Dinah englund cloris leachman biography

It’s probably not surprising to learn that Cloris Leachman was a fun mom. “She was mischievous and always wanted to see how far she could go and what she could get away with,” her daughter, Dinah Englund, exclusively tells Closer.

“She was especially funny in the way she saw the world.” Even at home, the actress, who brought to life such offbeat, iconic characters as Young Frankenstein’s Frau Blücher and The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s Phyllis Lindstrom, “could slide into character, be it the dog or a random person, and [she’d] blow your mind,” Dinah recalls.

“My life with her was one continuous adventure.”

Cloris’ own journey was filled with escapades — from becoming a finalist in the 1946 Miss America pageant, to hanging out with Marlon Brando, to earning seven Emmy Awards and an Oscar, for best supporting actress in 1971’s The Last Picture Show.

But not everything was hijinks and hilarity: Cloris’ father was abusive, and she had a fiery 26-year marriage to producer-direct