Family and Early Life
Born at the Cedars of Lebanon hospital in Los Angeles, California, Bergman was the only child of Jewish musicians Patricia McGowan Paris, a singer, and Dave Bergman. Bergman grew up on North Gower Street around the corner from the home of Adriana Caselotti, the original voice of Snow White.
Bergman's mother, at the age of 16, also worked as a cel painter for animator Max Fleischer on the original Popeye cartoons in New York City and later formed and singing duo with her husband, playing lounges in Reno and Las Vegas and various clubs in Los Angeles. Upon learning to Patrica's pregnancy, the Bergmans settled to Los Angeles in order to give their daughter a stable home life. Characterizing her mother's previous work inking and painting cels for Fleischer, Bergman said it was a mechanical task, but it piqued her mother's interest in animation that was shared with Bergman years later by watching Saturday morning cartoon shows with her. Among Bergman's favorite shows were Jonny Quest, The Flintstones, and Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, which she considered a "precursor to The Simpsons".
Bergman grew up next to the Forever Hollywood Cemetery. She would sneak into the Paramount Studios and visit the Chinese Theater, which she loved being around. At an early age, Bergman found herself interested in fantasy entertainment ranging from science fiction to anything Disney. She was always proud of the fact that as a child she and her mother wrote letters to NBC to help keep the original Star Trek on the air for a third season. She regularly visited Disneyland and said "My one regret is that I never got to meet Walt Disney."
Bergman had considered a film career, as her parents were both singers and musicians. Bergman attended Van Ness Avenue Elementary School, Le Conte Jr. High and Hollywood High School, graduating in June 1978 with top academic honors. As one of her idols, Carol Burnett, Bergman attended the UCLA, and became a theater arts major there from 1978 until 1981. After getting cast in an Equity-waiver play outside of school, she decided to leave UCLA. She got an agent for on-camera commercials, film and television and studied privately with acting coach Harry Mastrogeorge for several years.
Read more about this topic: Mary Kay Bergman
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