Meredith MacRae

• Name — Meredith MacRae • Born — 30 May 1944 • Birthplace — Houston, Texas, U.S. • Died — 14 July 2000 • Place of death — Manhattan Beach, California, U.S. • Known for — * My Three Sons • Petticoat Junction • Occupation — * Actress • singer • talk show host • Years Active — 1953–1995 • Father — Gordon MacRae • Mother — Sheila MacRae • Relatives — Heather MacRae (sister) • Children — 1

MacRae was born in Houston, Texas, to parents Gordon and Sheila MacRae. Her father was stationed with the Army Air Corps in Houston at the time of her birth. Both of her parents went on to be actors. She was the sister of William Gordon "Gar" MacRae, Robert Bruce MacRae and Heather MacRae.

MacRae made her breakthrough appearance as Sally Anne Morrison Douglas on the ABC (later CBS) sitcom My Three Sons. She played Mike Douglas (Tim Considine)'s love interest for three seasons (1963–1965). She asked to be written out of the show to further explore her career. In 1966 MacRae signed a contract with CBS to play Billie Jo Bradley on the sitcom Petticoat Junction, starring Bea Benaderet as her mother Kate Bradley and Edgar Buchanan as her great uncle Joe Carson. Her sisters were Betty Jo (played by Linda Kaye Henning) and Bobbie Jo (Lori Saunders). MacRae was the third actress to portray Billie Jo. Jeannine Riley played the part in the show's first two years (1963–1965) and Gunilla Hutton in the third year (1965–1966). Both of these actresses played the role as a typical boy-crazy dumb blonde. However, by the time of MacRae's debut on the series, Billie Jo's persona was that of a strong, independent woman who focused on a singing career, a dream she later accomplishes. At first, the producers' intent was for Billie Jo and Steve Elliott (portrayed by Mike Minor) to have a relationship and eventually marry. However, Minor and Henning were dating at the time and eventually got married. The producers decided to incorporate their marriage into the show. McRae would later state in a 1969 interview that this cost her screen time and from that moment on she was anxious for the show to end. She remained with the sitcom until its cancellation in 1970. MacRae took over the role of Animal from Valora Noland in Bikini Beach (1964), the third beach party film produced by American International Pictures. She had an uncredited appearance on the bus in the film Ski Party (1965). She was a guest on NBC's The Spring Thing, a musical television special hosted by Bobbie Gentry and Noel Harrison. Other guests included Goldie Hawn, Irwin C. Watson, Rod McKuen, Shirley Bassey and Harpers Bizarre. Her other film appearances included Norwood (1970), My Friends Need Killing (1976), Grand Jury (1976), Sketches of a Strangler (1978), Earthbound (1981) and The Census Taker (1984). MacRae made guest appearances on such shows as The Donald O'Connor Show (1968 version); The Dean Martin Show (1971); The F.B.I.; The Mike Douglas Show; The Rockford Files; Fantasy Island; Webster; CHiPs; The Fall Guy; Love, American Style and Magnum, P.I.. MacRae was also a popular game show guest, appearing on Funny You Should Ask, Match Game ('60s, '70s, and '90s versions), What's My Line?, I've Got a Secret, Personality, Snap Judgment, He Said, She Said (with then-husband Greg Mullavey), Tattletales (also with Mullavey), Hollywood Squares, The Dating Game, To Tell the Truth, Password (ABC version), $10,000 Pyramid and $25,000 Pyramid, Break the Bank, Celebrity Whew!, Beat the Clock, Card Sharks, The Cross-Wits and Family Feud. She even hosted an unsold game show pilot called $50,000 a Minute alongside Geoff Edwards in 1985. In the 1980s, MacRae hosted the talk show Mid-Morning Los Angeles, which ran for eight years. She received a local Emmy Award in 1986 for the show. Later, she created and hosted Born Famous, a PBS series on which she interviewed the offspring of celebrities. She also co-hosted VTV: Value Television with Alex Trebek. In 1994, MacRae narrated the audiobook version of columnist Deborah Laake’s book Secret Ceremonies: A Mormon Woman's Intimate Diary of Marriage and Beyond. In summer stock in her teens, MacRae appeared with Dan Dailey in Take Me Along, with Andy Williams in Bye Bye Birdie, and in Annie Get Your Gun. MacRae also helped raise funds for the Children's Burn Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and United Cerebral Palsy. She also lectured nationally on alcoholism and produced a TV special on the subject.

