Edna Rae Gillooly was born in Detroit, Michigan on December 7, 1932.  She left high school early to pursue a career as a model and actress under various names including Erica Dean, Keri Flynn and Ellen McRae.

In 1957, she had her Broadway debut in the comedy Fair Game. By the late 1960s she joined The Actor’s Studio under the direction of Lee Strasberg and came to be known as Ellen Burstyn.

Unable to perform during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellen is taking the time to reconnect with nature and reflecting on her storied career, her relationship with her late mother and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

Whenever your children learn a family tradition, story, or recipe, that’s l’dor v’dor, which is Hebrew for “from generation to generation.” Each member of your family plays a role in shaping who your children will become. They instill character, and often embody values and traditions to be passed on to their own children and families.

Together with so many, we mourn the loss of Norman Milton Lear who passed away at 101 years old. A mensch in the truest sense of the word, he remained both intellectually curious & creatively engaged with work, family & social causes. He got his big break as a comedy writer for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, among others. By the 1970s, he became one of the most prolific television producers of all time with a string of hits that he wrote, produced and developed including All In The Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time and Good Times. Sheltering at home with his wife Lyn during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lear shared how he was able to find gratitude in the simple pleasures. As he considered his legacy, Norman remained focused on his family, his work and the future. May his memory always be the blessing he was for all of us. Watch his episode of Dispatches From Quarantine from Silver Screen Studios here.