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Shelley FabaresExclusive Representation
Keynote Fee : Call For Quote Travels From: CA |
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One Family's Struggle with Alzheimer'sSpeaker Information
Born in California, not far from the studios in which she began her career at the age of three, Shelley Fabares has literally grown up before motion picture and television audiences. Beginning as a child model, she quickly turned to acting and appeared in such early television series as "Annie Oakley" and "Captain Midnight." By age nine, she had already appeared on a live television special with Frank Sinatra, and shortly thereafter appeared again with Sinatra in "Our Town," a production which also starred Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint.
During the golden age of live television, Fabares appeared in six productions of "Matinee Theater" and "Playhouse 90." During this period, she segued from a number of episodes of "The Mickey Mouse Club" to co-starring with Rock Hudson in the film "Never Say Good-bye." She became part of television history and lodged herself firmly in America's heart when cast as Mary Stone on "The Donna Reed Show" in 1958. From that point her career blossomed, spreading from television into the recording industry with her million-selling record "Johnny Angel" in 1962. From there, she moved into the teen-oriented feature films of the period, such as "Ride the Wild Surf" and "Hold On." At that point she became, and remains, the only actress to have co-starred with Elvis Presley in three pictures during the height of his film career: "Girl Happy," "Spinout," and "Clambake."
Fabares' film career slowed in the late '60s and she returned to television, appearing in such well-loved series as "Mr. Novak;" "Twilight Zone;" "Love, American Style;" and "Longstreet." She entered a slow period resulting, Fabares feels, from an inability to break free of the "sweet and nice" image that had characterized her parts up to that time. She credits a role on Mike Connors' television show, "Mannix," with breaking that jinx and leading to her major part in "Brian's Song," the Emmy-winning motion picture for television. From there it was onward and upward.
After a two-year stint in Hawaii playing in "The Little People," Fabares returned to the mainland to co-star with Danny Thomas in "The Practice." That was followed by one of her favorite characters, the wheelchair-bound Eleanor Majors, "an absolutely evil woman," in the spoof "Forever Fernwood," the continuation of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman." Having left "sweet and nice" in an unrecognizable shambles somewhere in her wake, Fabares spent five delicious years as the wondrously despicable Francine Webster opposite Bonnie Franklin in "One Day at a Time." From there, a couple of features, "Love or Money" and "Hot Pursuit," occupied her time until the advent of "Coach," which ran for nine seasons.
During her periodic breaks from "Coach," Fabares managed to sandwich in a number of film projects, including "Semester at Sea," "Deadly Relations," "The Great Mom Swap," "The Annette Funicello Story," and "A Dream of Murder." After the series ended, she starred in "Playing to Win," a movie for television.
The cruel experience of watching her mother's health deteriorate quickly became the primary focus of Fabares' attention, with she and her sister becoming caregivers. Unable to stop her mother's descent and unwilling to stand idly by, Fabares was one of the first well-known people associated with promoting the cause of the then-fledgling Alzheimer's Association. Over the past fifteen years she has crisscrossed the country dozens of times on behalf of the Association, for which she became both the national spokesperson and an active member of the board of directors. In addition to scores of appearances around the country raising awareness and much-needed research funds for the elimination of the disease, Fabares is sought out as a respected speaker on Alzheimer's and has testified before the United States Congress on five separate occasions.
Following her own successful liver transplant in 2000, Fabares is working nationally with the American Liver Foundation in promoting organ donation and liver disease awareness. She is also President of the Board of Directors for the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts, a non-profit organization to memorialize Donna Reed's accomplishments and perpetuate her deep commitment to youth, education, and the performing arts.
Testimonials
"Shelley gave a very fine presentation about her experiences in caring for her mother with Alzheimer's disease. She pointed out many of the difficulties and situations confronted by family members and caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's and other dementias. She held the audience's attention throughout her presentation. At the conclusion, she received a standing ovation. At the high donor reception, Shelley made an effort to speak to all the guests; she was extremely willing to pose for pictures. Following the buffet dinner, before she left the room, she went to each table and spoke to each person at the table. She was extremely friendly and very gracious - a delight to work with and to have at our meeting. "
- American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
"...an excellent choice for the topic of Alzheimer's, as well as an excellent keynote speaker...a delight to work with."
- Edmonton Lions Club and The Alzheimer's Association of Alberta