to get all their ducks in a row,” the insider says, noting that this “seems to be the standard practice in Hollywood these days” so that there’s “no messy court battle.”

“Ben is far from comfortable right now,” the source adds. “Besides being busy with a lot of his own work, he’s got J. Lo’s mood swings to cope with, phones ringing off the hook, and the press hounding him 24/7. Plus, a lot of people in J. Lo’s world and the public are treating him like the bad guy.”

Amid their marital issues, Ben and Jen are putting their kids first. He shares three children with ex Jen Garner, 52, while she has teenage twins with ex Marc Anthony. “The biggest weight on Ben’s shoulders right now is the kids and managing this situation as best he can for their sake,” the insider reveals. “It’s going to be a very tough adjustment, so his priority is being sensitive to that and making this as smooth for them as he possibly can.”

Although the Oscar winner and his wife, who tied the knot in July 2022, are not currently living together, they have been spotted together in public several times in recent weeks while attending events for the children. “[The kids] are being very mature and Ben’s proud of how they’re handling it,” the source adds. “But he’s also very aware that it’s a big change and not something he wants to rush through.”

Still, he’s “not backing down” and is “100 percent committed” to going through with the divorce. “It’s just a question of timing,” the insider concludes. “He’s telling friends that he’s looking forward to the next chapter. He wants a life of serenity and peace. Escaping this roller coaster will be a relief.”

Ron Howard has been famous for almost all of his 70 years. He’s had a nonstop career in film and television, starting as a toddler.

Besides his impressive career, Ron has also had a long-lasting marriage. He has been married to his wife Cheryl for almost 50 years.

Keep reading to learn more about Ron Howard, his long career, and his long marriage!

Ronald Howard was born on March 1, 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma. He would grow up to become a Hollywood legend.

Howard started acting when he was only 18 months old, appearing in his first film, Frontier Woman. By the time he was two, he was on stage in The Seven Year Itch.

After his early start in the entertainment world, Ron Howard became known for his role as Opie on The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 to 1968.

During this time, playing the son of Griffith’s character, Howard had the support of his parents, who were also in the entertainment business.

Ron remembers a conversation he had with his parents when he was younger. They said, “Remember how we always said, ‘You can do it if you want, but you don’t have to?’ Well if you start this, you can’t quit. You don’t have to do other parts on other shows if you don’t want, but you’d have to keep doing this one.”

Ron Howard understood the message his parents gave him. He says, “I think it was pretty clear at that point that I was enjoying it, and I was good at it.”

In fact, he was really good at it, and he was about to become a big star.

While he was on The Andy Griffith Show, Howard also acted in a movie called The Music Man in 1962. It was a musical and it did really well.

He was a natural talent. Then, in 1973, he starred in American Graffiti. It also had actors like Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, and Cindy Williams, who he would work with again in the future.

In 1974, Ron Howard got a big role as Richie Cunningham in a new show called Happy Days, created by Garry Marshall. The show was on TV from 1974 to 1984 and was watched by people all over the world.

Happy Days was so popular that it led to other shows, like Laverne & Shirley, which starred Cindy Williams and Garry Marshall’s sister Penny, and Mork & Mindy, with Robin Williams as the funny character Mork from Ork.

Before he won a Golden Globe for his role as the innocent teenager on Happy Days, Ron Howard met his high school sweetheart, Cheryl Alley, in 1970. They got married in 1975.

“I met her, and there was never anybody else,” Speaking with People, the director of the Da Vinci Code continued, “She’s unbelievably supportive and always has been. Our compatibility has endured through all kinds of experiences.”

After 50 years of shared experiences, Howard, who earned an Oscar for directing A Beautiful Mind, commemorated the 50th anniversary of his first date with Cheryl on Instagram.

On November 1, 1970, Ron Howard and Cheryl went on their first date. Ron shared a photo of himself wearing socks with Cheryl’s face on them. He wrote, “We went to see a movie called It’s a Mad Mad Mad World and then got pizza at a place called Barnone’s in Toluca Lake. Quite a start, right?”

He also said they planned to drive the same 1970 VW Bug they drove on their first date. It still runs great, just like their relationship.

Cheryl appeared in some of Ron’s projects and even played herself on a TV show called Arrested Development, which Ron produced and narrated.

Ron calls Cheryl his “good luck charm.” That’s why she appears in every movie he makes. He told the Television Academy this in an interview.

