Biography for
Barbara Billingsley More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

22 December 1915, Los Angeles, California, USA

Date of Death

16 October 2010, Santa Monica, California, USA (polymyalgia)

Birth Name

Barbara Lillian Combes

Height

5' 5" (1.65 m)

Spouse

William Mortensen	(28 June 1959 - 5 July 1981) (his death)
Roy Kellino	(15 November 1953 - 18 November 1956) (his death)
Glenn Billingsley	(1940 - 13 February 1947) (divorced) 2 children

Trade Mark

Her pearls

Her June Cleaver character

Deep husky, sultry voice.

Trivia

After the death of her second husband, Roy Kellino (who died of a heart attack in 1956), Billingsley married Dr. William Mortensen, a Santa Monica physician and widower, who was an old friend of the Kellinos during their marriage.

Attended Los Angeles Junior College for one year before moving to New York to appear in the play 'Straw Hat', which made it to Broadway. It closed after only five shows, after which she became a $60-a-week fashion model.

Has two sons, Drew (b. 1942) and Brud (b. 1945), from her first marriage, to Glenn Billingsley, nephew of Stork Club owner Sherman Billingsley.

Daughter-in-law of W.P. Kellino.

Before Barbara, director/husband Roy Kellino was married to actress/syndicated columnist Pamela Mason, who once went by the stage name Pamela Kellino and later married (and divorced) actor James Mason.

Billingsley is related by marriage to actor/producer Peter Billingsley, known for his starring role as Ralphie in the seasonal TV-movie classic "A Christmas Story". First husband Glenn's cousin is Peter's mother, Gail Billingsley.

She and her first husband, Glenn Billingsley, a successful restaurateur, had two sons, Drew and Glenn, Jr. Since 1974, Drew and Glenn have owned and operated Billingsley's Restaurant in West Los Angeles, in the tradition of their father, and their great uncle, Sherman Billingsley, founder of New York City's very fashionable 1940s-era nightclub, The Stork Club.

Had two failed TV series in the early-to-mid 1950s before becoming a household commodity as June Cleaver in 1957.

The Cleaver clan became the iconic 1950s American nuclear family. As the mother in the show, Barbara was often seen performing her household duties wearing complementary pearls and earrings. The pearls actually were her idea. The actress bore a noticeable surgical scar on her neck and wore a strand of pearls to conceal it from the cameras.

Best known by the public for her starring role as June Cleaver on "Leave It to Beaver" (1957).

Graduated from George Washington High School in Los Angeles, California, in 1934.

Before she was an actress, she once worked as a model.

She had a bronze statue, created by "Leave It to Beaver" (1957) co-star Tony Dow, on display in her backyard garden.

In 2007, she was singing at her former "Leave It to Beaver" (1957), co-star's, Jerry Mathers's, mother's 80th birthday party, when he returned from play on Broadway.

The youngest of three children.

Her hobbies included gardening, dining, watching movies, listening to radio, tennis, drinking wine, spending time with her family, sewing and traveling.

Friends with: Hugh Beaumont, Richard Deacon, Rod Serling, Ronald Reagan, Shirley Jones, Charlotte Rae, Marjorie Lord, Gloria Henry, Yvonne De Carlo, Florence Henderson, Bonnie Franklin, Vicki Lawrence, Phylicia Rashad, Jean Stapleton, June Lockhart, Isabel Sanford, Alley Mills and Jane Wyatt.

Her idols were Katharine Hepburn and Jack Benny.

Her mother, Lillian Combes, worked in a factory, while her father, Robert Collyer Combes, was the Chief of Police.

She changed her name from Combes to Billingsley, because she was married to Glenn Sr.

Her son, Glenn Jr., married Karen Zappas in 1976, and are still together. They're the parents of 3 children: Logan Billingsley, Morgan Billingsley and Taylor Billingsley, all of whom are Barbara's grandchildren.

She followed Ronald Reagan's career, after co-starring in one of her plays, long before running for governor or president.

When she was little, Barbara's mother would often take her to the movies with her. Her mother loved dramas rather than comedies.

Auditioned for the role of Danny Thomas's second wife on "Make Room for Daddy" (1953).

Met Jim Henson at a party, before he hired her to voice Nanny on "Muppet Babies" (1984).

Was a friend of the late Rod Serling.

Her granddaughter, Taylor, wanted to follow in her grandmother's footsteps of becoming an actress but her parents wouldn't allow her to begin as a child actress.

Is a fan of the late Richard Mulligan's two comedy shows: "Soap" (1977) and "Empty Nest" (1988).

Before she became a successful actress, she once worked with a magician, balancing cards.

Regularly played poker with Rod Serling's family before his death.

Future talk show host Oprah Winfrey, once said Billingsley was her childhood television heroine.

Remained good friends with Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers, after "Leave It to Beaver" (1957).

Her show, "Leave It to Beaver" (1957) was canceled at the end of the sixth season due to her cast-mates desire to move on to other projects. Also, her co-stars Tony Dow was graduating from high school while Jerry Mathers was entering high school that same year.

She is survived by her two sons, Drew Billingsley of Granada Hills, California, and Glenn Billingsley Jr. of Phillips Ranch, California.

She was a member of the Unity Church.

Acting mentor and friends of Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers.

Billingsley's mother, Lillian Combes, worked in a sweater factory for years.

Grew up in a single parent home.

Was voted queen in her high school.

Was named after her mother.

