Had a clause in her Knots Landing (1979) contract that her character would never be
a grandmother.
In 1996, she became the first woman to produce, direct, write, and star in a motion picture made for television, Color Me Perfect (1996), which won the Christopher Award.
Holds the record for the greatest number of consecutive appearances by
a leading actress in an hour-long prime-time dramatic series, for her
344 appearances on Knots Landing (1979).
Was a dancer and a singer before becoming an actress.
Met her first husband James Farentino after she starred in a 1961 Broadway musical, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" at a theatre on W. 46th Street, and he was simultaneously appearing in the drama "The Night of the Iguana" by Tennessee Williams at a theatre just one block away on W. 45th Street.
Graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, California, (1960).