BEVERLY HILLS—This week in Hollywoodland the women who made a difference in the entertainment world are honored, as we did last week for the men. As Hollywood stars found warm, sunny beaches to vacation in, these women never cease to work their magic either in front of or behind the camera. This is a town that often has discarded the most beautiful and talented women over 30, but no more. These women have broken that glass ceiling and shattered every record to become our most outstanding in entertainment.
Lauralee Bell, who is known to her friends as one of the most amazing young women on the planet and to millions of viewers of television as Christine Williams on “The Young and the Restless” went outside of her comfort zone and alongside her handsome husband Scott Martin, created the most entertaining and successful Web series “Family Dinner.” The show also stars other members of Hollywood royalty, including: Phyllis Diller, Cloris Leachman and Shirley Jones. Leachman and Jones are Academy Award® winners. Bell’s “Family Dinner” was nominated for a Webby Award in 2010 and definitely should be nominated this year as well. Lauralee will be returning home to her parents’ creation “Y&R” in the coming weeks.
Other women, who are just as outstanding, include beautiful ladies, actress and author Rachelle Carson Begley and Maria Arena Bell, who is executive producer and head writer of “Y&R.” Maria is a gifted lady, whose skills in producing and writing are legendary. She is surely to receive yet another nomination for Best Show this year, as “Y&R” continued its 22 year reign at the number one spot in daytime TV ratings.
A number of notable ladies include Malibu resident Tracey Bregman-Recht, who received the Emerald Star award from the Young Musicians Foundation last summer, along with “Gone With The Wind” star Ann Rutherford. Co-creator and former co-executive producer of “Y&R” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” Lee Phillip Bell, attended the ceremony to support Tracey. Bell was also granted honorary lifetime membership to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 33 in recognition of her decades-long contribution to the union and the livelihood of its members in September.
Ladies who also deserve honorable mentions include actress Juliet Mills, filmmaker Julie Davis, songwriter and actress Harriet Schock and Sojourn executive director Pat Butler, who helps women and children victimized by domestic abuse in L.A. County. Independent film star and award-winning actress Tanna Frederick, my dear friend Kate Linder, who has been the national spokesman for The ALS Association for the past six years, since her brother-in-law was diagnosed with the disease and her greatest wish is to find a cure for it. Linder heads to Washington D.C. each spring to lobby Congress for more funding and speaks at the organization’s Candlelight Vigil as well as attending fundraisers and Walk to De’Feet ALS walks across the country. We also honor multi Emmy-winner Susan Flannery, British-born star Lesley-Anne Down, “True Blood” and “B&B” star Ashley Jones, Cate Blanchett, Rene Thurston, Latina award-winning filmmaker Isabel Cueva and Oprah Winfrey, who is the first woman to create her own network, which debuted this weekend – called OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network).
Women whose legacies in entertainment run deep include ABC legend Barbara Walters, “Y&R” star Jess Walton, Nicole Kidman, who works tirelessly to help women being trafficked for the sex trade, Angelina Jolie, Sheryl Crowe, Jennifer Aniston, singer Taylor Swift, my “Twilight of the Gods” costar Emma Fitzpatrick, “The Black Swan” star Natalie Portman, “Dancing With The Stars” winner Jennifer Grey, who proved you can make a major comeback post age 40 in Hollywood and Kim Kardashian, who with her mother and sisters reinvented the family brand and has now surpassed Beverly Hills socialite Paris Hilton in becoming Hollywood’s biggest celebrity.
Constance Towers Gavin is perhaps one of the most well known ladies in the industry. Her body of work goes from working with Glenn Ford, John Wayne, William Holden, Samuel Fuller and Yul Brynner, to today’s leading male icons Michael Douglas and Tony Geary. Constance also works very hard to bring the arts to some not so fortunate residents of L.A. County, but also works with the distinguished Blue Ribbon Panel to spread the arts and its benefits throughout our region, including the L.A. Opera goers. Often called “one of the classiest women in the industry,” by TV Guide’s Michael Logan, maintains that image while also proving that she has staying power in an industry that is ever changing and evolving. Luckily, for all of us, ladies like Maria Bell and my best friend Lauralee Bell have taken the places of legendary Lucille Ball and Oscar-winner Loretta Young as the smart women in entertainment. Maria Gavin is also one of the smartest and most gracious women in Tinseltown.
Now that I have appeared on the silver screen with red-haired beauty and dear friend Tanna Frederick in Henry Jaglom’s “Queen of the Lot,” friend of many years Rachelle Carson Begley, on Planet Green Channel’s “Living With Ed” Phyllis Diller, Eileen Fulton, Beverly Garland and my pal Lesli Kay on CBS’s “As The World Turns,” my 2011 wish list is to star on screen with my beloved Constance (again), best friend Lauralee, friends Tracey and Jess and every actor’s dream leading lady Susan Flannery, who is a Golden Globe Award® winner, who has also won four Daytime Emmys®. One can dream!
Happy New Year, and see you next week! XOXO
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Photographs are Courtesy: Lauralee Bell by CharlesBush.com, Maria Bell by CBS/Sony Studios and Constance Towers by Mara Magliarditi Photography
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