Valerie Bertinelli

1.1. Early childhood and education

Valerie Anne Bertinelli was born on April 23, 1960, in Wilmington, Delaware. Her parents were Nancy (née Carvin) and Andrew Bertinelli. Her father, Andrew, was an executive for General Motors. She comes from a diverse ethnic background, with her father being of Italian descent and her mother of English descent.

Bertinelli has three younger brothers, David, Patrick, and Drew, and a younger sister, Gretchen. Tragically, an older brother named Mark passed away at 17 months old due to accidental poisoning before Valerie was born. Due to her father's demanding career, the family moved frequently throughout her childhood. They resided in various locations across the United States, including Claymont, Delaware; Clarkston, Michigan; Shreveport, Louisiana; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and finally settled in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles, California. It was in Los Angeles that Bertinelli began her formal training in the performing arts, studying acting at the Tami Lynn School of Artists. Although she attended Granada Hills High School, she never officially earned a diploma. She was raised in the Roman Catholic faith.

1.2. Early career activities

Bertinelli's professional acting journey began in 1974 with an appearance in an episode of the television series Apple's Way. Following this, she was approached by the renowned television producer Norman Lear for an audition. Lear sought to cast her in the role of Barbara Cooper, the cooperative daughter in his new sitcom, One Day at a Time. Bertinelli successfully secured the role, and the show debuted in late 1975 when she was just 15 years old.

Her portrayal of Barbara Cooper Royer became her breakthrough role, establishing her as a recognizable face in American television. She was a central figure throughout the series' run, appearing in 208 of its 209 episodes before it concluded on May 28, 1984. Her performance on the show was critically acclaimed, earning her two consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 1981 and 1982. In 2005, she reunited with her former cast members, Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips, and Pat Harrington Jr., for the One Day at a Time Reunion Special. During the special, they revisited memorable clips from the show's nine seasons and openly discussed various aspects of their time on set, including the challenges posed by Mackenzie Phillips's drug problem, which had led to on-set difficulties and Phillips's eventual departure from the show.

2.1. Acting Career

Following the conclusion of One Day at a Time, Bertinelli transitioned into a diverse range of roles in television films and miniseries, and made numerous guest appearances on other television shows throughout the 1980s. In 1986, she starred as Princess Sabrina in the episode "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" of Faerie Tale Theatre. She also appeared in the miniseries I'll Take Manhattan in 1987.

The 1990s saw her lead two short-lived sitcoms. She starred as the title character in Sydney, portraying a private detective alongside Matthew Perry and Craig Bierko. Later, she appeared in Café Americain. In 2001, Bertinelli joined the cast of the religious drama series Touched by an Angel for its final two seasons, portraying the character Gloria.

From 2010 to 2015, she starred as Melanie Moretti in the critically acclaimed sitcom Hot in Cleveland, sharing the screen with Betty White, Wendie Malick, and Jane Leeves. The show enjoyed a successful six-season run, with its final episode airing on June 3, 2015. In June 2021, it was announced that Bertinelli would take on a lead role opposite Demi Lovato in Hungry, a single-camera comedy pilot for NBC, though the pilot ultimately remained unaired.

2.2. Television Hosting and Personality

In 2015, Bertinelli expanded her career into television hosting, particularly in the culinary domain. She began hosting two popular cooking shows on the Food Network: Valerie's Home Cooking and Kids Baking Championship, the latter alongside cake artist Duff Goldman. Her work on Valerie's Home Cooking earned her significant recognition, including two Daytime Emmy Awards out of six nominations. In 2019, she further cemented her presence on Food Network by hosting two additional shows, Family Food Showdown and Family Restaurant Rivals.

Her relationship with Food Network continued to evolve, and in December 2021, she signed a new deal with the network. However, in January 2024, Bertinelli publicly confirmed that Food Network had decided not to bring her back for Kids Baking Championship, an announcement she admitted "hurt my feelings."

2.3. Other Ventures

Beyond her acting and hosting roles, Bertinelli has engaged in various other ventures. In 2007, she became a prominent spokeswoman for the Jenny Craig, Inc. weight-loss program, appearing in numerous commercials to share her personal journey. This experience inspired her to write her autobiography, Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time, which was released in 2008 and detailed her Jenny Craig diet experience. She followed this with another book in 2009, Finding It: And Satisfying My Hunger for Life Without Opening the Fridge. In January 2022, she released another memoir titled Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today, which focused on her journey toward self-acceptance and self-love.

Demonstrating her commitment to charitable causes, Bertinelli participated in the Boston Marathon in April 2010 to raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She successfully completed the marathon in a time of 5:14:37. In 2014, she appeared on the American television series Who Do You Think You Are?, a show that traces celebrities' genealogies. Through her appearance, she discovered that she is a descendant of King Edward I of England.

3.1. Music videos