Early Life and Struggles
This actress wasn’t born into wealth. If circumstances had been different, she might have been a beauty pageant winner. However, a medical condition reappeared years later, prompting her to speak out. Despite facing these challenges, she maintained her beauty and resilience after losing her husband.
Family and Education
Born to a nurse, Jeanette, and a construction contractor, Victor, this actress was the youngest child in her family. As an all-American girl, she excelled in school as an honor student and cheerleader. She later studied drama at Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, where she became a New York State finalist in the Miss Universe pageant. However, her exams conflicted with the finals, and her father insisted she focus on her degree instead.