5 Things You Never Knew About TV Mom Harriet Nelson
Before there was a Donna Stone, a June Cleaver, or a Carol Brady, there was Harriet Nelson (played by Harriet Nelson) — star of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet on the radio from 1944 to 1954, and on TV from 1952 to 1966, as well as one of the first beloved TV moms. The show wasn’t just a sitcom … it was the Nelson family. Viewers watched Harriet and Ozzie raise their real-life sons, David and Ricky, from boys to men, making each family member a household name and defining a generation’s idea of wholesome family life.
In the process, Ricky became a teen idol, similar to what David Cassidy would later experience with The Partridge Family. With his boyish charm and rock ‘n’ roll talent, Ricky captivated fans and launched a successful music career that made him a household name in his own right. Although Harriet was the lovely matriarch both on and off the screen, she wasn’t as wholesome in real life. Here are five things you may not have known about the woman behind the iconic role:
1 Her real name wasn’t Harriet
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Harriet was born Peggy Lou Snyder in 1909, in Des Moines, Iowa. She started performing at just three years old, and by her teens, she was performing under the name Harriet Hilliard (Hilliard was father’s middle name), eventually dropping out of high school to join the Corps de Ballet at the Capitol Theater.
Before she met Ozzie Nelson, she had a brief, tumultuous first marriage to comedian Roy Sedley, who lived a wild lifestyle and was reportedly abusive. The two separated after a year, and the marriage was annulled in 1933. Just two years later, she married Ozzie Nelson and changed her name for good. The pair had two sons, David and Eric (better known as Ricky) and stayed together until Ozzie’s death in 1975. Can you believe Ricky would have been 85 years old this year?
2 She gave up a blossoming movie career to work with Ozzie
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Harriet was on the verge of major stardom when she signed a contract with RKO Radio Pictures in 1936. She starred alongside Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Follow the Fleet and was in high demand for musicals and comedies during World War II. But when she and Ozzie launched their radio show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, she made the decision to step away from her solo career. Seems like it worked out!
3 She had a wilder side that fans rarely saw
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On television, Harriet was the calm, composed matriarch of the Nelson clan. However, her real self was known for being sharp, funny and daring. She started smoking at 13, loved a good cocktail in the evenings and had a rowdy sense of humor. It goes to show, she was an amazing actress — because it’s almost impossible to imagine that she wasn’t as prim and proper as the character she portrayed.
4 Her beach house became her sanctuary
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While the Nelsons’ Hollywood home was featured heavily in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, their beach house in Laguna Beach meant even more to Harriet, as the family spent weekends and summers there to escape the spotlight. After Ozzie’s death in 1975, Harriet sold their Hollywood house and moved full-time to the Laguna Beach home in the gated Lagunita community. It was there, in 1985, that she learned about her son Ricky’s tragic plane crash on the evening news. It was also where Harriet passed away in 1994 from congestive heart failure, surrounded by family.
5 She was honored long after her passing
Zephyr Prod./Everett Collection
Though she died in 1994, Harriet’s impact on American pop culture continues to be recognized. She appeared alongside Ozzie on a U.S. commemorative postage stamp released in 2009 as part of the “Early TV Memories” series. In 2019, the Nelson family, including Harriet, Ozzie and Ricky, was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Arts and Entertainment category.
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May 2022
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