Biography

She portrayed the title character in NBC's made-for-TV adaptation of the children's novel "Heidi", by Johanna Spyri. The movie aired on November 17, 1968 at precisely 7 p.m., interrupting an NBC broadcast of a regular-season professional football game between the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets. The Jets had just gone ahead 32-29 when the telecast was stopped, and with 1:05 left to play in the game, the Raiders then scored two touchdowns to win it 43-32. Incensed football fans were treated to a scrolling update of the final score during the broadcast of Heidi (1968). (Viewers so deluged NBC with angry calls that fuses in the network's switchboard blew out, and when they could not reach NBC they called the New York City Police Department instead, tying up what was then described as "the most elaborate and modern police emergency call system in the world".) Since then, all nationally-televised professional football games are shown in their entirety due to the uproar created.

Stepdaughter of Julie Andrews

Was, by her own admission, "the most hated little girl in America" for a time, after what the press dubbed "The Heidi Bowl". Ironically, almost 35 years after the fact, she met former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath on a plane going from Los Angeles to New York. It was the first time they had ever met and both described it as a pleasant experience.

Studied acting with Nina Foch.

Granddaughter Shealy and grandson Kaden.