Carol Wayne used her popularity to become one of the most adored talk show sidekicks in television history. Though she appeared in several television shows and movies, her best-known gig was that of the ditzy Matinee Lady on “The Tonight Show”‘s Art Fern Tea Time Movie sketches. Wayne appeared in over 100 shows during a thirteen-year run.
Unfortunately, when the show was cut to an hour, Wayne’s role declined, sending her through a downward spiral. Wayne found herself making bad business choices, dealing with addiction, and getting herself into a lot of financial trouble. She was such a talented individual.
Ann Margret
It comes as no surprise that often, actors and actresses get typecast into roles they may or may not genuinely enjoy. In the case of Ann Margret, to fans, she was labeled no more than a "B" movie actress, which was solely based on her early movie roles. On February 29th, 1972, she was a guest on Johnny Carson's couch.
During their conversation, Margret talked about being taken seriously as an actress. She had five Golden Globe awards to her name, along with several Golden Globe, Academy Awards, and Emmy nominations! She got a chance to fix her reputation with her appearance in "Carnal Knowledge," alongside Jack Nicholson, a role that would show audiences a more genuine side of her acting skills.
Susan Anton
There was not a room Susan Anton couldn't light up, "The Merv Griffin Show" was no different. When David Brenner welcomed the actress, she stole the show. And it's not hard to see why. Anton was known for her roles in several Muriel Cigar commercials.
She was known for pushing products on television, radio, and print. She would go on to make many appearances on "The Merv Griffin Show," and though she never had a big breakout role on-screen, she was a popular choice when it came to guest appearances. She made her way onto many successful shows, including "Baywatch" and "The Love Boat."
Whitney Houston
One of the most famous names and voices of our time, Whitney Houston, is one of the best-selling female artists of all time. She's sold over 200 million albums worldwide and is the bestowed female singer to date. She was no stranger to celebrity chat shows and this image was from one of the very best.
In 1990 Jay Leno had the pleasure of congratulating the singer on breaking the Beatles' long-standing record of number-one hits. During her memorable interview on "The Tonight Show," she took both the live studio audiences and the audiences at home breaths away when she performed "I'm Your Baby Tonight."
Yvonne Craig
When we say Yvonne Craig, you probably hear "Batgirl," don't you? Synonymous with the superhero, Craig had no choice but to appear in full costume and character on "The Merv Griffin Show" on September 5th, 1967. Not breaking character, Craig used her interview to advocate for women's rights, putting an emphasis on equal pay.
In one commercial, Batman and Robin were in need of saving, but Batgirl refused to release them. This was an act of protest, seeing as Craig was paid less than Robin. Throughout her career, Yvonne Craig was a symbol of female empowerment and remained one to this day.