Stockard Channing is an American actress who played Betty Rizzo in the film Grease and First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC TV series, The West Wing.
She was born in 1944 in Manhattan and grew up on the Upper East Side. Her mother, Mary Jane, belonged to an Irish Catholic family, and her father, Lester Napier Stockard, was in the shipping business. Channing studied History and Literature at Radcliffe College of Harvard University in Massachusetts and graduated with high distinction in 1965.
She began acting at the age of 25; initially, she appeared in lesser-known projects and did minor roles; however, in 1978, Stockard Channing made a name for herself in the industry and started being recognized as a high-profile celebrity.
Some of her notable projects include Grease, Practical Magic, Where The Heart Is, The First Wives Club, The Big Bus, Angry Neighbors, The Fortune, Smoke, Six Degrees of Separation, The Truth About Jane, Up Close and Personal, The Rise of Evil, The Cheap Detective, Sweet Revenge, Bring it On, Sparkle, Staying Together, Sunday’s at Tiffany’s, The Baby Dance, and Lily Dale.
Her role as Ouisa Kittredge in Six Degrees of Separation earned her an Academy Award nomination for best actress.
She is most famously known for her work in the television series The West Wing, where she appeared opposite Martin Sheen – the two actors had remarkable on-screen chemistry.
“It just worked,” Channing told Entertainment Weekly in 2020. “We had this chemistry from the beginning. I don’t know what it was, but we had it, and it didn’t go away. It was a happy accident.”
As for her love life, the actress married and divorced four times and has no children. Her first marriage was with a wood sculptor, Walter Channing – the couple tied the knot in 1964, and after three years, they ended their relationship.
In 1970 Stockard married Paul Schmidt and the two stayed together for six years. They split in 1976. After ending her relationship with Paul, Channing moved on to marry David Debin in 1976, but the couple called it quits in 1980.
Her fourth and final wedding was with David Rawle – the couple exchanged vows in 1980 and spent eight years together. In 1988, they divorced.
Finally, in 1990, Stockard met the man who proved to be her best companion; she had a 24-year-long relationship with cinematographer Daniel Gillham. The couple remained together until Gillham’s passing in 2014.
In 2019, Channing moved to London, England, where she currently resides with her dog, and started doing theater production.
“Living on my own here during the pandemic, I was sort of taking the ride with the rest of the country,” the actress told The Times in October 2021.
“I mistakenly thought I spoke the language. But yeah, I thought it was bold. Life is bold, though. Life’s there to grab hold of, if you can. And I guess I haven’t changed very much. I have always had a reckless and restless streak in me.”
In recent years, the Grease superstar made headlines for changing her looks, especially her facial features, and fans claimed she got several surgical procedures done to enhance her looks.
In 2017, Channing appeared in an interview with Lorraine, a British breakfast show, and fans were baffled to see her unrecognizable looks.
“Oh my god what has Rizzo done to herself?” one wrote.
“Shocked at how Stockard Channing looked on Lorraine. Why do they mess with plastic surgeons?” a second said.
“Good grief, Stockard Channing looks unrecognisable on Lorraine. Such a shame that people feel they can’t simply age gracefully,” a third fan tweeted.
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Source: The Times – Twitter
