5 Things You Never Knew About Sandra Dee
It is hard to believe that actress Sandra Dee, best known for her portrayal of gorgeous ingénues, Gidget and her marriage to Bobby Darin, passed away 20 years ago (Feb. 20, 2005). She began her career as a model when she was just a young child, working her way up to commercials and eventually movies. She earned a Golden Globe for her very first role in 1957’s Until They Sail, helping her become a teen idol in Gidget and A Summer Place. In 1960, she met Bobby Darin on the set of Come September, his first film. They married quickly and had one child together in 1961.
However, as the 1960s continued, her career wasn’t as fruitful as it once was. She was dropped from her contract with Universal Pictures and had a highly publicized divorce from Darin in 1967. Things continued to get worse for her as she suffered from mental illness and alcoholism. She became a recluse in the 1980s after retiring. Her depression was even worse after her mother passed away in 1987, as they had a tumultuous relationship over the years. Even with all her challenges, we still remember the beautiful and talented star for the roles she shined in. Let’s look back at some interesting facts about her life and career:
1 “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee”
The popular film Grease features a song called “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” which pokes fun at her wholesome image in the ’50s. She once said that she found it funny and didn’t actually mind being the butt of the joke this time.
2 Her son wrote a book about her marriage
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Dodd, the only son of Dee and Darin, wrote a book about his parents called Dream Lovers: The Magnificent Shattered Lives of Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee, in 1994. He opened up about intimate details of their lives and struggles, including her addiction. In the book, Dodd also writes about how his mother changed her birth date to make her appear older when she was first starting out in her career. It turns out she was only 18 years old when she first met and married Darin, while he was 24.
These days he occasionally shares stories on her social media pages in her honor.
3 She was bullied by her parents to become famous
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Dee once shared that she was very shy by nature and never wanted a life in the spotlight. She didn’t want to become a model or an actress but claimed that she was bullied by her parents into starting her career. Since she was going against what she truly wanted, it caused her a lot of mental anguish over the years.
4 Her last interview was controversial
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In 1991, Dee was not in the best of health but appeared for her final interview on Sally Jessy Raphael‘s talk show. In the interview, she discussed a lot of sensitive topics including alcoholism, anorexia nervosa and sexual abuse from her past. Some considered the interview exploitative.
5 Her modeling debut
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She made her modeling debut when she was only 13 years old in Girl Scouts Magazine. While her modeling career was very lucrative to her, more so than her acting salary, it was very hard on her health, as she struggled with keeping her weight down.
Hollywood Glamour
May 2020
Celebrate the most glamorous leading ladies from the Golden Age of Hollywood
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