Barbara Berjer
| Barbara Berjer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Barbara Berger June 12, 1920 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Died |
October 20, 2002 (aged 82) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | pneumonia |
| Known for | Actress |
Barbara Berjer (June 12, 1920 – October 20, 2002) was a well-known American television actress born in Seattle, Washington.
Among her many soap opera credits were her long-term roles as alcoholic actress Lynn Franklin on From These Roots (1958–1961); the fourth Claire English Lowell Cassen Shea (Ellen Stewart's mother) on As the World Turns (1965–1971); Barbara Norris Thorpe (replacing Augusta Dabney) on Guiding Light (1971–1981; she reprised the role for a few episodes in 1989, and on a recurring basis from 1995 to 1996); and Scottish nanny Bridget Connell on Another World (1985–1996) who raised both Victoria Love and Jake McKinnon. It was during her stint as Claire on "ATWT" where Claire married younger doctor Michael Shea who had an affair with the much married Lisa Miller. After Claire was killed after being hit by a car, she was cast as the younger Barbara on "GL". Because of her popularity on Another World, she returned several times for dream sequences after Bridget died. Berjer is one of the few actors in daytime history to be featured on two soaps at the same time ("Guiding Light" and "Another World", both Procter & Gamble-owned shows). Barbara also had a short term role as Irene Griffin on The Edge of Night in 1965. In late 1983, she had a one-day appearance on All My Children as the secretary Erica Kane talks to in vain in an effort to reach Adam Chandler.
She was born as Barbara Berger, but as her surname was so often mispronounced as "burger", she changed it to "Berjer", which is how it is pronounced phonetically.
At the time of her death, in 2002 in New York City, she was ill with pneumonia.