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28 female TV stars who changed the world of television

Betty White, Lynda Carter, and Oprah Winfrey are just a few female TV stars who’ve had many firsts and successes that have changed entertainment.ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images; Ron Galella/Getty Images Women have broken barriers and changed the TV landscape through many firsts and iconic roles.  Stars like Betty White, Lucille Ball, and Cicely Tyson paved the way for more female trailblazers. Whether the first woman to star in a drama or be pregnant on TV, these stars changed history. Betty White was dubbed “The First Lady of Television” and had an 80-plus-year career.Betty White on the set of “The Betty White Show,” which aired from 1953 to 1955.NBC/GettyKnown as the “first lady of television” and “queen of the small screen,” Betty White made her debut in 1939. She was the first woman to produce a national TV show and to star in a sitcom, both for her variety show, “Life with Elizabeth” (1953-1955). She was also one of the first women to be nominated for an Emmy.She’s best known for her roles on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1970-1977) and “The Golden Girls” (1985-1992), both of which earned her Emmys. She made many appearances on game shows and even hosted a few including “Just Men!” (1983); White became the first woman to win an Emmy for outstanding game show host.She won another Emmy for her episode of “Saturday Night Live” in 2010 where she hosted and drew in over 12 million viewers. She then won a Guinness World Record for having the longest TV career as a female entertainer, spanning around 80 years.After passing on December 31, 2021, White’s legacy lives on, especially through the many female TV entertainers she’s influenced and inspired. Carol Burnett broke into comedy when it was dominated by men, and her variety show entertained the nation.Carol Burnett interacting with the audience on “The Carol Burnett Show” on April 5, 1968.CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images”The Carol Burnett Show” (1967-1978) was a variety and comedy series that featured Burnett and other comedians performing various sketches. Her infectious presence, slapstick comedy, and signature ear tug were favorites across the nation. It was cited as one of the best sketch-comedy TV shows by Rolling Stone in 2020.Burnett had a pool of entertainers from Betty White to Lucille Ball to Cher to Sammy Davis Jr. guest star on her show.Her contributions to comedy and TV have been so great that the Golden Globes created the Carol Burnett award in 2018, which has been given to Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres, and Norman Lear so far.Mary Kay Stearns was the first actress to have her pregnancy written into her storyline on network television.Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns and their baby in character on the sitcom “Mary Kay and Johnny,” which ran between 1947 and 1950.CBS/IMDbThe first ever sitcom broadcast on network television was “Mary Kay and Johnny” (1947-1950) and starred real-life couple Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns. They were the first small-screen married couple to share a bed, which was taboo and uncommon, and wasn’t seen more consistently for another decade.In 1948, Stearns was pregnant, so it was written into the show, making her the first onscreen pregnant character.Lucille Ball was a trailblazer in comedy, had her pregnancy and birth be a major television event, and was the first woman to own a production company.Lucille Ball in character and holding Little Ricky Jr. played by twins, Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons on “I Love Lucy.”CBS/Getty ImagesFrom her start on the comedy “I Love Lucy” (1951-1957), Lucille Ball changed the world of television many times over. When “I Love Lucy” premiered, she advocated for her Cuban husband, Desi Arnaz, amidst the racist mentalities surrounding interracial relationships.The real-life and onscreen couple created their show and filmed it in a new format: live in front of a studio audience and with three cameras rolling rather than one. Ball even helped invent syndication and was successful with “I Love Lucy” being filmed on tape, rather than being broadcast live.Ball made TV history (similar to Mary Kay Stearns) with her second pregnancy being written into her character’s storyline. In 1953, the subject almost wasn’t allowed on TV, and the word “pregnancy” wasn’t used either. The episode where the character gave birth was also the same night the actress actually gave birth, and a record-breaking 72% of homes with television sets tuned in to watch, MeTV reported.After co-founding Desilu Productions in 1950, divorcing Arnaz in 1960, and buying the company from him in 1962, Ball became the first woman to own and run a major television production company. It went on to produce “The Lucy Show” (1962-1968), “Star Trek” (1966-1969), and “Mission: Impossible” (1966-1973). Donna Reed was the first