“I got really superstitious about making sure she appears, at least a little bit, in every movie,” Ron said. “It doesn’t have to be a big part, but she’s gotta be in there.”

Besides bringing him luck, Cheryl is also a writer. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in screenwriting.

The couple has four children: daughter Bryce, twins Paige and Jocelyn, and son Reed. They’re also grandparents to six children.

Bryce, a well-known actor, has been in movies like Jurassic World and The Help. Paige started her movie career in Adventureland in 2009. She’s also been in movies like The Employer and Collection.

Reed is a professional golfer. Jocelyn, Paige’s twin sister, keeps her life private.

Ron and Cheryl are about to celebrate their 49th anniversary on June 7th. Ron, who has won an Emmy Award, says that “communication” is the secret to their lasting love.

What’s your favorite movie or TV show featuring Ron Howard, the talented actor, director, and producer?

Share your thoughts with us, and then pass this story along so we can hear from others too!

King Charles is dealing with a big health problem. The leader of the British monarchy has been told he has cancer, as said by the Palace.

We don’t know exactly what type of cancer he has or how serious it is. But the Palace told everyone that he’s starting treatment today.

A few days ago, King Charles went to the hospital for surgery because his prostate was enlarged. It was supposed to be a normal operation, but while doing it, doctors found out about the cancer. Even though they haven’t said what kind of cancer it is, it’s not prostate cancer.

The statement from Buckingham Palace said, “During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.”

The statement also says that because of his treatments, King Charles will have to delay or change his royal responsibilities.

“Today, His Majesty started getting regular treatments. Doctors have told him to hold off on doing public events for now. But he’ll still do his official work and paperwork like always.”

“The King is thankful to his doctors for acting quickly to help him, especially after his recent hospital visit. He’s staying hopeful about his treatment and wants to get back to his normal royal duties as soon as he can.

He decided to tell people about his cancer to stop rumors and to help others understand what’s going on, especially those who are dealing with cancer themselves.”

The King’s most recent photo was taken yesterday, a day before his diagnosis was disclosed with the public.

He was seen waving the crowd with his wife Camilla while on their way to the church service in Sandringham.

According to People magazine, King Charles told his sons about his diagnosis himself. William talks to his dad every day, but Harry, who lives in sunny California with Meghan after they left their royal roles, is planning to visit Britain soon.

The King also told his brothers and sister, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, about his diagnosis before it was announced to everyone.

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Actress Kathy Bates has been a staple on television and movies for decades. She is known to play fierce characters and in real life, she is just as intimidating.

The actress was diagnosed with a chronic condition that forced her to make some very drastic changes…

In 1970, Kathy Bates headed to New York to try her luck at acting. She reminisces about the time, how she was never an ingenue but managed to make it work. “I was never an ingenue,” she says. “I’ve always just been a character actor. When I was younger, it was a real problem, because I was never pretty enough. It was hard, not just for the lack of work, but because you have to face up to how people are looking at you,” Bates said.

Her broadway career took off in 1980 when she played Stella May in Come Back To The Five And Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. The actress lost out on film-screen adaptations of characters she played a few times. But when she turned 42 years old, she turned into a successful start almost overnight because of her role as a psychotic fan in Misery which even earned her a best actress Academy Award.

She talked about the kind of roles she received saying, “You’re either young and glamorous and you’re going to get the lead, or it’s the opposite: you’re not attractive enough. So you’re playing the friend or the killer or the lesbian or the doctor or whatever,” she said. “But the one who gets to play the young, pretty, gets-the-boy-at-the-end role doesn’t have any power. And vice-versa: a character can have power, but not femininity.”

She started directing episodes including some for shows like Homicide: Life On The Street, NYPD Blue, Oz and the hugely successful TV series Six Feet Under.

Actress Kathy Bates has been a staple on television and movies for decades. She is known to play fierce characters and in real life, she is just as intimidating.

The actress was diagnosed with a chronic condition that forced her to make some very drastic changes…

In 1970, Kathy Bates headed to New York to try her luck at acting. She reminisces about the time, how she was never an ingenue but managed to make it work. “I was never an ingenue,” she says. “I’ve always just been a character actor. When I was younger, it was a real problem, because I was never pretty enough. It was hard, not just for the lack of work, but because you have to face up to how people are looking at you,” Bates said.

