Valerie Anne Bertinelli (born April 23, 1960) is an American actress and television personality. She began acting as a child and made her screen debut in a 1974 episode of Apple's Way. She gained wide recognition for portraying Barbara Cooper Royer on the sitcom One Day at a Time (1975–1984), winning two Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred in several television films and played the titular character in the sitcom Sydney (1990).
Bertinelli earned adult stardom with the religious drama series Touched by an Angel (2001–2003) and the sitcom Hot in Cleveland (2010–2015), netting her a SAG Award nomination. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. She has since hosted several programs for Food Network, including the cooking shows Valerie's Home Cooking (2015–2023) and Kids Baking Championship (2015–2024). She won two Daytime Emmy Awards for her hosting, and signed a deal with Food Network in 2021.
Early life, family and education On April 23, 1960, Bertinelli was born in Wilmington, Delaware, to Nancy (née Carvin) and Andrew Bertinelli, a General Motors executive. Her father is of Italian descent and her mother of English descent. Before she was born, an older brother, Mark, died when he was 17 months old from accidental poisoning. She was raised Roman Catholic. In 2014, she appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? and was informed that she is a descendant of King Edward I of England.
Due to her father's career, the family frequently relocated. They resided in Claymont, Delaware; Clarkston, Michigan; Shreveport, Louisiana; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles, California, where Bertinelli studied acting at the Tami Lynn School of Artists. She attended Granada Hills High School but did not graduate.
Career
Acting and television hosting
Following her appearance in an episode of Apple's Way, Bertinelli was approached by producer Norman Lear to audition for the role of cooperative daughter Barbara Cooper in the sitcom One Day at a Time, which debuted in late 1975 when Bertinelli was 15. She appeared in 208 of the 209 episodes before it left the air on May 28, 1984, and she won two Golden Globe Awards for her performances. In the 2005 One Day at a Time Reunion Special, she was reunited with cast members Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips and Pat Harrington Jr. to watch memorable clips from the show's nine seasons. They talked about actors who had appeared on the show as well as Phillips's drug problem, which had wreaked havoc on-set and caused Phillips to be fired.
After One Day at a Time, Bertinelli starred in several TV films and miniseries and made many guest appearances on other television shows. In the 1990s, she starred in two short-lived sitcoms: Sydney, as the title character, a private detective (with Matthew Perry and Craig Bierko); and Café Americain. In 2001, she joined the cast of Touched by an Angel for its last two seasons.
From 2010 to 2015, she starred in the sitcom Hot in Cleveland with Betty White, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves. Its six-season run concluded June 3, 2015.
In 2015, Bertinelli began hosting cooking TV shows Valerie's Home Cooking and Kids Baking Championship with cake artist Duff Goldman on the Food Network. She won two Daytime Emmy Awards for her work on Valerie's Home Cooking. In 2019, she hosted two Food Network shows, Family Food Showdown and Family Restaurant Rivals.
In June 2021, it was announced that Bertinelli would star opposite Demi Lovato in NBC's single-camera comedy television pilot, Hungry. In December 2021, she signed a new deal with Food Network. In January 2024, she confirmed that she had been cut from Kids Baking Championship by Food Network.
Other ventures In 2007, she became a spokeswoman for the Jenny Craig weight-loss program, and appeared in several commercials. The following year, she released her autobiography, Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time, which culminates in a description of her Jenny Craig diet experience. In 2009 she wrote a follow-up book, Finding It: And Satisfying My Hunger for Life Without Opening the Fridge.
Bertinelli ran in the April 2010 Boston Marathon to benefit the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, completing it in a time of 5:14:37.
In January 2022, she released her memoir Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today.
Personal life
According to the biography of Paul Shaffer, he went on a "few fun dates" with Bertinelli when she was 16 and he was 27.
Bertinelli married rock musician Eddie Van Halen in 1981. She suffered a miscarriage in March 1986. They had a son, Wolfgang (born March 16, 1991). They separated in 2001 and divorced on December 20, 2007. In her autobiography, Bertinelli wrote that the main reasons for her divorce were her husband's cocaine addiction, and his refusal to quit smoking despite being diagnosed with oral cancer and losing one-third of his tongue in the treatment process. After their divorce, they remained amicable, and she was at his bedside when he died.
