Liberty Lighthouse Journal: DOSSIER: ADRIENNE BARBEAU

Who knew at the time? It's the same as my horror films. It's wonderful at this point in my career to realize there are pieces of work that have sustained themselves all this time. I'll run into people who say, 'We watch Swamp Thing (1982) once a month!'.

BORN: June 11^th, 1945 in Sacramento, California

BIRTH NAME: Adrienne Jo Barbeau

NICKNAME: Scream Queen

HEIGHT: 5' 2”

Adrienne is the daughter of Armene and Joseph Barbeau, who was a public relations executive for Mobil Oil. Her mother was of Armenian descent and her father French Canadian, Irish, and German. She has a sister, Jocelyn and a half-brother, Robert Barbeau who still reside in Sacramento. Adrienne attended Del Mar High School in San Jose, California. She stated that she caught the show business bug while entertaining troops at army bases throughout Southeast Asia with the San Jose Civic Light Opera.

In the late 1960s, Barbeau moved to New York City and worked as a go-go dancer in a club owned by the mob. She made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Fiddler on the Roof. She left Fiddler in 1971 to play leading role in the off-Broadway musical Stag Movie. Barbeau then went on to star in more than 25 musicals and plays, including Women Behind Bars, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Grease. She received a Theater World Award and a Tony Award in 1972 for her portrayal of Rizzo in Grease.

During the 1970s, Barbeau portrayed daughter of the comedy series Maude that ran from 1972 to 1978. In her autobiography, There Are Worse Things I Could Do, Barbeau remarked:

“What I didn't know is that when I said my lines I was usually walking down a flight of stairs and no one was even listening to me. They were watching my breasts precede me.”

Barbeau mentioned in a 2009 Entertainment Tonight interview that she had a good on- and off-camera chemistry with Arthur and stayed close until Arthur's death in 2009. Of her relationship, she stated:

“I was doing an interview for this one-woman show that I am doing and the interviewer asked, 'What do people ask you,' and I said, 'They always want to know what it was like working with Bea.' She was fantastic and, you know, I realized years later how much I took it for granted because it was my first experience on television. I just assumed that everyone was as giving as she was, as professional as she was, that everyone who was doing a TV show showed up knowing their lines and showed up on time and was willing to say to the writers, 'I think this line was funnier if Adie had said it or Conrad had said it or Bill had said it.' I mean she was the just the best, she was the best, very funny. She was not Maude when she wasn't saying those lines. I don't know if I'd say she was quiet. She was a homebody. She had her sons, her dog and her cooking and she wasn't into the celebrity scene and she was a great lady. I loved her dearly and we had a great cast and they were my family for six years. I loved each of them and all of them and it was the best experience anyone could've had, being introduced to television like that!”

Barbeau was cast in numerous television films and series such as The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Battle of the Network Stars. In her autobiography, she stated:

“I actually thought CBS asked me to be on Battle of the Network Stars because they thought I was athletic. My husband clued me in: who cared if I won the race, as long as I bounced when I ran?”

The popularity of Barbeau's 1978 “cheesecake” poster made her a sex symbol.

Barbeau's then-husband, director John Carpenter, cast her in his horror film, The Fog in 1980, her first theatrical film appearance. It was a success and grossed over $12 million in just the United States. She subsequently appeared in several early 1980s horror and science fiction films, including Escape from New York (1981, also directed by Carpenter), Creepshow (1982) and Swamp Thing (1982).

In the 1990s, Barbeau mostly appeared in made-for-television films like The Burden of Proof (1992) and Oswald's mother on The Drew Carey Show and gained fame of animation fans as Catwoman on Batman: The Animated Series. In 1999, she guest starred in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges” episode as the Romulan senator. In 1998, Barbeau released her debut album as a folk singer named Adrienne Barbeau.

From 2003 to 2005 she starred in the HBO series Carnivàle. From March to May of 2006, she starred as Judy Garland in the off-Broadway play The Property Known as Garland.

In 2007, Barbeau played a cameo role in Halloween, produced by Rob Zombie as a “re-imagining” of the 1978 film of the same name, written and directed by her first husband, John Carpenter. Her scene was cut from the theatrical version, but included in the DVD version.

In 2009, Barbeau had guest shots in Showtime's hit series Dexter (Season 4). She also portrayed the “cat lady” in the comedy film The Dog Who Saved Christmas.

In 2010, Barbeau voiced the Greek goddess Hera in the video game God of War III.

In 2012, she voiced the UNSC scientist Dr. Tilson in the game Halo 4. In 2015 she voiced characters in the Mad Max video game.

In 2015, she took the role of Berthe in Pippin with the Broadway Touring Company.

PERSONAL LIFE & TRIVIA

In 1978, Barbeau met director John Carpenter on the set of his television movie Someone's Watching Me! The couple wed on January 1^st, 1979 and lived in the Hollywood Hills. They were together for five years and separated shortly after the birth of their son John “Cody” Carpenter on May 7^th, 1984. One year later they divorced.

In 1991, Barbeau met actor/playwright/producer Billy Van Zandt, when she was cast in his play Drop Dead! Van Zandt is the half-brother of musician/actor Steven Van Zandt. The couple wed in 1992. At age 51 on March 17^th, 1997, she gave birth to twin boys, Walker Steven and William Dalton Van Zandt, stating she was the only one on the maternity ward who was a member of AARP. The couple divorced in 2018.

Barbeau is a natural brunette.
Worked as a go-go dancer in a Mafia-run nightclub from 1964-1967. She quit after the owner decided to turn the place into a bikini bar.
In 1978, a poster of Adrienne Barbeau wearing a tight purple corset was a bestseller. The poster image became the cover photo for her autobiography.
Her roles in the horror film The Fog (1980) and Escape from New York (1981) were written specifically with her in mind.
Her nude scene in Swamp Thing (1982) was intended for European release but made it on American DVD versions of the movie – until a Texas housewife complained about the nudity in a PG-rated move, so the DVD was recalled.
The winner of The Cannonball Run (1981), she also won the heart of her co-star, Burt Reynolds, at the height of his popularity.
In the horror film The Fog (1980), Adrienne Barbeau and Jamie Lee Curtis do not appear in any scenes together.
Adrienne has appeared with Tom Atkins in four films: The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981), Creepshow (1982) and Two Evil Eyes (1990).
Appeared in four films directed by her ex-husband John Carpenter: Someone's Watching Me! (1978), The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981) and The Thing (1982).
Her acting mentor is the late Bea Arthur, who passed away on April 25^th, 2009, two weeks before her 87^th birthday. Arthur took Adrienne under her wing since she was 27. The friend ship lasted 37 years.
Was a Miss Wrestling on Big Time Wrestling. Gorgeous George threw a chair at her.
She is the last surviving regular cast member of Maude (1972).
During her USO tour of Southeast Asia in 1963, she was paid $7 per day.
She was working in a beauty salon when she was discovered by a Board Member of the San Jose Civic Light Opera and she was cast in The King & I.