Her broadway career took off in 1980 when she played Stella May in Come Back To The Five And Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. The actress lost out on film-screen adaptations of characters she played a few times. But when she turned 42 years old, she turned into a successful start almost overnight because of her role as a psychotic fan in Misery which even earned her a best actress Academy Award.

She talked about the kind of roles she received saying, “You’re either young and glamorous and you’re going to get the lead, or it’s the opposite: you’re not attractive enough. So you’re playing the friend or the killer or the lesbian or the doctor or whatever,” she said. “But the one who gets to play the young, pretty, gets-the-boy-at-the-end role doesn’t have any power. And vice-versa: a character can have power, but not femininity.”

She started directing episodes including some for shows like Homicide: Life On The Street, NYPD Blue, Oz and the hugely successful TV series Six Feet Under.

In her personal life, the actress has experienced some setbacks related to her health. She was diagnosed with cancer twice in her life; in 2003 and 2012. In 2003 she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and with breast cancer in 2012.

Following her breast cancer surgery, actress Kathy Bates started to open up about her lymphedema diagnosis. She works as the spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network.

She opened up about having lost 80 pounds over the last few years. The actress has to wear compression sleeves so her arms do not swell up. She makes sure to wear them when flying or doing a strenuous task because without them her condition tends to flare up.

She has to remind herself to slow down in order to manage the condition, the actress said, “If I can stop rushing, relax my shoulders, straighten my spine, breathe deeply, and focus on each little moment of completing a task, I have more confidence in my ability to live with LE. The pandemic forced me to slow down.”

She advises anyone with the condition to not let it stop them from living their life. The actress said, “Going out in public wearing a compression garment, especially when people aren’t educated about LE, can sometimes be more painful than the disease itself. However, hiding at home and living a sedentary life will only make things worse for your body and brain.”

She stressed on making sure to not let your condition define you; something she makes sure to do herself as well.

The ex-husband of Queen Camilla, Andrew Parker-Bowles, is well on his way to finding love again with a face familiar to most who call the UK home, according to reports.

The former Royal Horse Guards officer, 84, is said to be dating TV host and actress Anne Robinson, 79, 14 years on from the passing of his second wife, Rosemary Dickinson, in 2010.

Of course, Parker-Bowles is perhaps best known for his first marriage, the 22-year union he shared with Camilla, now wife to the King of England, Charles.

Andrew and Camilla divorced one another in 1995, one year prior to the former’s marriage to Rosemary Dickinson, while Camilla famously tied the knot with then-Prince Charles in 2005.

It was widely reported that Andrew had engaged in numerous extramarital affairs during his marriage with Camilla, including several with women she considered friends.

Following the death of his second wife, Rosemary, Andrew’s love life has largely flown under the radar until recently. Reports strongly suggested in 2023 that he was dating TV host Anne Robinson, and Robinson appears to have now confirmed the speculation as true.

In a candid interview, the journalist gave a typically snappy answer to the question of whether or not she was romantically involved with Camilla’s former husband.

“Yes. Full stop. Mind your own business,” the former Weakest Link host revealed.

As for Anne, the 78-year-old has been single for some 17 years following her divorce from former husband John Penrose in 2007.

“I’d say that like everything else I’ve done, it’s always worth the risk,” she said of her romance with Andrew. “I’m a great believer in surprising yourself by taking risks. Personally and professionally.”

Indeed, feedback online seems to be largely positive, with fans happy that Andrew and Anne have found each other later on in life.

“84❤️79, we need more love stories like this,” wrote one commenter on Facebook.

“She certainly looks better than his ex-wife and hopefully has a better personality,” another said.

“He clearly has a type lol,” a third person quipped.

Camilla and Charles, meanwhile, recently headed up to Aberdeen, Scotland to celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary. Photos last month depicted the couple arriving at Aberdeen Airport after flying in from London.

Queen Camilla has been a rock for her husband recently following the shock announcement of his cancer diagnosis, while her popularity among the British public has surged since the initial troubled start to her royal tenure in the wake of the beloved Princess Diana’s passing.

If you like reading about all things royal, check out the article below for more:

Once can assume that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s life in the US hasn’t been half as private as the lives they implied to the public that they wanted to live. Instead the Sussexes have – in no small part thanks to their Netflix and Spotify deals – had a very publicized existence since leaving the Royal Family. Suffice it to say that Harry’s memoir, Spare, didn’t exactly help to quell interest.

