Sandy Duncan

Early Life

Sandra Kay Duncan was born in New London, Texas, to Sylvia and Mancil Ray Duncan, a gas-station owner. She spent her early years in Texas before moving to Tyler, where she began performing in dance recitals at the tender age of five.

Career

Duncan's entertainment career took off at age 12 when she starred in a local production of "The King and I" for $150 a week. In 1965, she moved to New York and joined the Rehearsal Club, a haven for aspiring actresses. By the late 1960s, she had appeared in a commercial for United California Bank and briefly in the soap opera "Search for Tomorrow." In 1970, she was recognized by Time magazine as one of the "most promising faces of tomorrow." That same year, she starred in the Broadway revival of "The Boy Friend," earning critical acclaim. Duncan made her film debut in Disney's "The Million Dollar Duck" and later appeared in "Star Spangled Girl." Despite some setbacks, including a benign brain tumor surgery that resulted in the loss of vision in her left eye, she continued to thrive in her career, starring in the CBS sitcom "Funny Face" and later in "The Hogan Family."

Personal Life

Duncan's personal life has been marked by two marriages before finding lasting love with actor and choreographer Don Correia, whom she married in 1980. Her first marriage to singer-actor Bruce Scott ended in divorce due to the pressures of her rising fame. Her second marriage to Dr. Thomas Calcaterra, who was involved in her recovery from surgery, also ended due to the demands of her career. Duncan has two sons with Correia and has been honored with a street named after her in Taylorville, Illinois, reflecting her connection to the character she portrayed in her shows.