Glee Star Chris Colfer Remembers the Late Polly Bergen

Read the obit at The Hollywood Reporter, and you’ll realize that Polly Bergen, the actress and business woman who died yesterday (9/21) at age 84 had one hell of a career.

Emmy-winning actress and singer Polly Bergen, who in a long career played the terrorized wife in the original Cape Fear and the first woman president in Kisses for My President, died Saturday, according to her publicist. She was 84.

Bergen died at her home in Southbury, Connecticut, surrounded by family and close friends, publicist Judy Katz said. She had battled emphysema and other ailments in the late 1990s, a result of 50 years of smoking.

A brunette beauty with a warm, sultry singing voice, Bergen was a household name from her 20s onward. She made albums and played leading roles in films, stage musicals and TV dramas. She also hosted her own variety series, was a popular game show panelist, and founded a thriving beauty products company that bore her name.

The actress never stopped working, having played recent television roles in Desperate Housewives (Felicity Huffman’s mom, 2008-2011), Commander In Chief (Geena Davis’s mom–a call back to Commander in Chief, 2005-2006) and The Sopranos (playing the former mistress of Tony’s father, 2004)

But her very last role was in a little independent film, Struck by Lightning, written and produced by Glee star, Chris Colfer.

In the 2012 film, Chris played Carson Phillips, a high school student who looks back on his last year of high school after being struck dead by a bolt of lightning. Polly played a pivotal role as his nursing home bound grandmother, who was losing her memories to Alzheimer’s disease.

Yesterday and today, Chris sent fond tweets in memory of the woman he grew close to over the course of making the film.

After the news broke yesterday, Chris posted this gorgeous photo of a young Polly to his Instagram with the caption, “Farewell to my dear friend, Polly. I’m so blessed to have had you in my life. No one could make me smile or laugh like you. I will miss you with all my heart. “Grandma” for a movie, but family for life.”

pollybergen-young

Today he tweeted a very funny youtube video the two shot together in 2012 to promote the movie. Polly is hilarious. I actually posted it on the blog back when it was released.

Farewell to Polly, who by all accounts was a tough minded and talented lady. Also, very funny.

About mj santilli 34829 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!