Elvis: A Life in Music
2026 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Shelley Fabares
1944-01-19
•
Santa Monica, California, USA
Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (/fæˈbreɪ/; born January 19, 1944) is a retired American actress and singer. She is best known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom The Donna Reed Show (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitcom Coach (1989–1997), the latter of which earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. Her film roles include playing the leading lady to Elvis Presley in Girl Happy, Spinout, and Clambake. As the niece of singer/comedienne Nanette Fabray, she was indoctrinated early into the show biz life. Tap dancing from age three, she also modeled during her elementary school years and began appearing on such TV shows as Captain Midnight (1954) and Annie Oakley (1954) (the latter a recurring role). At age 12, she made her professional film debut in the Rock Hudson/Cornell Borchers tearjerker Never Say Goodbye (1956) as Hudson's daughter, and went on to play kid sister roles in the rock 'n' roll-themed Rock, Pretty Baby! (1956) and its sequel Summer Love (1957) both starring John Saxon. Teen-idol status came with her coming-of-age role as the ever-wholesome daughter "Mary Stone" on The Donna Reed Show (1958), a part she played for five seasons before embarking on a more grown-up film career. The character of "Mary Stone" was gently phased out of the show as her character "left for college". During its' run, she and TV "brother" Paul Petersen grew so popular that they sprinted to adjoining pop singing celebrity, although both admitted that their vocal talents were limited. In 1962, her recording of "Johnny Angel" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She left The Donna Reed Show in 1963 (she would return periodically until its end in 1966) to pursue other acting opportunities. This was followed by a second album, The Things We Did Last Summer, which included two hit songs "Johnny Loves Me" (no. 21) and "The Things We Did Last Summer" (no. 46). She released a third album, Teenage Triangle in 1963. She landed top femme parts in such fun-and-frolic fare as Ride the Wild Surf (1964), Hold On! (1966) in which she played the love interest of Peter Noone (of Herman's Hermits) and sings Make Me Happy, as well as three of Elvis Presley's less-acclaimed films of the later 1960s: Girl Happy (1965), Spinout (1966) and Clambake (1967). She then played the love interest of a young Hank Williams Jr. in A Time to Sing (1968). She had support roles in television films like Brian's Song (1971) (playing Brian Piccolo's wife with James Caan as Brian), and Two for the Money (1972). Her performance in Brian's Song earned her a Golden Globe nomination. For her work, she was nominated twice for a Primetime Emmy Award and, in 1994, she was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for her role as Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show. From 2004 to 2011 she produced the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Filmography
Superman: Brainiac Attacks
2006 · Movie
as Martha Kent (voice)
Justice League
2001 · TV Show
as Martha Kent (voice)
Playing to Win: A Moment of Truth Movie
1998 · Movie
as Nancy Erickson
A Nightmare Come True
1997 · Movie
as Lily Zarn
Superman: The Last Son of Krypton
1996 · Movie
as Martha Kent (voice)
Superman: The Animated Series
1996 · TV Show
as Martha Kent (voice)
The Great Mom Swap
1995 · Movie
as Millie Ridgeway
Your Studio and You
1995 · Movie
as Shelley Fabares
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story
1995 · Movie
as Self (uncredited)
No image
A Whole New Ballgame
1995 · TV Show
as Christine Armstrong
Deadly Relations
1993 · Movie
as Shirley Fagot
Love or Money
1990 · Movie
as Lu Ann Reed
Coach
1989 · TV Show
as Christine Armstrong
Run Till You Fall
1988 · Movie
as Kathy Reuben
Hot Pursuit
1987 · Movie
as Buffy Cronenberg
The Canterville Ghost
1985 · Movie
as Lucy
Suburban Beat
1985 · Movie
as Mimi
Murder, She Wrote
1984 · TV Show
as Liza Caspar
No image
Memorial Day
1983 · Movie
as Ellie Walker
Newhart
1982 · TV Show
Matt Houston
1982 · TV Show
Gridlock
1980 · Movie
as Louise Gregory
Friendships, Secrets and Lies
1979 · Movie
as Mary Alice
Pleasure Cove
1979 · Movie
as Helen Perlmutter
Donovan's Kid
1979 · Movie
as Grace Donovan
Hello, Larry
1979 · TV Show
as Marion Alder
No image
Highcliffe Manor
1979 · TV Show
as Helen Straight Blacke
Vega$
1978 · TV Show
Mork & Mindy
1978 · TV Show
as Cathy McConnell
Fantasy Island
1978 · TV Show
as Jill Marlowe, Eva Capos
Lucan
1977 · TV Show
Forever Fernwood
1977 · TV Show
The Love Boat
1977 · TV Show
as Cathy, Mary Frances Bellflower, Mayor Frances Hardy
The Incredible Hulk
1977 · TV Show
as Holly Cooper
Spencer's Pilots
1976 · TV Show
The Practice
1976 · TV Show
as Jenny Bedford
Sky Hei$t
1975 · Movie
as Lisa
One Day at a Time
1975 · TV Show
as Francine Webster
Matt Helm
1975 · TV Show
as Chris / Tina
Medical Story
1975 · TV Show
as Susan Duffy
The Rockford Files
1974 · TV Show
as Jolene Hyland
Dinah!
1974 · TV Show
as Self
Police Story
1973 · TV Show
Two for the Money
1972 · Movie
as Bethany Hagan
The Rookies
1972 · TV Show
The Brian Keith Show
1972 · TV Show
as Dr. Anne Jamison
Brian's Song
1971 · Movie
as Joy Piccolo
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
1971 · TV Show
as Lorraine Latham
McCloud
1970 · TV Show
Operation Heartbeat
1969 · Movie
as 'Mike' Carter
Medical Center
1969 · TV Show
Love, American Style
1969 · TV Show
as Julie, Sheila
Marcus Welby, M.D.
1969 · TV Show
as Norma Fritchie
No image
A Time to Sing
1968 · Movie
as Amy Carter
Lancer
1968 · TV Show
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
1968 · TV Show
Clambake
1967 · Movie
as Dianne Carter
Mannix
1967 · TV Show
Ironside
1967 · TV Show
as Charlotte Black
Spinout
1966 · Movie
as Cynthia Foxhugh
Hold On!
1966 · Movie
as Louisa Page
Girl Happy
1965 · Movie
as Valerie
Ride the Wild Surf
1964 · Movie
as Brie Matthews
Daniel Boone
1964 · TV Show
as Charity Brown
Shindig!
1964 · TV Show
as Self - Singer
Arrest and Trial
1963 · TV Show
as Donna Blaney
Mr. Novak
1963 · TV Show
as Dani Cooper
The Twilight Zone
1959 · TV Show
as Ellen Tillman
Summer Love
1958 · Movie
as Twinkie Daley
Marjorie Morningstar
1958 · Movie
as Seth's Friend (uncredited)
The Donna Reed Show
1958 · TV Show
as Mary Stone
Jeanne Eagels
1957 · Movie
as Teenage Girl (uncredited)
Annette
1957 · TV Show
as Moselle Corey
Never Say Goodbye
1956 · Movie
as Suzy Parker
Rock, Pretty Baby
1956 · Movie
as Teresa "Twinky" Daley
The Bad Seed
1956 · Movie
as Margie (uncredited)
The Girl Rush
1955 · Movie
as Young Kim
Our Town
1955 · Movie
as Rebecca Gibbs
Matinee Theater
1955 · TV Show
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954 · TV Show
as Grace Donovan
Letter to Loretta
1953 · TV Show
as Marie Schumann
The Bob Hope Show
1950 · TV Show
as Self