While Harry and Meghan’s children will soon start kindergarten and preschool, the Sussexes are allegedly having problems. In the past it’s been rumored that although they wanted to be a part of Hollywood celebrity society, many A-listers didn’t want anything to do with them. Now, new reports suggest that Harry’s friends don’t want to visit him.

The Duke hasn’t journeyed home to the UK often of late. Harry and Meghan, you’ll remember, were evicted from Frogmore Cottage by King Charles, and since then haven’t had a “base” in the prince’s old home country.

If we’re to believe reports though, a shock return could be on the table, with one royal expert suggesting that Harry is looking for a ‘permanent’ home in the UK… and for one sad reason.

“She has reached the point now where she thinks that anything and everything she does will be unfairly criticized. Like her husband, she feels that people are unfairly picking on her – she cannot understand why people don’t admire her work.”

The royal expert added: “She is especially sensitive about any criticism of her luxurious lifestyle in the US – from her point of view this is something to be admired not criticized.”

Harry & Meghan Markle labeled “low-grade reality stars” by Hollywood actor

Harry and Meghan’s current life in Montecito, California, looks markedly different from the one they left in the UK. Above all else, they aren’t followed by paparazzi everywhere, and the mere fact that Meghan was able to give birth to daughter Lilibet in relative peace – compared to when Archie was born in the UK – was life-changing.

As they settled into their new life, Harry was foremost seen at the Santa Barbara polo club, not far from their Montecito mansion, while Meghan spent more time in Los Angeles, about a 90-minute drive away.

The Sussexes were both said to have wanted to make their way into Hollywood’s celebrity society. But according to Hollywood insider, broadcaster, comedian, and actor Tim Dillon, that interest wasn’t mutual.

“I know people in LA that know them, and all they want to do is hang out with celebrities. I was at a celebrity party the other night talking to somebody about this, and they go, ‘These people are just… it’s constant with them,’” Dillon said on the “They Come and Go” episode of his podcast, The Tim Dillon Show, last summer, as per the Daily Mail.

“She was texting the person I was with there – and, ‘no, you can’t come’. I shouldn’t have even been there. But the point is they just won’t stop, these two. They are just like moths to the flame trying to hang out… They’re like low-grade reality stars that are trying to attach to anything.”

It was not the first time Dillon has criticized Harry and Meghan. Back in September 2021, the comedian tweeted:

“Harry and Meghan are such a gift to this country. Thank GOD for them. They make everything OK. Just because they’re here. They’re helping people by being on NETFLIX! This was such a happenstance thing, not at all a plan they had. I love when good things just happen. There IS hope!”

“She wants everything all at once”

Dillon went into further detail regarding Meghan’s text messages, claiming that friends of his showed text messages from the Duchess in which she begged people to “hang out.”

“She is trying to get places. It’s sad. A lot of it isn’t working, and they are rolling their eyes to me, and they’re going LOL, and we are all having a good laugh about this because they’re just a bunch of goons, and no one cares.”

The broadcaster and comedian added: “Now listen, at the end of the day, I respect the hustle, I get what she’s trying to do, I get what they are trying to do, but it didn’t work, right? A lot of people at this party were like, ‘Hey man, you know, we text her back, we tried to be nice, she’s the Duchess, but we’ve had enough, we’ve had enough of her.”

Meghan’s podcast, launched via Spotify, was an unmitigated disaster, and ended up being canceled. A Spotify boss labeled her and her husband “grifters,” but her career as a podcast host is not apparently over.

No, the Duchess is set to launch a new podcast with Lemonada Media, but it has reportedly been pushed back to next year. An insider has told In Touch that Meghan is “greedy.”

“She wants everything all at once, and it’s backfiring on her again. She’s become a total joke and is overplaying her hand,” the insider stated, as per NY Post

.

“That clearly didn’t go down well with Lemonada. They surely expected to be Meghan’s priority project, but she must have decided she had bigger fish to fry with Netflix. Almost everything they’ve tried has ended in disaster.”

Why Prince Harry & Meghan Markle were evicted from Frogmore Cottage by King Charles

Another insider told In Touch that Meghan has lost all respect among Hollywood A-listers.

“Hollywood is glam and glitz on the outside, but the real stars have worked hard for their success — and you get the impression hard work isn’t really Meghan’s thing,” the source said. “Now, after all her failures, those A-listers — and the royals — are laughing at her!”

