Candice Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress best known for her starring role on the television sitcom Murphy Brown.

She was born in Beverly Hills, California, the daughter of radio ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and Frances Westerman . As a child she was often referred to as "Charlie McCarthy's Little Sister", which irritated her (Charlie McCarthy being one of her father's dummies).

She began her career as a fashion model, but soon began appearing as an actress in such films as Carnal Knowledge and Starting Over, for which she received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress.

Bergen was the first female guest host on Saturday Night Live.

On at least one occasion, Bergen dated Henry Kissinger.

In 1981, she married French film director Louis Malle. They had a daughter, Chloe Malle, and remained married until his death by cancer in 1995.

On Murphy Brown she played a tough television reporter. Although the show was a successful comedy, it tackled important issues: Murphy Brown became a single mother and later battled breast cancer.

On May 19, 1992, then Vice President of the United States Dan Quayle spoke at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, California. During his speech, he criticized the Murphy Brown character for ignoring the importance of fathers and bearing a child alone. His remarks caused a public discussion on family values which culminated in an episode where the television characters reacted to Quayle's comments including Brown arranging for a truck load of potatoes to be dumped in front of Quayle's residence in retaliation.

After Murphy Brown, Bergen has appeared in character roles in films, most notably Miss Congeniality as the sweet-yet-demented pageant host, Kathy Morningside. She also portrayed the mayor of New York in the movie Sweet Home Alabama.

In 2003, she appeared in the movie View from the Top.

In January, 2005, Bergen joined the cast of Boston Legal as Shirley Schmidt, a founding partner in the law firm of Crane, Poole & Schmidt.

She is also a vegetarian.

Filmography

• (1947) (short subject)
• The Group (1966)
• The Sand Pebbles (1966)
• Flash 02 (1967) (short subject)
• The Day the Fish Came Out (1967)
• Live for Life (1967)
• Wedding of the Doll (1968) (documentary)
• The Magus (1968)
• The Adventurers (1970)
• The Executioner (1970)
• Getting Straight (1970)
• Soldier Blue (1970)
• Carnal Knowledge (1971)
• The Hunting Party (1971)
• T.R. Baskin (1971)
• 11 Harrowhouse (1974)
• The Lion Roars Again (1975) (short subject)
• The Wind and the Lion (1975)
• Bite the Bullet (1975)
• The Domino Principle (1977)
• A Night Full of Rain (1978)
• Oliver's Story (1978)
• Starting Over (1979)
• Rich and Famous (1981)
• Gandhi (1982)
• 2010 (1984) (voice only)
• Stick (1985)
• Frames from the Edge (1989) (documentary)
• Belly Talkers (1996) (documentary)
• Who Is Henry Jaglom? (1997) (documentary)
• Miss Congeniality (2000)
• Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
• View from the Top (2003)
• The In-Laws (2003)