In May 2010, Bertinelli announced her engagement to financial planner Tom Vitale, with whom she had begun a relationship in 2004. They were married on January 1, 2011, in Malibu, California. She had four step-children through her marriage to Vitale. Both her ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen, and their son, Wolfgang Van Halen, attended the wedding. Bertinelli filed for legal separation from Vitale on November 24, 2021, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce was finalized on November 22, 2022.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1979 C.H.O.M.P.S. Casey Norton 1987 Number One with a Bullet Teresa Barzak
Television Year Title Role Notes 1974 Apple's Way Peggy episode: "The Flag" 1975–1984 One Day at a Time Barbara Cooper Royer main role 1977 Battle of the Network Stars III Herself on The CBS Team ABC special1978 The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People Mamie Dickens episode: "The Secret of Charles Dickens" The Hardy Boys Wendy Chase/Gwynn episode: "Campus Terror" The Magic of David Copperfield Herself CBS special1979 Young Love, First Love Robin Gibson TV movie The Magic of David Copperfield II Herself CBS special 1980 The Promise of Love Kathy Wakeman TV movie 1981 The Princess and the Cabbie Joanna James 1981–1982 Fridays Herself/Host 2 episodes1982 I Was a Mail Order Bride Kate Tosconi TV movie1984 The Seduction of Gina Gina Breslin TV movie Shattered Vows Mary Gilligan 1985 Silent Witness Anna Dunne 1986 Ordinary Heroes Maria Faerie Tale Theatre Princess Sabrina episode: "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" Rockabye Susannah Bartok TV movie1987 Saturday Night Live Herself/Host I'll Take Manhattan Maxime "Maxi" Amberville-Cipriani TV miniseries 1988 Pancho Barnes Pancho Barnes TV movie 1989 Taken Away Stephanie Monroe 1990 Sydney Sydney Kells 13 episodes 1991 In a Child's Name Angela Silvano-Cimarelli TV movie 1992 What She Doesn't Know Molly Kilcoin TV movie, a.k.a. Shades of Gray 1993 Murder of Innocence Laurie Wade TV movie 1993–1994 Café Americain Holly Aldridge 18 episodes 1995 The Haunting of Helen Walker Helen Walker TV movie1996 A Case for Life Kelly Porter Two Mothers for Zachary Jody Ann Shaffell 1997 Night Sins SBI Agent Megan O'Malley 2000 Personally Yours Susannah Stanton TV movie, a.k.a. Wilderness Love 2001–2003 Touched by an Angel Gloria 59 episodes 2001 Family Guy Herself (as TV Bonnie) episode: "Ready, Willing and Disabled"2003 Crazy Love Wife TV movie Finding John Christmas Kathleen McAllister 2004 Saved! Herself cameo 2007 Claire Claire Bannion TV movie2008 True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet Aunt Trudy Boston Legal Carol Hober episode: "Mad Cows" 2010–2015 Hot in Cleveland Melanie Moretti main role2013 Hollywood Game Night Herself episode: "Don't Kill My Buzz-er" Iron Chef America Herself/Judge episode: "Battle Oktoberfest" 2014 Signed, Sealed, Delivered Rebecca Starkwell 2 episodes 2015 Cutthroat Kitchen Herself/Guest Judge episode: "Who Tarted?" 2015–2023 Valerie's Home Cooking Herself/Host 2015–2024 Kids Baking Championship Herself/Host/Judge 2016 Food Network Star Herself/Guest Judge episode 12.12019 Family Food Showdown Herself/Host Family Restaurant Rivals 2021 Hungry Lisa Lead role; unaired pilot 2024–present The Drew Barrymore Show Herself/Correspondent 2025–present Bingo Blitz Herself/Host
Music video Year Title Artist Notes 2023 "I'm Alright" Mammoth WVH Employee at entrance
Awards and nominations On August 22, 2012, Bertinelli received the 2,476th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The following is a list of awards and nominations received by Bertinelli.
Year Award Category Work Result 1981 Young Artist Awards Best Young Comedienne One Day at a Time Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television 1982 1983 Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television 2005 TV Land Awards Favorite Singing Siblings 2007 Lady You Love to Watch Fight for Her Life in a Movie of the Week 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Hot in Cleveland 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Culinary Program Valerie's Home Cooking 2019 Outstanding Culinary Host 2020 Outstanding Culinary Program 2021 Outstanding Culinary Host 2023 Children's and Family Emmy Awards Outstanding Host Kids Baking Championship
References
Further reading Dye, David. Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914–1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, p. 18.
External links