It appears that Harry and Meghan aren’t the most popular people among the upper echelons of Hollywood, and it shouldn’t be assumed that they are better liked by the UK family they left behind. The many allegations against leveled by Harry and Meghan at the Royal Family have left the likes of King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton furious.

Whether the royals and the Sussexes will ever make amends is yet to be seen. However, after Harry’s book Spare was released, it was clear that at least King Charles would not let him bash the Royal Family without consequence.

In March last year, just two months after Harry’s book was released, the world heard the bombshell news that King Charles had evicted Harry and Meghan from their UK base at Frogmore Cottage.

After the couple moved into Frogmore, they renovated the royal estate to the tune of around $3 million. When they stepped down from their royal roles, Harry and Meghan agreed to pay back the entire price tag to UK taxpayers. They were still allowed to keep Frogmore Cottage as their UK base when visiting – but that has since changed.

According to reports, Charles made his mind up about the future of the property just one day after Harry’s book, Spare, was released.

Harry “will never be allowed back to Frogmore,” insider says

A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan confirmed that they had been evicted from Frogmore Cottage. Meanwhile, reports suggested that the Duke and Duchess were not happy about it.

Sources close to Prince Harry and Meghan claimed the couple were “stunned” by the decision.

“Harry and Meghan have until early summer to vacate,” a source told Omar Scobie, reporting for Yahoo, at the time. “Initially, they were given just weeks, but now they have at least until after the coronation.”

“It all feels very final and like a cruel punishment,” a friend of Harry and Meghan’s added. “It’s like [the family] wants to cut them out of the picture for good.”

Incidently, Prince Harry reportedly rejected King Charles’ invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace while he briefly visited London for an Invictus Games ceremony in May.

READ MORE

• Prince Harry’s ‘secret signal’ during meeting with Melania Trump revealed by body language expert
• Prince Harry reveals how Queen Camilla tried to “get rid” of them during royal crisis in bombshell claim

“For King Charles, forcing (Prince) Andrew to move to Frogmore solves several problems at once – it sends a message to Harry that, as a private citizen and no longer a working royal, he will never be allowed back to Frogmore,” he told the Mirror.

Quinn added: “It sends [a] message to Andrew that having disgraced himself, he can no longer expect to live in the grand style. And, finally, it means that a suitably grand residence can be made ready for the royals who really matter – William and Kate. Charles is determined that Royal Lodge is the only residence on the royal estate at Windsor that is big enough and regal enough for his heir.”

Prince Harry looking for “permanent” UK home in bombshell claim

Little is known about Harry’s friendships in the US. Sure, he plays polo with some pals occasionally, but other than that, the finer details of who he spends his time with when he’s not with his family remain unclear.

According to Tom Quinn, Harry misses his army and college friends dearly. Sadly, they haven’t visited him in California because “they don’t get on with Meghan.” As a result, it’s been reported that the Duke is now looking for a “permanent” home in the UK.

“As time goes by, Harry misses some aspects of his old life in the UK. Inevitably, the honeymoon period where everything in the States is new and exciting is coming to an end and Harry is looking back at the past through rose-tinted spectacles,” Quinn claimed.

He added: “He misses his Old Etonian and army friends, many of whom have not visited as they don’t get on with Meghan. Harry is determined to find his own permanent home in the UK, which is partly why he’s continuing his legal action to get the British taxpayer to pay for his security.”

Do you think Harry and Meghan will return and live in the UK in the future? Please share this article on Facebook and give us your opinion.

If you enjoy reading about the royal family, perhaps you’ll be interested in the article below!

Linda Gray became a household name through her portrayal of Sue Ellen Ewing on the hit soap Dallas.

She stayed on the show for more than 300 episodes, but as much as she enjoyed a successful career, Gray also struggled with many things on a personal level.

This is the story of Linda Gray, who’s still going strong today, at 82 years of age.

Throughout the history of television and film, we’ve seen actors and actresses deliver amazing performances any number of times. I don’t know about you, but in those truly stellar performances, it feels like the actors themselves were pretty much made for the parts, and that no one else could play them to the same degree.

For example, could you even imagine Little House on the Prairie‘s frontman Charles Ingalls being played by anyone other than Michael Landon? Or would Mary Poppins have been as good if someone other than Dick Van Dyke starred as Bert?

