This actress, who once graced the cover of Vogue and led primetime television, faced a turning point years later when she hesitated to take on a role due to concerns about her memory. Now, she embraces the challenges that come with age and adapts to them.
Throughout her life, she achieved fame as a beauty icon and actress, battled significant health issues, outlived two husbands, and found joy in becoming a grandmother. She also dabbled in business ventures and much more. Throughout all these phases, she made it clear that public opinion no longer influences how she lives or presents herself.
Born into Hollywood’s elite, she was the daughter of a famous ventriloquist who made his mark through radio. Growing up in his shadow, she felt the weight of expectations about her appearance and her place in the world.
By the 1960s, she had become known for her poised elegance, earning a reputation as a cold, distant figure before even speaking on screen. Her appearance on the cover of Vogue in 1967 tied her image closely to American ideals of beauty.
Early in her career, she often faced roles focused on her looks rather than her acting ability. However, she eventually pushed back against this image, transitioning into roles that showcased her timing, intelligence, and skill, moving away from being typecast as a pretty face.
By the late 1980s, she had redefined herself, no longer limited to fashion shoots or minor roles. She took the lead in Murphy Brown, a sitcom that became a cultural landmark, playing a sharp, unapologetic journalist. This role, along with her outspoken views on feminism and the roles of women in Hollywood, earned her five Emmy Awards and reshaped expectations for women on television.
She continued to tackle major roles in films such as Miss Congeniality, Bride Wars, and Boston Legal, balancing comedy with authority and solidifying her reputation for strong, nuanced performances. She also experienced significant changes in her personal life, marrying French director Louis Malle in 1980, and later remarrying businessman Marshall Rose in 2000 after Malle’s death.
In 2006, she faced a health scare when she suffered a stroke during the filming of Boston Legal, which she initially kept private. Later, she acknowledged lasting effects from multiple mini-strokes, which made her more aware of her physical vulnerability.
In her later years, she became more accepting of aging. She stopped trying to reverse the effects of time and, in 2015, openly addressed her weight gain and the realities of aging in her memoir, A Fine Romance. She acknowledged her love for food and rejected the pressures of dieting, embracing her body as it was.
Despite the cosmetic pressures of the industry, she avoided drastic measures, mentioning in her memoir how others around her stayed thin through unhealthy means. Instead, she focused on living authentically, accepting her age, and finding peace in her appearance.
In recent years, Candice Bergen’s fans have continued to praise her not just for her looks but for what she represents—a woman unapologetically herself. Her joy shifted toward her family, particularly when her daughter, Chloe Malle, had a son in 2020. Becoming a grandmother brought her immense happiness, and she cherishes her role without meddling, supporting her daughter from the sidelines.
Around the same time, she ventured into a creative side business, BergenBags, where she decorated bags and expanded into custom T-shirts and other hand-painted products. Her designs became popular among stars like Barbra Streisand and Lena Dunham.
In February 2025, Bergen’s husband of over 20 years, Marshall Rose, passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. His death marked the end of a chapter in her life built on love, trust, and mutual support.
Leave a Reply