Nancy Walker Biography

Fast Facts

• Father was one half of the vaudeville comedy duo Barto & Mann
• Made her Broadway debut at the age of 19 in the George Francis Abbott musical Best Foot Forward, and her Hollywood debut two years later in the 1943 film version, which featured Lucille Ball
• Acted in numerous Broadway productions throughout the 1940s, '50s and '60s, and received two Best Actress Tony nominations before focusing on television roles
• Made famous the Bounty paper towel promotional tagline "the quicker picker-upper" with a nearly two-decade run as Rosie, the diner waitress, in numerous TV commercials
• Received eight Emmy nominations and four Golden Globe nods between 1973 and 1987 for her roles on the TV shows McMillan & Wife, Rhoda and The Golden Girls
• Also an accomplished director, she helmed episodes of such hit sitcoms as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda and Alice, as well as the 1966 Broadway comedy UTBU, written by James Kirkwood Jr