Linda Gray – Sue Ellen Ewing

There are so many examples of exactly these kinds of parts, but let’s talk about one more. Personally, I can’t even imagine watching the iconic hit television series Dallas without Linda Gray starring as Sue Ellen Ewing. I speak for many when I say we are grateful that she got the part.

Linda Gray’s life has been very special; one could go so far as to describe it as a roller coaster. Gray has battled life-threatening illness, addiction and also struggled through a less-than-satisfying marriage.

However, though she’s certainly been through tough times, she’s always come out the other side stronger, determined to make the most out of her life and have a long and successful career.

On Dallas, Gray starred alongside Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy. Now, she reveals her feelings about acting alongside Hagman, and the secrets behind their great chemistry on set.

Linda Gray was born September 12, 1940, in Santa Monica, California.

Linda Gray – childhood

As a young child, Gray faced a big challenge when she was diagnosed with polio.

Her grandfather had already been diagnosed with the virus, and her parents were left devastated. For Linda herself, though, it wasn’t a big deal.

“They didn’t know what it was when he was 17, and he was always in a wheelchair,” she recalled. “When I was diagnosed, everyone went crazy in my family, but I wasn’t. I thought I could have a wheelchair like Grandpa.”

Gray grew up in Culver City, California, where her father had a watchmaker shop. As a young child, performing was in her blood. She performed on the streets of her neighborhood. When attending Notre Dame Academy in Los Angeles, Linda starred as Cinderella in the production of Cinderella.

Her father provided the stability she and her sister Betty needed.

“He didn’t offer emotional support though,” Linda Gray wrote in her 2015 book The Road to Happiness Is Always Under Construction. “He was just kind of there, like a piece of furniture, but then this was a different time.

“You didn’t go to Dad with boyfriend problems. God forbid. But he was supportive of my career.”

Their mother, Marge, a former artist and ballerina, was the opposite.

Troubled childhood

Marge was a heavy drinker and before long the two young sisters had to take control of their home.

“She wasn’t falling down drunk, there was never any yelling,” Linda wrote. “She wasn’t mean – she was just blurred, in her own world, she would forget to buy food so I started doing the cooking. My sister and I didn’t like her.”

Later on in life, Marge eventually went to Alcoholics Anonymous and stopped drinking. Linda believes that her mother’s drinking habits were a result of disappointment and suppressed creativity. She became determined to avoid a similar fate to her mother.

“I felt that if I didn’t pursue my career the same thing could happen to me,” Linda Gray explained.

But through her path in life, she’d faced several challenges. And the hurdles started coming as early as her 20s.

Nightmare marriage

Growing up in Culver City meant being very close to the show business capital of the world, Hollywood. Along with her friends, Linda Gray used to hang around the different studios after school, getting autographs from stars such as Tyrone Powers and Spencer Tracy.

At a young age, Gray wanted to study medicine. But growing up close to the film studios, she changed her focus, and soon knew she wanted to become an actress. In her teens, Gray worked as a model for several beauty companies and airlines.

Linda Gray was only 21 years of age when she got married to photographer Edward Lee Thrasher. However, the marriage turned into somewhat of a nightmare for Linda.

Her career and pursuit of work in show business were put on hold. Instead, she took on the role of wife and then mother. In 1960, the couple welcomed a son, Jeff Thrasher, and six years later, daughter Kehly was born.

Ed, Linda says, didn’t really say much. The family moved to Santa Clarita, where she still lives today, but Linda was determined to make her own career.

Their marriage was, according to Linda, emotionally cold. She felt abandoned.

“It tore me apart but I just thought, ‘Well, I can make this work somehow,’” she explained. “It took me 21 years to leave my marriage,”

At the same time, her husband Ed didn’t want her to have part-time jobs; he wanted a luxurious lifestyle at home. Linda decided that it was a chance for her to get into show business, and before long she was appearing in television commercials.

A lot of them.

Linda Gray – career

She had two uncredited brief appearances in feature films Under the Yum Yum Tree and Palm Springs Weekend in 1963.

A couple of years later, Linda Gray got a gig that today is pretty much legendary. Age 27, she was paid $25 to be Anne Bancroft’s body double in the poster for the film The Graduate (1967), starring a young Dustin Hoffman. Gray’s legs appear in the iconic image, and funnily enough, she actually ended up playing Mrs Robinson in the 2001 West End State production of The Graduate.

But not everyone loved her. In her 2015 memoir, Gray added a rejection letter which she received from Glamour Magazine in the early 1960s. But it certainly didn’t bring her down.

