Moore, Mary Tyler (1934– )

US television actor. She is best known for her starring role in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–77), a CBS situation comedy that gained her the nickname, ‘American's girl friend.’

Born in New York, New York, she trained as a professional dancer before beginning her career as a comic actor on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1960–65). She founded MTM productions (1970–81) with her then husband, Grant Tinker. She subsequently worked as a dramatic actor in the movie Ordinary People (1980) and in made-for-television movies such as Thanksgiving Day (1990).