actress and female character to be the lead in a married dynamic on a family sitcom.Donna Reed and her TV family in a promo for “The Donna Reed Show” on August 28, 1964.ABC Photo Archives/Getty ImagesWhile “I Love Lucy” primarily focused on the wife in the married duo, “The Donna Reed Show” (1958-1966) was the first family sitcom to do the same.Donna Reed was an Academy Award winner before she had her own TV show and she helped develop the series. Reed’s impact of placing the focus on the wife rather than the husband, and touching on controversial and important topics like women’s rights, was all groundbreaking during the 1950s.Cicely Tyson was the first Black actress to have a continuing role in a TV drama and pledged not to take stereotypical parts.Cicely Tyson in character in an episode “East Side/West Side” on October 18, 1963.CBS Photo Archive/Getty ImagesTyson became the first Black woman to star in a TV drama in “East Side/West Side” (1963-1964). She played a social worker’s secretary. While her character’s job wasn’t revolutionary for women, her representation was revolutionary for Black women. Tyson is also said to be one of the first Black women to wear her natural hair on TV.She told Parade magazine in 1972 that she refused to play a drug addict or a maid, according to the National Portrait Gallery.”I won’t play that kind of characterless role any more, even if I have to go back to starving,” Tyson said.The trailblazer passed away at 96 years old on January 28, 2021.Diahann Carroll was one of the first actresses to play a single mother on TV and was the first Black actress to win a Golden Globe.Diahann Caroll in a promotional photo for “Julia,” taken in 1968.NBC Television/Getty ImagesDiahann Carroll was the first Black female lead on TV in a non-stereotypical role. On “Julia” (1968-1971), Carroll was a nurse, widow, and single mother. Single mothers weren’t typically represented so this in itself broke boundaries.She was one of the first Black actresses nominated for an Emmy for another role in 1963. Carroll then became the first Black actress to win a Golden Globe for her performance in “Julia” in 1969. Kerry Washington was the first Black actress in 40 years to star as the lead of a drama with “Scandal.”Promotional photo of Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope in “Scandal” for the first season.Craig Sjodin/Getty ImagesWashington played Olivia Pope, a White House communications director, on the acclaimed political drama “Scandal” (2012-2018). She was the first female Black lead in a network TV series since 1974, when Tessa Graves played a police officer on “Get Christie Love!” Washington’s performance and presence helped bring back the importance of giving and seeing Black women in multidimensional lead roles. Washington won her first BET Award for best actress in 2013 for her role.Viola Davis proved that a woman’s age and the color of her skin don’t dictate what type of characters she can portray.Viola Davis in character on “How to Get Away with Murder” during the third season.Mitch Haaseth/Getty ImagesWhile Viola Davis is perhaps best known for her work on the big screen, she made great strides on TV, too. Starting at the age of 49, Viola Davis played the role of a lawyer and criminal law professor in “How to Get Away with Murder” (2014-2020).Davis became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama series in 2015. Zendaya was the second and latest Black actress to win this same award for “Euphoria” in 2020.In 2018, Davis’ “How to Get Away with Murder” and Kerry Washington’s “Scandal” had a monumental crossover episode, bringing two powerhouse actresses and characters together . Alfre Woodard was the first actress to play a Black female US president on TV.Alfre Woodard attends the 86th Annual Oscars on March 2, 2014, in Hollywood, California.Steve Granitz/Getty ImagesAlfre Woodard was the first Black actress to play a US president on TV in “State of Affairs” (2014-2015). Her role mimicked actual possibilities and her real-life experience of previously working in politics.Pauline Frederick was the first female full-time news correspondent on ABC and the first woman to moderate a presidential debate.Pauline Frederick covering the 1948 presidential election results for ABC.Graphic House/Getty ImagesFrederick had many significant firsts in her career and made impactful differences in the world of news for women. In 1948, she became the first full-time female news correspondent on ABC. This early success broke ground for other newscasters. She went on to work for NBC, where she covered the United Nations for 21 years.In 1976 she made history again when she was the first woman to moderate a televised presidential debate. This transformative moment was for Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford’s campaigns.Barbara Walters was the first female co-anchor on ABC and created “The View” to share more female voices.Barbara Walters interviewing the Shah of Iran on ABC’s “Issues and Answers” in 1978.ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images After writing and producing women’s interest stories on the “Today” show (1952-present), Walters became its first female co-anchor in 1974. She also became the first female co-anchor for ABC’s “Evening News” in 1976.She created the daytime talk show “The View” in 1997, which gives other female voices a platform and is still on the air. Walters’ popularity with viewers and interviewees furthered her success. She also appeared on other shows like “World News Tonight” and “20/20” until her retirement in 2014. In 2006, Katie Couric became the first female newscaster to be a solo anchor on network TV.Katie Couric makes her final appearance on the NBC “Today” on May 31, 2006, to become the anchor of the “CBS Evening News.”Bryan Bedder/Getty ImagesCouric made TV history when she became the first woman to be a solo anchor for an evening news broadcast. Following in the steps of Barbara Walters, Couric co-anchored for years before taking the helm in 2006 with “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric” (2006-2011).Early in Marlo Thomas’ career, she was the first lead whose character was single, living on her own, and without children to be portrayed on TV.Marlo Thomas in character on the set of “That Girl” in an episode aired on September 8, 1966.ABC Photo Archives/Getty ImagesThe first sitcom to focus on a female lead who was single was “That Girl” (1966-1971). Living on her own, unmarried, and without children, actress Marlo Thomas’ real-life experience matched that of her character, Ann Marie.Despite few women being leads on TV before this, they were typically wives and mothers. Thomas helped represent and normalize independent, single women.Mary Tyler Moore destigmatized single career-oriented women, wearing pants, and birth control.A still taken from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in the early 1970s.CBS Photo Archive/Getty ImagesAlthough Lucille Ball wore pants in prior years, Moore’s character wore them frequently on TV.”I had Laura wear pants, because I said, ‘Women don’t wear full-skirted dresses to vacuum in,'” Moore told TV Guide in 2004 of her role on Van Dyke’s show (1961-1966).Sponsors found issue with her pants, though, because of how snug they were, according to MeTV. She was first limited to wearing them in one scene per episode and required further approval. But quickly, capri pants became her signature, opening the door for more women on TV to wear pants.Her most notable contributions to TV though were through her role as Mary Richards on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1970-1977). A single, 30-something-year-old woman who was career-oriented and freely dated, Moore’s character was distinctly different from the typical TV housewife role. She was a role model for women entering the workforce in the ’70s. She was also sex-positive, something that wasn’t highly represented. In one episode, it was likely the first time birth control was mentioned on television, with Richards’ mother telling her, “Don’t forget to take your pill.”Candice Bergen’s Murphy Brown gained attention from the vice president when the character decided to raise her child on her own.Candice Bergen in character on “Murphy Brown” with son Avery, broadcast on November 14, 1988.CBS Photo Archive/Getty ImagesOn “Murphy Brown” (1988-1998), Candice Bergen’s character decided to raise her child as a single mother in the 1992 season finale. This caused a debate that even drew in Vice President Dan Quayle for comment.On May 19, 1992, Quayle delivered a speech during his re-election campaign with George W. Bush, where he added, “It doesn’t help matters when prime-time TV has Murphy Brown, a character who supposedly epitomizes today’s intelligent, highly paid professional woman, mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice.”This turned Quayle into the butt of the joke and only heightened Bergen’s profile. After already winning two Emmys for her role, Bergen won a third after the pregnancy episode and after Quayle’s speech — the actress sarcastically thanked him as she accepted the award.Bea Arthur used comedy to tackle feminist topics.Bea Arthur poses for a portrait in 1972, before starring in “Maude,” which aired from 1972 to 1978.Martin Mills/Getty ImagesIt’s not a shock that in 1972, a year before Roe v. Wade was decided, abortion was a highly sensitive and controversial topic, especially to be discussed on TV. So, on the sitcom “Maude” (1972-1978), when Bea Arthur’s lead character became pregnant at 47 years old when she was already a grandmother, an abortion storyline was highly taboo.Over the course of the two-part episode, Maude decided to go through with an abortion. This sparked protest. But it also made Arthur an icon for the feminist movement.Arthur continued to take roles that defied societal and gender norms and ageism, and that touched on feminist topics, most notably as Dorothy in “Golden Girls” (1985-1992). Nichelle Nichols had one of the first interracial kisses on TV in “Star Trek” in 1967.Nichelle Nichols