“It was so funny that I kept that letter,” Gray said. “I kept the letter because I realized that we all have rejections, and it was her opinion when I was 20 years old. I could have had it devastate my life. But, I didn’t. This feisty streak came out – ‘Oh, yeah? I’m gonna show you!’ With great love and a lot of humor, I kept that letter. It kicked me from behind, and made me want to go and do something.”

Linda loved being a mother, but at the same time was frustrated at not being able to pursue her career. When she finally decided to take acting classes, her husband wasn’t happy.

Linda Gray – Dallas

“He said, ‘Why don’t you become an actress when the children are in college’,” she recalled.

At age 37, however, Linda Gray went her own way and took acting classes alongside many younger prospects. Actor Dennis Weaver saw Gray’s talent, and helped her get her first real acting job, starring as a guest star on the TV series Marcus Welby M.D in 1974.

It wouldn’t take long before everything then changed for the better.

In 1978, Gray got the role as Sue Ellen Ewing on the new television soap opera Dallas. At first, she was supposed to be a recurring guest role for the five-episode first series, but she soon became a regular cast member. Actually, her performances made her a star.

Dallas was all about corruption, betrayal, lies, affairs and scandals played out on the Southfork Ranch in the series. Gray’s performance was praised by television critics, and alongside acting colleagues Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy, the series propelled her to huge success.

Gray became somewhat of a sex symbol on Dallas, and the chemistry between her and Larry Hagman was real.

Relation with Larry Hagman

Executives at CBS saw everything happening in front of their eyes, and it was pure magic. However, Gray states that the reality wasn’t build around any sexual chemistry.

“He was the bad big brother that I never had,” Gray said. “He was always doing something in my mind wrong – he was drinking too much, or whatever, and I would reprimand him, he loved that, he loved to do something just to make me crazy. I’d say ‘Don’t eat that. You don’t need that much sugar, and stop drinking.’”

“I was a pain in the neck – and he loved it,” she continued. “He would do things purposely to get me fired up. The directors were just in awe. They thought we were crazy teenagers, but when they said action, we would become J.R. and Sue Ellen. It was seamless. We don’t know what happened. It was absolute magic. We felt blessed, and we were.”

Dallas wasn’t only praised by television critics and executives in the business; the audience absolutely loved it too.

The show broke several viewing records, becoming one of the hottest things on television. Still to this day, it’s one of the longest-running shows in American prime-time television history.

Dallas – television records

On November 21, 1980, viewers got their answer as to the mystery of who shot Larry Hagman’s character, JR Ewing, and boy did people want to see it.

More than an estimated 80 million people watched the episode, making it the largest audience for a single television program ever in America at the time, according to BT. It stood at No.1 until 121 million viewers watched the last-ever episode of sitcom M*A*S*H*.

Gray was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance on Dallas.

During her succesful run on the show, Gray finally divorced her husband Ed Thrasher in 1983. Her son Jeff followed in his mother’s footsteps, becoming a director.

Jeff earned an Emmy nomination in 2018 for Outstanding Directing in a Multiple Camera Lifestyle, Culinary or Educational and Informational Program for Furze World Wonders. He was also awarded a Canadian Screen Award for Best Science or Nature Documentary Program or Series for his 2015 Mission Asteroid.

Tragedy with son Jeff Thrasher

However, tragedy struck in 2020 when Jeff passed away following a reported battle with leukemia.

On Instagram, Linda Gray posted a tribute to her late son.

“A celebration of my son Jeff’s life. He was the kindest, funniest, sweetest human being….. he brought the world such love and was loved by everyone! May his journey be a magical one,” she wrote.

Linda Gray today at 82

Linda Gray starred in a whopping total of 308 episodes on Dallas. But what did she do following the show?

Well, she continued starring in several television series, and in 2012, she returned to the role of Sue Ellen Ewing when Dallas was renewed for two seasons. Gray was also presented with a Special Award in the 2014 USA Film Festival Award.

Today, she’s 82 years of age. But still looks as stunning as ever!

Linda Gray has been through a lot in life, all the way back to her childhood, through her first marriage, and the tragic passing of her son.

But one thing is for sure: she’s learned how to cope with negative things and turn them into the energy she needs to carrying on.

We love her for it, and wish her all the best in the future! Please share this article on Facebook with family and friends.