Candice Bergen

Candice Bergen – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Discover the life and legacy of Candice Bergen—an American actress, author, and style icon. From Murphy Brown to her writing and activism, explore her journey, her philosophy, and her most striking quotes.

Introduction

Candice Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress, author, photojournalist, and cultural presence whose wit, intelligence, and versatility have shaped a multifaceted career. Best known for her titular role in the sitcom Murphy Brown (1988–1998, 2018 revival), Bergen has also starred in dramatic television, film, Broadway, and published memoirs. Her life reflects a blend of privilege and struggle, humor and introspection, and the constant reinvention that marks lasting careers.

Early Life and Family

Candice Patricia Bergen was born on May 9, 1946 in Los Angeles, California (Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital). Edgar Bergen, was a celebrated ventriloquist, comedian, and radio/television entertainer, and her mother, Frances Bergen (née Westerman), was a professional model.

Growing up, Berg­en felt overshadowed by her father’s celebrity — especially by his famous dummy, Charlie McCarthy. She has recounted memories of being introduced publicly as “Charlie McCarthy’s little sister.” Beverly Hills, and attended the Westlake School for Girls.

She went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania, where she was elected Homecoming Queen and Miss University, though her academic performance was uneven; she left Penn after two years.

Career and Achievements

Modeling & Early Screen Roles

Before acting, Bergen worked as a fashion model, appearing on covers of Vogue and leveraging her striking looks and poise. 1966 in The Group, directed by Sidney Lumet. The Sand Pebbles alongside Steve McQueen.

Over the 1970s she took on a variety of film roles: Carnal Knowledge (1971), Soldier Blue (1970), The Wind and the Lion (1975), among others. Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Starting Over (1979). Gandhi (1982).

Television Stardom: Murphy Brown & Beyond

Bergen’s most iconic role is Murphy Brown, a sharp, independent news anchor, which she played from 1988 to 1998, and again in the 2018 revival. Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes.

After Murphy Brown, she appeared as Shirley Schmidt on Boston Legal (2005–2008), earning Emmy nominations for supporting actress in a drama. Sex and the City, Seinfeld, Law & Order, and voice or cameo roles in Family Guy.

On Broadway, she debuted in Hurlyburly (1984) and later appeared in The Best Man (2012 revival) and Love Letters (2014 revival).

Writing, Photography & Other Ventures

Bergen has also published memoirs: Knock Wood (1984) and A Fine Romance (2015).

Historical & Cultural Context

Candice Bergen’s career straddles major shifts in Hollywood and television. She witnessed and participated in the transformation from prestige cinema of the 1960s and 70s into TV-led stardom in the 1980s–90s. Her Murphy Brown character became culturally significant, engaging debates about women in journalism, feminism, and family choices.

Her life as the daughter of a famous entertainer also places her in a lineage of Hollywood legacies; her personal reflections often address the tension of inheriting fame and forging individual identity.

As she matured, she embraced creative control—not just as an actress but as a writer and visual artist—thus resisting being stuck in a single public persona.

Legacy and Influence

• Television trailblazer: Murphy Brown remains a cultural touchstone, inspiring feminist narratives and character-driven media.

• Genre versatility: Bergen’s career spans films, sitcoms, drama, stage, writing, and photography—rare breadth.

• Honest voice: Her memoirs and interviews show a willingness to confront beauty, privilege, aging, and expectation rather than conceal them.

• Mentorship of self-reinvention: Her later ventures into hands-on art and business show that personal expression can evolve with age.

Personality and Character

Bergen is often described as witty, incisive, self-aware, and wry. She combines a cool exterior with emotional depth and a willingness to critique how women are viewed in society. In her public statements, she exhibits humility, candor about her struggles, and a sense that roles and identity are not static.

In Vanity Fair’s recent profile of her memoirs, Bergen reflects on youthful ease and the later discipline she developed—acknowledging that many aspects of her life had come too easily until she confronted difficulty and choice.

She has also long identified with comedy, noting that she “loves doing comedy and feel[s] most comfortable near it.”

Notable Quotes by Candice Bergen

Here are several of her memorable, incisive, and sometimes humorous quotes:

• “The most important thing in life is your family. There are days you love them, and others you don't. But, in the end, they’re the people you always come home to. Sometimes it’s the family you’re born into and sometimes it’s the one you make for yourself.”

• “Hollywood is like Picasso’s bathroom.”

• “Men say they love independence in a woman, but they don’t waste a second demolishing it brick by brick.”

• “People see you as an object, not as a person, and they project a set of expectations onto you. People who don’t have it think beauty is a blessing, but actually it sets you apart.”

• “Self-acceptance has been a blessed by-product of middle age.”

• “I certainly love doing comedy and feel most comfortable near it.”

These lines reflect her insights on beauty, agency, aging, identity, and humor.

Lessons from Candice Bergen

• Embrace complexity: She resists being boxed into one genre, identity, or public image.

• Speak honestly: Her willingness to talk about privilege, insecurity, and aging gives her relatability and depth.

• Cultivate reinvention: Late-in-life ventures (art, writing, personal projects) show that creativity need not stop.

• Guard your integrity: She declined offers that would blur her professional lines (e.g. she reportedly declined a TV news role after Murphy Brown to maintain boundaries).

• Value humor and agency: Her love of comedy and her stand on independence show that self-possession is a recurring anchor in her life.

Conclusion

Candice Bergen’s life is a portrait of elegance, intelligence, and restless curiosity. From the heirs of Hollywood fame to the meteoric success of Murphy Brown, and from published memoirs to handbag-painting philanthropy, her journey has been anything but conventional.

Her legacy lies not merely in awards but in her sustained refusal to rest—continually reshaping what it means to be an actress, maker, and public figure. Her quotes remind us that beauty, independence, family, and aging all demand honest reckoning.