Whatever Happened to Shelley Fabares?
What To Know
- Shelley Fabares, known for her roles on The Donna Reed Show and Coach, as well as her hit single “Johnny Angel,” enjoyed a diverse career as an actress, singer, and producer.
- After decades of television, film, and voice work—including starring alongside Elvis Presley and voicing Martha Kent in Superman: The Animated Series—she gradually retired from acting following the late 2000s.
- Now approaching her 82nd birthday, Fabares leads a private life with her husband, M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell, and is largely out of the public spotlight.
Shelley Fabares is the rare performer to have a successful career across multiple eras — the one-time child star gained fame on The Donna Reed Show, developed a pop music career and shot several movies with Elvis Presley in the ’60s, and then came back to the small screen in the late ’80s as Christine, the newscaster girlfriend and later wife of Craig T. Nelson’s Hayden Fox in nine seasons of Coach. Now retired, Fabares is definitely no longer a little kid — in fact, she’s turning 82 years old on January 19. Which begs the question: What is she up to now? While she hasn’t been working much lately, she has been spending time with her famous husband, M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell.
How did Shelley Fabares begin her career?
Born Michele Ann Marie Fabares on January 19, 1944, in Santa Monica, California, Fabares grew up around the entertainment world. Her aunt was actress and comedian Nanette Fabray, and Shelley began working professionally at just three years old. By the mid ’50s, she was already appearing on television and making small film appearances. Her breakout arrived in 1958 when she joined The Donna Reed Show as Mary Stone, the warm, level-headed daughter in one of television’s defining family sitcoms. The role ran for most of the series’ original run and quickly made her a favorite with teen audiences.
Everett Collection
At the height of her TV popularity, Fabares unexpectedly crossed into music. In 1962, her single “Johnny Angel” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold more than one million copies, earning gold certification. She released several albums during this period, including Shelley! and The Things We Did Last Summer, along with additional singles that landed on the charts.
As the decade moved on, Fabares expanded into film, including a stretch that made her especially memorable to Elvis fans. She starred opposite Elvis Presley in Girl Happy, Spinout and Clambake, becoming one of his most frequent leading ladies of the era. She also appeared in other youth-driven films such as Ride the Wild Surf and Hold On!.
When film opportunities slowed, she transitioned back to television, guest-starring across a wide range of series. One of her most acclaimed dramatic performances came in the 1971 television film Brian’s Song, where she portrayed Joy Piccolo, the wife of football player Brian Piccolo. The role earned her a Golden Globe nomination and showed audiences a more serious side of her talent.
ABC/Everett Collection
Throughout the ’70s and early ’80s, Fabares remained a familiar TV presence with regular roles on The Brian Keith Show, The Practice, the cult favorite spoof Forever Fernwood, and the short-lived gothic soap Highcliffe Manor. In 1978, she joined One Day at a Time as Francine Webster, the self-centered rival to Bonnie Franklin‘s Ann Romano. But her most enduring later role arrived in 1989 when she was cast as Christine Armstrong Fox on Coach. The character was a perfect complement to Craig T. Nelson‘s title character. The series ran for nine seasons, and Fabares received two Primetime Emmy nominations for her work. In 1994, she was also honored with a Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing her early career on The Donna Reed Show.
Where is Shelley Fabares today?
Everett Collection; Jonathan Leibson/FilmMagic/Getty Images
After Coach ended in 1997, Fabares gradually stepped away from regular on-camera acting. She voiced Martha Kent in Superman: The Animated Series, later reprising the role in Justice League and the direct-to-video release Superman: Brainiac Attacks in 2006, which is generally cited as her final acting credit. She also remained active behind the scenes, serving as a producer for the Screen Actors Guild Awards for several years during the 2000s, contributing to the organization and its annual broadcast operations.
She was married to record producer Lou Adler in the 1960s, with the marriage ending in divorce in 1980. In December 1984, she married actor Mike Farrell, best known for M*A*S*H, and the two have remained together for decades. In October 2000, Fabares underwent a liver transplant after being diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. The surgery was successful, and her recovery played a role in her decision to keep a lower public profile in the years that followed.
Remind 
1970s Fall TV
September 2023
Take a trip back to the ’70s by looking at the TV Guide Magazine Fall Preview primetime lineups.
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