BERNADETTE PETERS - MY LIFE IN 10 Pictures

GROWING UP in Queens, N.Y., Bernadette Lazzara “wanted to be a waitress, I swear. I guess I wanted to be busy.”

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Of course, once she showed an aptitude for performing, that kept her more than occupied as she’d go from childhood appearances on Name That Tune and a national tour of Gypsy to stardom on stage and screen. “Things come to me,” she’s said. “If I try to go out and get things, it never happens. I just have to stay open and see what comes next.” And Bernadette, who turns 75 on Feb. 28, doesn’t want to get ahead of herself. “I never think about things like legacy. I don’t think that’s how you should think

1 1968 SEA CHANGE “My world had opened up,” said Bernadette of first finding success on the stage with the musical Dames at Sea. “[But] you know, we all have our highs and our lows and our ups and downs. After I had made a big splash off- Broadway in [Dames], I did my Broadway-lead debut. The show lasted one night!” 

2 1974 YARD MARK “I think I’ve always had a unique look,” shared Bernadette, who’d showcase that look opposite Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard. “I think that’s been in my favor. I didn’t fit in. My not fitting in I realized that I’d better just take advantage of who I was.”