The Full Gorgeous Transformation Of Bernadette Peters

Bernadette Peters has enjoyed a long and varied career that most actors could only dream of. The iconic star with fiery red curls who's conquered the stage, TV, movies, and music is a three-time Tony winner and Golden Globe recipient who's been in the industry since she was a child. Yet, despite being in the public eye for so many decades, she's managed to keep her feet firmly on the ground and avoid many of the negative trappings of fame. "I think we can make a choice about how we want to feel or how we want to think. I think you make a choice to say, 'I'm going to think a better thought than that. I'm not going to go down that road,'" she told Woman's World.

That mindfulness has undoubtedly helped Peters through many ups and downs. Though the star has reached some glittering highs in her career, she's also suffered devastating personal lows in the public eye, including the sudden loss of her first husband, Michael Wittenberg. But Peters' gorgeous transformation is a story of resilience, self-confidence, and a very heavy dose of talent that's seriously inspirational.

Bernadette Peters was born Bernadette Lazzara in Queens, New York, in 1948 — and it didn't take long for her to get her start in show business. When Peters was just 3, with a little help from her mom Marguerite Maltese, she landed a spot on the show "Juvenile Jury." The show saw children give advice to other children. Initially, it was music that piqued the little girl's interest. "I fell in love with music, and the acting evolved as I went on," she said to The Las Vegas Review Journal.

When Peters was around 9, Maltese all but cemented her daughter's future as an actor. She applied for Peters' Actors' Equity card, which she got for a production of "This Is Goggle," and changed her stage name. The move from Lazzara to Peters was a nod to her dad, Pietro Lazzara. Around the same time, Peters continued her TV presence, popping up in shows like "The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour" and "Name That Tune." It wasn't long before Peters felt the calling of Broadway, and she made her debut in 1959 in a production of "The Most Happy Fella."

Bernadette Peters was officially a stage star as a young teenager. She appeared in a production of "Gypsy" at 13 and toured the U.S. alongside her mom. Her sister, Donna, later joined the production as an understudy. "It's like we all grew up on that show. My brother remembers the show also because he would come to visit with my father, so it's a vivid memory of our childhood, growing up, for all of us," she told Playbill in 2019. 

The teen hadn't abandoned her education, though. She attended Quintano's School for Young Professionals in New York City, and expertly balanced schooling with work. The then-rising star bolstered her already impressive career by appearing in productions of "The Sound of Music" and "Riverwind" around New York. Bigger productions soon followed, including appearances in both "Johnny No-Trump" and "The Girl in the Freudian Slip" in 1967.

Around 1975, Bernadette Peters took more of an interest in TV and movies. She appeared in one-off episodes of "All in the Family" and "Maude" before starring in the 1976 Mel Brooks film "Silent Movie" and the show "All's Fair." The world took notice of this tenacious star too, as she secured two Golden Globe nominations in 1977 for the roles. Around the same time, Peters doubled down on her move from stage to screen when she swapped the East Coast for the West. "New York was going downhill as a city in those days, so I figured I'd better go to L.A. and try to work in television," she said in an interview with Vulture. But she soon realized that TV wasn't her calling. Admitting she wasn't enthralled by her TV roles, Peters (at least temporarily) turned her attention away from the small screen.

Movies and music seemed a little more in Peters' wheelhouse. In 1979, she starred alongside Steve Martin in "The Jerk," and the two formed a real-life love connection. "I liked her because she was independent. I respected her for it... She was in show business, we could talk," Martin told Rolling Stone. The two also appeared alongside one another in 1981's "Pennies In Heaven," which won Peters her first Golden Globe. However, by 1982, the two had split.

