Dyan Cannon, Beloved Actress and Trailblazer, Celebrates Her Birthday

Trailblazer Dyan Cannon became the first woman in the history of the Motion Picture Academy to be nominated for Oscars both in front of and behind the camera – a true milestone. And now, the actress, director, editor, and screenwriter, is poised to recognize yet another achievement.

Happy Birthday, Dyan Cannon!

And that’s because she was born on January 4, 1937, in Tacoma, Washington, which means that this multi-talented lady is turning 84 years old today! Samille Diane Friesen, rechristened Dyan Cannon by producer Jerry Wald, graduated from model to actress in the late 1950s via her appearance in the anthology series For Better or Worse (19559).

Soon after, Cannon was offered a lead role in Full Circle, a soap opera that replaced For Better or Worse on the NBC schedule. For nine months, she played Lisa Crowder, a small town temptress and possible black widow, who made the acquittance of Gary Donovan, a good looking drifter.

Cannon also toiled in primetime programs, both during and subsequent to her foray into soaps. Bat Masterson (1959), Wanted: Dead or Alive (1959), Two Faces West (1960), The Detectives (1960), and Johnny Ringo (1960) were but a few of the many series she guest starred in.

The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960) served as Cannon’s introduction to the film world, but it was Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), a controversial comedy-drama that propelled her into the public consciences. In that flick, Cannon was the titular, and conservative Alice.

Coming off a season that saw her nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, Cannon appeared in a plethora of pictures – including five in 1971 alone! Among the standouts were Doctors’ Wives (1971), The Anderson Tapes (1971), Such Good Friends (1971), The Last of Sheila (1973), Heaven Can Wait (1978), and Deathtrap (1982).

Cannon’s other acting credits include the films Caddyshack II (1988), 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997), and Kangaroo Jack (2003), made-for-TV movies such as Jenny’s War (1985), Jailbirds (1991), and Christmas in Connecticut (1992), as well as episodes of Ally McBeal (1997-2000), in which she played the lascivious Judge Jennifer “Whipper” Cone – and Three Sisters (2001).

In 1976, Cannon wrote, directed, edited, and scored Number One, an American Film Institute-sponsored, Oscar-nominated live-action short which explored sexual curiosity during adolescence.

Fourteen years later,  Cannon wrote, directed, and starred in the feature length The End of Innocence (1990). The semi-autobiographical work is notable for marking future Days of our Lives star Alison Sweeney’s film debut as well as being the final theatrical piece recorded by the late Rebecca Schaeffer (My Sister Sam).

The twice divorced Cannon was married to Hollywood luminaire Cary Grant from July 22, 1965 and March 21, 1968. Reportedly, Grant, 35 years Cannon’s senior, had first noticed his future bride in a 1961 episode of Malibu Run. The union, which ended on acrimonious terms, produced one child: daughter Jennifer Grant. Cannon’s second husband was real estate investor Stanley Fimberg.

Cannon is well known for her love of the Los Angeles Lakers, and is considered their second-most famous fan…right behind Jack Nicholson. Entertainment Hub would like to wish Dyan Cannon a very happy birthday,.