Personal Quotes

Husband Roy died on a Saturday, while we were gardening. The Thursday before, I was up for the part of the mother in a series Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher were working on. Then Roy died, and nothing came of that series. But two months later, when they started on Leave It To Beaver, they remembered me and asked me to read for the part of June. I've always thought that they felt sorry for me.

June Cleaver didn't keep her house in perfect order, the prop man did it.

[When asked in 2000 if there was a difference between her and the June Cleaver character]: My sons say, no. Gradually what happened is the writer started writing about you, as well as the character they created originally. So you all become mixed up.

[Of Jerry Mathers who played "The Beaver"]: Jerry told me it had been a dream of his always to be able to go to New York and be in a Broadway show. So all we have to do is decide what we want to do. You have to have a dream.

[When she auditioned for June Cleaver]: Well, I was doing the script, and I don't think I could have changed it. But I loved it.

[Who said in 2010 about the legacy of her June Cleaver character]: June Cleaver has always been a part of my life and always will be.

[on comparing real-life families to the TV families]: I just wish that we could have more families like those. Family is so important, and I just don't think we have enough people staying home with their babies and their children.

[on "Leave It to Beaver"] It was a very happy experience for me, and very timely. There was never a fight on the set in seven years.

[on June Cleaver] She's been too good to me to play anything like that.

[In 1997]: She was the ideal mother. Some people think she was weakish, but I don't. She was the love in that family. She set a good example for what a wife could be. I had two boys at home when I did the show. I think the character became kind of like me and vice versa. I've never known where one started and where one stopped.

Good grief, I think everybody would like a family like that. Wouldn't it be nice if you came home from school and there was Mom standing there with her little apron and cooking waiting?

[In 2007]: They were always good kids, Tony had an exhibit of his artwork and sold 18 pieces. Pretty darn good, isn't it?"

[When she was the only actress to do a revival of the "Leave It to Beaver" (1957) movie, in 1997]: Tony and Jerry didn't want to be in it. They were crazy. But it really didn't turn out very good.

[In 2008]: Some of those clothes came from Penny's. They weren't expensive clothes.

[Who said she wasn't June Cleaver in real-life]: It doesn't bother me that I'm June Cleaver. It's been a good career. I don't know where June starts and Barbara ends. Our lives are so similar. I don't know why she's so popular, maybe it's because she had such a clean kitchen.

[In 2003]: Because I have a big hollow in my neck and the necklace covered the spot perfectly. So no matter what I was doing - cleaning, cooking or answering the phone - I had those darn pearls on, and there was a practical reason she wore high heels on the show.

Joe Connelly had seven children, and Bob Mosher had two, and they had a lot of material right there. Every show was taken from some kernel of truth, something that had happened to their children or a relative.

[on the death of Hugh Beaumont]: No father on television was ever better than Hugh.

[In 1993]: It's a terrible blow, but you can't wallow in your grief. When Roy died, my agent made me work all the time. And six months later, they called me to start the series."

A long time ago, I played a lot of these roles that were seemingly nice, but underneath the character was really the murderer. So, I didn't have to do a lot of research for this character. I just had to understand what she was thinking and feeling.

[on her point of views about witches and the occult among many other matters]: I'm very interested in the supernatural. Of course, I don't really think there could be witches - but I could be wrong.

[Of Roseanne Barr]: You know, the first time I saw, 'Roseanne,' I thought, 'Ugh! I hate the messy house.' And she herself is this big, sloppy woman. But she gives out some pretty good wisdom to her children. There's something there, a warmth and a love that we had in a different way.

[In 1989]: Television moms have taken a turn for the real.

[In 1988]: We're the ideal family. At least it's what everyone thinks is ideal. It's the way everybody would like their family to be.

[In 1987]: I was widowed and spending all my time raising my kids.

[In 1986]: I think it's great. I get invited to lecture about it, but I don't feel comfortable.

[on her comeback role as playing June Cleaver after an over 20 year absence]: Life has changed a lot in that time. But I still think the basic things are the same. Look at what they're doing on 'The Cosby Show.' Cosby is doing a lot of the same things we did 25 years ago.

[Of Hugh Beaumont]: I miss him very much, because we were so close. But Hugh was incapacitated after his stroke. He could hardly walk and his speech was impaired. So, it's best his fans remember him from the early shows.

[In 1984]: America is ready for us again. I like to remind you for 234 episodes. Audiences saw the Cleavers as their second family. Beaver and Wally were their brothers, Eddie Haskell was their best friend and June was their mother. Oh, she may have been neat, neat, neat, but June was supposed to be a rolemodel. I always liked her.

[About being a housewife]: I know I'm typecasted. Have I ever been striding for a career, but I loved having a family and I loved having a husband, I liked that one.

[In 1992]: They like to have that kind of family, the kids would, I think. Today [as you know] mothers work. I was working, but not June Cleaver and because they work, things some things have to slip, and I think it's better to let the house go than the children.

[In 2000]: She was a loving, happy, stay-at-home mom, which I think is great, I'm not for every woman having to be out in the workplace. My mother was. I had two children at home and I was working. But I think one who stays home, if she's doing a good job, it is the best job she'll ever have, and the most important. And I think our children need the mothers home.

It's unbelievable, it's really become quite a career being June Cleaver. That really didn't bother me. I was right where I wanted to be. I was happy being June Cleaver all these years.

[In 1991]: It was the ideal family, anybody would like to have a family like the Cleavers.