Peters also dabbled in the music world as she made her way to the top in Hollywood. She released her eponymous debut solo album in 1980, which included the hit single "Gee Whiz." The track peaked at 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Bernadette Peters continued landing movie and TV roles throughout the '80s, which included a role in the hugely successful movie musical "Annie." But an A-List, mainstream Hollywood career was never Peters' aim, as her self-confidence, boundaries, and morals stopped her from taking on any role that came her way. "I've always had a strong sense of myself and with what I was comfortable doing. I also always felt that I'd be able to find work. I've never had that actors' anxiety about not being able to find the next job," she explained to Vulture, revealing she didn't feel the pressure to take roles she wasn't truly happy with or any that involved nudity.

Instead of lingering in Los Angeles, Peters turned her attention back to Broadway. She landed gigs in a slew of stage productions throughout the '80s, including "Sunday In The Park With George," "Song And Dance," and "Into The Woods." In 1986, she won her first Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for "Song and Dance." In 1987, Peters' early impact on the entertainment world was clear when she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the early '90s, she returned to the small screen to appear in skits on "The Carol Burnett Show."

In the '90s, Bernadette Peters somewhat stepped back from the camera as she took on more voice acting roles. She voiced the cat Rita in several episodes of the children's cartoon "Animaniacs," and lent her voice to the Disney movies "Anastasia" and "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas" in 1997 as well. Amid her new career direction, she was making major moves in her personal life too.

In March 1996, news broke that Peters had gotten engaged to stockbroker Michael Wittenberg. Just four months later, they tied the knot at the home of Peters' friend and fellow actor, Mary Tyler Moore. "[Marriage has] been great. It's been like this secure, rooted place, so it allows my tree to branch out. I've never worked as much since I've been married, taking risks and doing things," she told Playbill in 1999.

Part of her new ambition to take a risk included returning to TV, and she appeared in an episode of "The Closer" alongside Tom Sellick. She also hit Broadway again for "Annie Get Your Gun," which won her a second Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.

By the early 2000s, Bernadette Peters had a finger in almost every art pie. She was back on TV after landing a two-episode role in the comedy drama "Ally McBeal," the same year she appeared in the TV movie "Prince Charming." "I'm very fortunate that (my career) has given me choices. If I didn't like that (stage) show being offered, I could do a movie. I had an opportunity to earn a living doing different things," she said to The Cape Cod Times of her incredibly varied career.

Peters wasn't done with the stage just yet, and in 2003, she returned to treading the boards on Broadway. She starred in "Gypsy," the production she'd previously performed in several decades earlier. Speaking to NPR, Peters admitted playing the role of Rose helped her understand more about herself and her mom. "This probably is a life-changing role," she said, admitting she learned a lot about love and anger while playing the part.

In 2005, Bernadette Peters experienced unimaginable tragedy when Michael Wittenberg died in a helicopter crash aged 43. Peters understandably chose to mourn privately, but she saw an outpouring of love from those who knew her husband. "We had many lunches and dinners with Michael and Bernadette during 'Annie Get Your Gun,' and they were always a pleasure. Michael was smart, opinionated, and completely supportive of Bernadette and her career," Fran Weissler, who co-produced the 1999 production, told The New York Post. "They were such a terrific couple, and I'm heartsick that this has happened," Barry Weissler, Fran's husband and co-producer, said.

Peters took a temporary step back from the spotlight following her husband's death, but she returned to the small screen in 2006 with several TV guest-starring roles. She appeared in "Will & Grace" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," followed by a guest spot on "Boston Legal" in 2007.

Bernadette Peters' career took another new direction in 2008. The same year, she appeared in the hospital drama "Grey's Anatomy," Peters also joined the Lifetime family with her debut movie for the network, "Living Proof." The drama also starred Harry Connick Jr., Amanda Bynes, and Jennifer Coolidge and told the story of the medical studies that led to breast cancer treatment breakthroughs. "When this script came up, they offered me the role. It's such an important movie, and these women have such important stories to tell," Peters explained to Playbill in 2008. 

That same year, Peters also added a new string to her career bow when she released the children's book, "Broadway Bark." The actor turned author, who is unapologetically childless by choice, said in a Broadway interview that the idea stemmed from the animal adoption charity she founded alongside Mary Tyler Moore. "I love writing about the joys of adopting a pet. As we've learned over the past 10 years with Broadway Barks, shelters are filled with all kinds of wonderful animals," she said. In 2010, she released her second book with a dog as the star, "Stella Is A Star," followed by "Stella and Charlie Friends Forever," in 2015.

