Michele Lee

Michele Lee (born June 24, 1942) is an American actress, singer, dancer, producer and director. She is known for her role as

Lee began her career on

Michele Lee Dusick was born in Los Angeles on June 24, 1942, the daughter of Sylvia Helen (née Silverstein), and Jack Dusick, a makeup artist.[3]^[4][5] She attended Alexander Hamilton High School.^[6]

Career

Career beginnings

Her television career began at age 19, on the December 26, 1961, episode of the CBS-TV sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

After she sang in the film version of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, she became known for her roles in the films The Comic, opposite

In 1974, Lee starred in the

Knots Landing

In 1979, Lee accepted the role of

During the fall of 1982, her character met M. Patrick "Mack" MacKenzie (Kevin Dobson), who became her screen husband the following year. They would continue working together until the end of the series. Lee won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Lead Actress (Primetime) three times, and was also nominated for an Emmy in 1982 for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series".^[10] In 1983, the writer and producers of Knots Landing urged her to do a storyline based on prescription drug dependency which became one of her most prominent storylines. Six years later, Lee directed her first of several episodes of the series. In 1991, Knots Landing reached a milestone with its 300th episode. During the same season, Lee filmed her favorite scene from the series, known as the "Pollyanna Speech" among fans. In this scene, for which Lee had much input, Karen reacts strongly against the social problems of 1990s society and explains how she does not want to be a Pollyanna and see the world through rose-colored glasse, but rather wanted the world to be rose-colored.^{[citation needed]}

Later career

After Knots Landing ended in 1993, Lee has appeared in many made-for-TV movies, including a

In 1963, Lee met actor James Farentino on the set of the play How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and in 1966, they were married.^[13] They have a son, David Farentino. Lee and Farentino divorced in 1983.^[6] She has been married to writer/producer Fred Rappaport since 1987.^[14]

Filmography

Discography

• A Taste Of The Fantastic Michele Lee (Columbia, 1966)
• L. David Sloane And Other Hits Of Today (Columbia, 1968)

As member of casts of musicals

• RCA Victor
  , 1961) (original Broadway cast)
• Columbia Masterworks
  , 1962) (original Broadway cast)
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (film) (United Artists Records, 1967)
• Seesaw (Buddah, 1973) (original Broadway cast)