Valerie Bertinelli -- TV Movie Star Quiz

Answer: Wilmington, DE in 1960

Valerie's father was an executive with General Motors when she was born April 23, 1960. Her father was transferred to GM's Van Nuys, California plant when Valerie was in her early teens. It was then that she took up acting.

Answer: 0

"One Day at a Time" was the first show for Valerie, as well as for Bonnie Franklin and Mackenzie Phillips. She did appear one time prior as a guest on a now-forgotten family show called "Apple's Way". Well, almost forgotten. It is notable in that it was the first television series for of one of Valerie's contemporaries, Kristy McNichol. That was it, so Valerie got a job that lasted nine years on a "cattle call", with just this one acting credit (and a commercial or two).

In 2003, Valerie made a special edition of People magazine entitled "The Greatest TV Stars of Our Time", and was amazingly listed in the "Teen Dreams" section. (Let's see James Van der Beek, who's on the same page, last as long.) Twenty years after ending this role, Valerie is still fondly remembered for it.

Answer: C.H.O.M.P.S.

The title is an acronym for "Canine HOMe Protection System". It's about a dog who's really a robot used to foil burglars. A couple of bumbling criminals want to get their hands on this breakthrough. The movie was produced by Hanna-Barbera, better known for its cartoons (which explains a lot). All in all, it's a fun but silly comedy obviously made for family viewing.

Answer: Shelley Long

Harrelson and Alley were not on Cheers in the early 'eighties. Shelley Long appeared with Valerie in the 1980s "The Promise of Love", in which Valerie played a Vietnam War widow, and "The Princess and the Cabbie", in which Valerie played a young woman who could not read. Long then got a plum role in Ron Howard's "Night Shift", and the rest was history.

Answer: Footloose

The part ended up going to Lori Singer. Coincidentally, Lori's former "Fame" co-star, Nia Peeples, used to often get mistaken for Valerie (even though they have different ethnic backgrounds). Valerie was also in the running for Meg Tilly's part in "The Big Chill".

Answer: Richard Dean Anderson

"MacGyver" ran for seven seasons and made Anderson a heartthrob by the time "Ordinary Heroes" aired, in the U.S. and overseas. (He's huge in France.) His biggest fans didn't come forward until 1990 though, when Patty and Selma Bouvier revealed their lust for him on "The Simpsons".

Answer: Julianne Moore

Moore played a soap star, which she was at the time anyway, and Valerie's character's best friend. It was not the first time Valerie co-starred with a future Oscar nominee. Her first TV movie was "Young Love, First Love", with Timothy Hutton, who then went to work on his Oscar-winning "Ordinary People" role. That movie's other co-star was none other than Dee Wallace of "E.T."

Answer: Matthew Perry

One of her other "Sydney" co-stars was future Broadway star Craig Bierko ("The Music Man"), further proof that Valerie is a good luck charm for up-and-coming actors. "Number One With a Bullet" was the second time Valerie co-starred with Doris Roberts, after "Ordinary Heroes". She later would pay tribute to Doris in an "Intimate Portrait" of Roberts on Lifetime.

Answer: Cafe Americain

Some businessman led Holly to believe she would be rewriting formally translated material into common English ("from English to English"). It turned out the man just wanted her as his mistress! Holly told her story to a loudmouthed but wise cafe owner, who agreed to give her a job. From then on it was like "Cheers", but with croissants and bottled water.

This show got pretty good reviews, but critics hated the show that came on before it, "The Mommies", so it got shuffled around a while and never found an audience. One person who auditioned for Valerie's role was a stand-up comedian who up until then had only played a few supporting TV roles.

Her name was Ellen DeGeneres.

Answer: Touched by an Angel

Valerie added some much-needed fresh blood as neophyte angel Gloria. The part was written specifically for her. After years of tackling every majorly serious issue in TV movies, Val got to be the one to bring levity to a show. "Touched" is fondly remembered by its fans, and could have been a lot sappier than it was.

It even tackled Internet porn! It was around this time that Valerie won $125,000 for a children's cancer charity on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire".

Answer: Army Cadet

She played an FBI agent in 1997's "Night Sins," a mini-series based on Tami Hoag's creepy novel. She played grade-school gunwoman Laurie Dann in 1993's "Murder of Innocence". And she was a Catholic Sister in 1984's "Shattered Vows". (Note: a sister is only a nun if she takes a vow of silence/enclosure, like a monk.)

Answer: Vanessa Redgrave

Redgrave was perfect as the spiteful grandmother who used homophobia as a trump card in order to get back at her daughter. In real life, the grandmother got custody, and the child's mother is only allowed visitation if the other woman vacates her own home! Valerie has called this her most frustrating experience ever, because the network's lawyers kept trying to discourage her and her character's partner from showing any affection toward each other.

She had also run into a similar real-life grandmother previously on "Larry King Live" (not knowing she would later play this role). Valerie's only words to her: "You should be ashamed of yourself." Ironically, Vanessa Redgrave would later win an Emmy playing a lesbian widow in "If These Walls Could Talk 2".

Answer: her refusal to do nude scenes

Valerie has a whole list of scripts that she passed on back in the 1980s when she was one of the most sought-after starlets on television. Note that her onetime co-star, Julianne Moore (who is the same age), did plenty of nudity in the 1990s, and is now one of the busiest actors in Hollywood. Valerie does not judge other actors for doing nudity, but she has stated that it's just not something she feels she should have to do to get a role.

She is admired by many women in Hollywood for this stance.

Answer: Mozart

Valerie's son Wolfgang (as in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) was born in 1991. That same year, her acclaimed mini-series, "In a Child's Name" aired. In that one she goes up against Oscar winner Louise Fletcher as the self-righteous grandmother of Valerie's character's nephew, again in a custody battle! (Her characters have had some bad luck with grandmothers.) The following winter 1992, new mother Valerie was the cover story in "Entertainment Weekly" with the heading, "Made for TV".

Answer: Golden Globe

Valerie won two consecutive Golden Globes (Supporting Role, Comedy Series), the first time tying with Diane Ladd for her one season on "Alice" in 1981, then by herself in 1982. Scandalously, she was not nominated for an Emmy for ANY of her TV movies. But I predict a comeback in a feature film, like Kathleen Quinlan made in "Apollo 13".

It's only a matter of time. (She appears as herself in 2004's "Saved!"--her first feature film appearance in 17 years.) Hope you liked this quiz, and thanks for playing!