A few years later, Bernadette Peters was still expertly balancing life on the small screen with life on the stage. In 2009, she appeared in several episodes of the comedy-drama "Ugly Betty" and starred in a production of "A Little Night Music," followed by the show "Follies" in 2011. In 2012, she popped up on TV again in the musical drama "Smash," which also starred Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty.

The star was super busy touring the U.S. for stage shows, and by the end of 2012, she was ready for a break from such a demanding schedule. "It's eight times a week, so I have to take a big breath before I do that again, before I jump in. So it has to be something irresistible," she told Playbill in 2012 when asked about her next stage show. "I still think I need more time... But I love it, too! I love the consistency of it and the schedule," she added.

But it didn't take too long for the Broadway bug to bite Peters again, and in 2017, she got her "irresistible" opportunity, taking over the lead role in "Hello, Dolly!" from Bette Midler, who was full of praise for her successor. "I cannot imagine leaving Dolly Levi in better hands than those of Bernadette Peters," Midler said in a statement (via The Shubert Organization). "She has created more historic roles in more legendary musicals than any living Broadway star, and most of the dead ones, too."

In 2023, Bernadette Peters celebrated her 75th birthday — and she had plenty of wisdom to share with the world. Like other celebrities who are confronting aging with confidence, Peters has made it a point to stay positive about her life as she grows older. "You're smarter. Hopefully, you have more information. You can choose to either go down a path of regret — if you want anger or bitterness, go down that path — or you could choose a path of openness, love and gratefulness," she explained to The Las Vegas Review Journal. Peters also enjoys the mental health benefits of journaling, and each day she puts pen to paper to share what she's most grateful for.

In addition to learning everything she could about her craft, she hasn't shied away from trying new things. Also in 2023, it was announced Peters would make her West End debut in a London production of "Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends." The gig saw the star temporarily relocate to the U.K. for more than four months.

Bernadette Peters is a celebrity who found her happily ever after later in life. She tied the knot with Broadway sound engineer Tom Sorce in 2024, a man she told Long Island Woman she first met 39 years earlier. The multi-hyphenate, who was around 74 when she married for the second time, revealed they had lost touch but began dating again around 2022. "This just felt like the right time because we love each other very much," she said. "That's a feeling either people have or don't have," she added.

During an appearance on "Live with Kelly and Mark" the following year, Peters confirmed marrying Sorce made her a stepmom to his three grown-up children. "It's just a lovely, wonderful gift that happened to me," she said to Vanity Fair about becoming a stepmom. While there are many celebs who found love when they were older, Peters is aware of how lucky she is to have found a partner for the second time. "I have a lot to be grateful for, but right now, being married. Having time to be with my husband and his children. I feel very grateful," she noted.

In 2026, Bernadette Peters turned 78 and announced several upcoming stage gigs, including a performance in St. Louis, which she announced via an Instagram video. Her announcement got attention from fans, but it wasn't just admiration for the performer's still-active career. Even nearing her 80s, Bernadette Peters is still unquestionably a knockout, and the comments section of her Instagram upload was flooded with messages from floored fans who couldn't get over her surprisingly youthful look. "She does not age!" one fan wrote alongside three fire emojis. "Holy smokes she looks AMAZING!" commented another user. A third gushed, "She looks like she's like 45 or 50."

Peters told The Houston Chronicle in 2026 that she still got the same buzz from being on stage, and it seems she doesn't have any plans to retire. "It's a visceral feeling. And it's also where I learn about life. This is where I express my feelings the most, is when I'm singing this music, so it's all very personal and deep for me," she said. The personal, genuine connection that Peters has with her audience is something that's stayed consistent throughout her transformation over the years, and it's what makes her such a beautiful person and captivating performer.