as Uhura and William Shatner as Captain Kirk on an episode of “Star Trek” broadcast in 1967.CBS Photo Archive/Getty ImagesOne of the first and most significant interracial kisses on TV was on “Star Trek” (1966-1969). In 1967, on an episode entitled “Plato’s Stepchildren,” Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) kisses Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). Although interracial kisses had been seen between white and Asian characters on TV, this was the first with a white man and Black woman. Nichols made history, first breaking the typecast for Black actresses and second for being part of this significant kiss and moment in TV history.Roxie Roker was part of an interracial couple on TV in “The Jeffersons” when it was still controversial.Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker pictured in character for the premiere of “The Jeffersons” on January 18, 1975.CBS Photo Archive/Getty ImagesRoker played neighbor Hellen Willis in the “All in the Family” (1971-1979) spinoff series, “The Jeffersons” (1975-1985). The Black actress was married to a white man on the show (and also in real life), making her part of the first black and white interracial couple on TV.This came at a time when there were still strong prejudices against interracial relationships. But Helen and Willis were a strong and positive representation of what love could look like.Lynda Carter played one of the first female superheroes on her TV series “Wonder Woman.”Lynda Carter pictured dressed in character for the pilot episode of “Wonder Woman” on November 7, 1975.ABC Photo Archives/Getty ImagesCathy Lee Crosby was the first woman to play a superhero in the TV movie “Wonder Woman.”Lynda Carter became the next interpretation of the superhero, swapping her 1972 Miss World USA crown for another in her role as Wonder Woman on the eponymous live-action TV series (1975-1979). Carter is one of the most iconic actresses who has played the part, with the role not having a new face until 2017 with Gal Gadot.After appearing in a post-credits scene in Gadot’s “Wonder Woman: 1984,” Carter is set to star in the third upcoming film.Nicole Maines, a transgender actress, was the first to play a transgender superhero. She starred in CW’s “Supergirl.”Nicole Maines at the “Supergirl” special and Q&A during Comic-Con on July 21, 2018, in San Diego, California.Mike Coppola/Getty ImagesMuch like the early female superhero trailblazers, modern transgender actresses also helped pave the way for Maines, the first transgender superhero on TV. Maines played reporter-turned-superhero Dreamer on CW’s “Supergirl” (2015-2021), breaking more boundaries for the trans community.Before this contribution to the superhero universe and as a role model for young people, Maines was also in documentaries about the trans experience.”I’ve been doing a lot of auditions lately because a lot of different shows have been really eager to tell the story of transgender people,” Maines said at Comic-Con in 2018. Oprah Winfrey was the first woman to own, produce, and host her own talk show.Oprah Winfrey at the 14th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 30, 1987, where she won for outstanding talk show for the first time.Ron Galella/Getty ImagesNot many are known worldwide by their first name alone or are as successful or as influential as the one and only: Oprah. Winfrey was the first woman to own, produce, and host her own talk show with “The Oprah Winfrey Show” (1986-2011). In 1987, she won the Daytime Emmy for outstanding talk show, an award she’d win three more times throughout her career.Prior to this, Winfrey was a news anchor, but her talk show made her a celebrity and icon. Its success revolutionized talk shows, transformed television, and helped her create an empire.Winfrey started her own TV network, OWN, in 2011.  Ellen DeGeneres came out as gay on her sitcom, making waves before she hosted a successful talk show.Ellen Degeneres and Laura Dern on the set of “Ellen” during “The Puppy Episode,” broadcast on April 30, 1997.ABC Photo Archives/Getty ImagesDeGeneres’ character on the sitcom “Ellen” (1994-1998) came out as gay in 1997. She was the first actress to do this, and the coming out was also in sync with DeGeneres’ real-life announcement of her sexuality, which was shared on an iconic Time magazine cover on April 14, 1997.”The Puppy Episode,” where she came out, aired on April 30, but it caused a stir among conservative organizations and sponsors before it was even broadcast. The groundbreaking two-part episode became a phenomenon, though, with an outstanding number of views.However, “Ellen” had “parental advisory” warnings on the following episodes and was canceled after its fifth season in 1998. Both DeGeneres and Laura Dern, who guest-starred on “The Puppy Episode,” couldn’t find work for a couple of years after the episode. DeGeneres had a revival and new phase of her successful TV career, though, with her popular talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (2003-present). She’s