8 Roles That Prove Debbie Reynolds Was Born to Be an Entertainer

From Singin' in the Rain to Halloweentown, this star constantly found her way into our hearts

By Bruna Nessif Dec 29, 2016 4:37 AMTags
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There's no doubt that Debbie Reynolds was the embodiment of star power.

Coming into show business at the young age of 19, Reynolds began her successful and fascinating journey in Hollywood, which would ultimately last over 70 years.

Tonight, we had to say goodbye to the iconic actress, who passed away after suffering a stroke, just one day after the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher. She was 84.

Whether it was dancing and singing her way into the role of America's sweetheart, making us laugh on the small screen, or portraying the nurturing role that we couldn't help but become connected to, Reynolds exuded undeniable talent in her craft throughout her career.

As we continue to mourn this devastating loss, let us take a look back at eight roles that prove Reynolds was born to be an entertainer.

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1. Singin' in the Rain: Best known for her role in this 1952 musical, which later catapulted her career, a 19-year-old Reynolds took on the character of Kathy Selden, an aspiring actress and ghost singer to the stars who sang her way right into Gene Kelly's heart.

"The character was a lot like me, Debbie, at the time," she said of her role during an interview with the American Film Institute a few years ago.

"I was just lucky that they put me in that part that suited me… If the part is you and you're not afraid—and I wasn't afraid… I felt it was me and I really just marched straight ahead and I wasn't frightened of the huge task."

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2. The Unsinkable Molly Brown: Reynolds brought her dancing skills back out to the big screen again in this 1964 musical, where she played Margaret Brown, who survived the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic. The role earned Reynolds a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance but she lost to Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins.

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3. The Singing Nun: Reynolds snagged herself an entry into the Billboard 200 albums chart after playing Jeanine Deckers in the 1966 semi-autobiographical film, who recorded the chart-topping hit song "Dominique."

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4. Tammy and the Bachelor: Debbie was all of us in this 1957 film, where she played a country teen who was searching for romance. Along with nursing the trials and tribulations of a lonely heart, Reynolds scored herself another chart-topping hit when "Tammy" dominated Billboard's Top 100 chart for five weeks.

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5. Mother: Reynolds continued her acting streak in her later years, and tugged at hearts when she played Albert Brooks' domineering mom in this 1996 dramedy.

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6. Halloweentown: It was Reynolds' portrayal as part-time witch and full-time grandma, Agatha aka Aggie, in this 1998 Disney Channel original movie that garnered attention and admiration from the younger generation. It was in this film that she also delivered one of her most famous quotes, "Being normal is vastly overrated."

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7. Will & Grace: Already having the overbearing mother role under her belt, Reynolds quickly drew laughs and praise when she became Grace Adler's (Debra Messing) mom, Bobbi, on the hit TV sitcom for seven years.

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8. Behind the Candelabra: Her last big role was in this 2013 HBO movie as Liberace's mother, Frances, where she starred alongside Matt Damon and Michael Douglas.