MacRae married Richard Berger, former president of MGM, in 1964, but they divorced four years later. In 1969, she married fellow actor Greg Mullavey, famous for Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and had one child with him before divorcing in 1987. Her final marriage was in 1995 to Phillip M. Neal, chairman and CEO of Avery-Dennison.

In January 1999, MacRae began to experience vertigo and short-term memory loss. She was evaluated and her symptoms were initially thought to be due to perimenopause. She returned to her doctor complaining of severe headaches. She was told the headaches were most likely due to muscle spasms and was encouraged to do cervical spine stretching. She obtained a second opinion and was diagnosed with brain cancer, which had already progressed to stage four. Emergency surgery was performed to remove the tumor and decrease the pressure in MacRae's head. During the operation, she suffered cardiac arrest but was resuscitated. Though her cancer was terminal, MacRae agreed to be part of an experimental cancer drug program. However, she experienced an allergic reaction to the medication that caused swelling in her brain that required two more surgeries to relieve the pressure. Her vertigo later resulted in a fall that fractured her hip. MacRae died on July 14, 2000 at her Manhattan Beach home at age 56 from complications of brain cancer. Per her wishes, her body was cremated, and her ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1954 — The Colgate Comedy Hour — Herself — Episode: "Gale Storm, Jack Carter, Gene Sheldon, Debra Paget" • 1963–1965 — My Three Sons — Sally Ann Morrison Douglas — Main role; 29 episodes • 1965 — The — Julie Kovacs — 4 episodes • 1966–1970 — Petticoat Junction — Billie Jo Bradley — Main role; 114 episodes • 1968 — Insight — Gloria — Episode: "Three Cornered Flag" • The — Billie Jo Bradley — 3 episodes • 1969 — The Spring Thing — Herself — Television special • 1970–1971 — Love, American Style — Ruth / Linda — 2 episodes • 1971 — The Dean Martin Show — Herself — Episode: "6.19" • The — Vicki — Episode: "Heart Trouble" • Alias Smith and Jones — Sarah Henderson — Episode: "Something to Get Hung About" • 1972 — Banyon — Myra Shaw — Episode: "A Date with Death" • 1973 — The — Ruth Benson — Episode: "The Detonator" • 1975 — ABC's Wide World of Entertainment — Kendy — Episode: "The Werewolf of Woodstock" • 1977 — The — Lori Thompson — Episode: "Requiem for a Funny Box" • 1978 — The — Sara Westerly — Episode: "Ondine's Curse" • Three on a Date — Valerie Owens — Television film • 1978–1980 — Fantasy Island — Cindy Barker / Dina DeWinter — 2 episodes • 1979 — Comedy Is Not Pretty! — Herself — Television special • 1980 — CHiPs — Beth — Episode: "Off Road" • 1983 — The Fall Guy — Herself — Episode: "To the Finish" • 1984 — Calendar Girl Murders — Herself — Television film • 1985 — Rituals — Estelle Cunningham — TV series • Webster — Amanda Parson — Episode: "The Uh-Oh Feeling" • 1986 — Magnum, P.I. — Charlotte Graham — Episode: "Summer School" • 1987 — It's Howdy Doody Time — Herself — Television special • 1992 — Batman: The Animated Series — Francine Langstrom (voice) — 2 episodes • 1993 — Jonny's Golden Quest — Rachel Quest (voice) — Television film