Brett Somers

Brett Somers – Life, Career, and Memorable Lines

Brett Somers (July 11, 1924 – September 15, 2007) was a Canadian-American actress, singer, comedian, and beloved game show panelist best known for Match Game and her role as Blanche Madison on The Odd Couple. Explore her life, career, and legacy.

Introduction

Brett Somers, born Audrey Dawn Johnston, carved a unique niche in American television and entertainment. With her sharp wit, distinctive voice, oversized glasses, and often whimsical persona on Match Game, she became a fixture in 1970s pop culture. But she was more than a game show personality—she was an actress, singer, and stage performer who strove to balance comedy, drama, and her own artistry.

Early Life and Family

Brett Somers was born Audrey Dawn Johnston on July 11, 1924, in Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada. Portland, Maine.

Her adoption of the name "Brett Somers" was personally meaningful: “Brett” was taken from the female lead in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, and “Somers” was her mother’s maiden name.

Little is publicly documented about her early family beyond that relocation to Maine, and she generally maintained privacy about her childhood.

Youth and Education

At about age 17 or 18, Somers left Maine and moved to New York City to pursue her ambitions in acting.

It is not clearly recorded that she undertook formal higher education; her path was more directly tied to theater and performance training.Actors Studio (from around 1952) and began building her theatrical credentials.

Career and Achievements

Theatrical and Early Work

Somers’ early career included theatre, television dramas, and experimental roles. Broadway debut in Maybe Tuesday, a production that unfortunately ran only a few performances.Happy Ending, The Seven Year Itch, and The Country Girl, sometimes performing opposite her husband, Jack Klugman.

In television’s early days, she appeared on dramatic anthology shows like The Philco Television Playhouse, Kraft Television Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, and Playhouse 90.A Rage to Live and Bus Riley’s Back in Town.

Rise to Fame: Match Game

Somers gained her highest level of fame as a regular panelist on the 1970s game show Match Game.

She often sat in the center of the upper tier, known for wearing exaggerated glasses and switching wigs, leaning into a persona that was part affable eccentric, part tease.

Television Acting & Later Projects

Beyond game shows, Somers had recurring roles in television series. Most notably:

• Blanche Madison on The Odd Couple, playing the former wife of Oscar Madison (her real-life husband, Jack Klugman).

• Guest and episodic appearances in series such as Love, American Style, The Defenders, Ben Casey, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat, Barney Miller, The Fugitive, and Battlestar Galactica (as Siress Belloby in 1978).

• A brief appearance as “Gertie,” the receptionist, in The New Perry Mason (1973).

Later in life, Somers pursued cabaret performance (e.g. An Evening with Brett Somers in 2003–04) and participated in retrospectives and reunion events, such as a Match Game reunion on The Early Show in 2002.

Her television and entertainment activity spanned from the 1950s through the early 2000s (with her last credited appearances around 2006).

Historical & Cultural Context

• Somers was part of television’s golden age and the boom in game-show popularity in the 1960s–70s. Her presence on Match Game came at a time when light entertainment and celebrity panel banter became central to daytime TV.

• Her persona straddled the line between performer and character: audiences often weren’t sure where Brett ended and Brett-the-panelist began, a blend of performance and self-mythology.

• Her involvement in The Odd Couple merged her game-show fame with sitcom recognition, helping cement her in TV pop culture memory.

• Over time, nostalgia for the “glasses and wigs” era of Match Game boosted her legacy in TV history and inspired later revivals and documentary retrospectives.

Legacy and Influence

Brett Somers is often remembered for her comedic style and the ease with which she blended personality and performance. Her presence on Match Game left a lasting impression—her eccentricity, spontaneity, and warmth contributed to the show’s distinctive charm.

While she did not become a dramatic acting giant, her versatility—moving between theater, television, singing, and game shows—showcased a performer committed to exploring multiple avenues.

Her legacy lives on in television histories, game show retrospectives, and fan remembrance of that era of lighthearted celebrity interplay.

Personality and Talents

Somers had a distinct vocal delivery—somewhat husky and resonant—which, combined with her physical presence of glasses, expressive features, and timing, became part of her signature.

She was playful, self-aware, quick with humorous retorts, and comfortable inhabiting an evolving stage persona. At times she leaned into absurdity, surprise, and exaggeration—especially during her Match Game tenure.

Yet beneath the comedic front, she pursued serious acting goals and worked to balance income, visibility, and artistic dignity—a challenge many performers face.

Memorable Lines & Comments

While Brett Somers is better known for her on-screen behavior than for attributed quotes, here are a few remarks and attitudes often associated with her:

• Her trademark banter on Match Game, including playful quips and double entendres, made her one of the show’s most quoted panelists.

• She once declined health rumors that she had throat issues—her distinctive voice sometimes spurred speculation about vocal problems.

• In interviews later in life, she was candid about aging, about being typecast, and about maintaining self-respect in a television industry that often demands conformity. (Though direct published quotes are sparse in popular records.)

Given the more ephemeral nature of game show discourse, many of her “lines” live in the clips and archival episodes of Match Game, where her timing and delivery shine.

Lessons from Brett Somers

1. Embrace a persona, but remain grounded
   Somers demonstrates that performers can cultivate a memorable “character” version of themselves while still evolving in serious work.

2. Be adaptable across media
   Her willingness to act on stage, television, game shows, and in cabaret shows a flexibility that kept her career dynamic.

3. Use humor as both shield and voice
   She leveraged comedy to disarm audiences and create memorable moments—but that same humor allowed glimpses of vulnerability and depth.

4. Maintain dignity in higher visibility roles
   As a game-show figure, Somers faced pressures to conform to expectations. Her ability to offer her own voice within that context is instructive to entertainers navigating popularity and artistic identity.

5. Legacy comes from consistency and distinctiveness
   Though not always a household dramatic name, her consistent presence and distinctive style ensured she is still remembered decades later.

Conclusion

Brett Somers was a singular figure in American television and entertainment—a Canadian-born artist who became a beloved TV personality by blending humor, persona, and ambition. From her early theatre efforts to her long tenure on Match Game and recurring sitcom roles, she crafted a career marked by charm, wit, and steady reinvention.

Her legacy lies not in blockbuster fame but in memorability: she stands as a testament to how personality, timing, and character can etch someone into cultural memory. For fans of classic television, game shows, and performers who dared to be themselves on screen, Brett Somers remains a vibrant and valued presence.

Explore vintage Match Game episodes, odd-couple moments, and archival interviews to experience Brett Somers’ wit and warmth firsthand.