beloved by audiences and uses the tagline “be kind to one another,” although accusations by guests and crew members in 2020 painted a less-than-kind picture of the host. In a letter to staff that July, DeGeneres said she was  “disappointed to learn” that people working for her did not feel happy or respected.The show is set to end in 2022. In 2019, Sandra Oh became the first woman of Asian descent to win the Golden Globe for best leading TV actress.Sandra Oh doing press for “Killing Eve” on Build Series on April 5, 2018.Noam Galai/Getty ImagesOh is best known for her 10-year-arc playing Dr. Cristina Yang on “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-present). She also plays MI5 security officer Eve Polastri on “Killing Eve” (2018-present).Oh was the first Asian woman to be nominated for an Emmy for lead drama actress for “Killing Eve” in 2018. She was also the first Asian woman to host the Golden Globes in 2019, and ultimately became the first Asian woman to win a Golden Globe for best actress at that same ceremony.”I don’t think I can explain to you how profound I feel it meant to not only myself and my parents, but for a lot of people in my community,” Oh said of her win to USA Today in 2019.Candis Cayne was the first openly transgender actress who played a recurring role on prime-time TV as a transgender character.William Baldwin and Candis Cayne at the Advocate Magazine 40th Anniversary Party on September 18, 2007, in West Hollywood, California.Jean Baptiste Lacroix/Getty ImagesIn 2007, Cayne played a transgender mistress on ABC’s “Dirty Sexy Money,” which was groundbreaking because she was an LGBTQ+ actress playing an LGBTQ+ character, rather than a cis actor playing a transgender person. It set the landscape for more transgender actors to be hired for meaningful roles.Cayne didn’t realize the impact of her presence on TV until the 2017 GLAAD Media Awards when a scene of hers was played and the audience erupted in applause.”That was the first time I realized, ‘Yeah, this is a lot more than me just getting a gig. This is moving our community forward.’ So it was impactful, finally, in that moment,” Cayne told “Today” in 2021.Laverne Cox changed the TV landscape and opened doors for more transgender actresses after her role in “Orange Is the New Black.”Laverne Cox attending the amfAR Inspiration Gala on June 10, 2014, in New York City.Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty ImagesCox is one of the figureheads of the transgender community because of her contributions to entertainment and transgender representation and activism during her career. She’s best known for her role as inmate Sophie on Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black” (2013-2019). Cox was the first transgender actress to be nominated for an Emmy in 2014, and she banked three nominations throughout the show’s run.She executive-produced the TV special “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word” and won a Daytime Emmy for it in 2015, becoming the first transgender woman to win the award.And in 2016, she played Frank N. Furter (a part originally played by a cis actor, Tim Curry) in the TV special remake “The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again.”Cox has appeared in multiple comedy and drama shows and was most recently in Netflix’s “Inventing Anna” (2022).In 2022, Mj Rodriguez became the first transgender actress to win a Golden Globe.Mj Rodriguez attending the HFPA And THR Golden Globe Ambassador Party on November 14, 2019, in West Hollywood, California.Leon Bennett/WireImage/Getty ImagesRodriguez appeared in shows like “Nurse Jackie” and “The Carrie Diaries” before her big role in “Pose” (2018-2021).”Pose” follows the stories of drag performers and transgender people during the ballroom scene in the ’80s and ’90s. Its cast is predominantly made up of LGBTQ+ actors, including Billy Porter, Rodriguez, Indya Moore, and Dominique Jackson. Rodriguez was nominated for an Emmy in 2021, and this year she became the first transgender person to win a Golden Globe.Jodie Whittaker became the 13th person to play the Doctor in “Doctor Who,” but she was only the first woman to play the role.Promotional poster for Season 12 of “Doctor Who” which debuted January 1, 2020.BBC/IMDbWhittaker made TV and franchise history when she became the first female Doctor on the TV series in 2017. As the 13th regeneration of the iconic character, Whittaker replaced white male actors who famously played the role prior.Her episode debut brought in the biggest “Doctor Who” audience in over a decade, with 8.2 million viewers, according to Bustle. She quickly became a fan-favorite.Whittaker helped design her character’s costume and decided to make it comfortable and gender non-specific, specifically with fans in mind, according to an interview with Radio Times.She’s set to leave the series in 2022 after two more upcoming TV specials.Read the original article on Insider
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Written by: vmontalti@insider.com (Victoria Montalti)