Trivia

In the fall of 1987 she was abruptly fired by Lorimar from her NBC TV series Valerie (1986). She didn't show for filming one day. The series decided to continue on without her as "Valerie's Family" with Sandy Duncan playing Sandy Hogan, replacing Harper's "Valerie Hogan" character. Harper sued Lorimar for breach of contract and in the fall of 1988 was awarded $1.4 million plus 12.5% of the profits of the show, which continued on without her until 1991.

On 3/6/2013 she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and was given only months to live. With treatments, she was able to beat the odds and live for over six more years.

First met Mary Tyler Moore on set of The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), where her then-husband, Richard Schaal, was guest-starring.

Valerie is the only woman in TV history to win the comedy Emmy award for a supporting role in the original show in which her character appeared (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) and the lead role in which her character spun-off (Rhoda). Robert Guillaume is the only man.

She and her then-husband Richard Schaal were also a writing team and wrote a script for the series Love, American Style (1969) called "Love and the Visitor", Love and the Elopement/Love and the Visitor (1970), back in the early 1970s.

Before hitting it big as "Rhoda Morgenstern", she maintained a steady stream of supporting player appearances in Broadway musicals throughout the 1960s, appearing with such legends as Jackie Gleason, Robert Morse, Walter Pidgeon, Phyllis Newman, Sydney Chaplin, Orson Bean and Lucille Ball.

Ex-stepmother of Wendy Schaal.

Passed away eight days after celebrating her 80th birthday.

She has twice been cast as the replacement for Linda Lavin in a New York theater production, once Off-Broadway ("Death-Defying Acts") and once on Broadway ("The Tale of the Allergist's Wife").

Was buried on 9/7/2019 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles near graves of Mickey Rooney and Chris Cornell.

Daughter of Iva Mildred (McConnell) and Howard Donald Harper. She was of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and French ancestry.

Of Canadian descent.

Best friends with Michele Lee.

Born at Good Samaritan Hospital, Suffern, NY.

Graduate of the Erhard Seminars Training (better known as EST).

Thanked Werner Erhard, the creator of the est training, in her acceptance speech for her first Emmy.

Daughter, Cristina Cacciotti, born 1983.

Ex-roommate of Arlene Golonka.

Her paternal grandparents were from Arkansas and Tennessee, respectively. Her maternal grandparents were Ontarians.

Dated Peter Horton in the late 1970s.

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 206-207. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387