Brett Somers

Brett Somers, a runaway at the age of 17, made her way to New York City to pursue an acting career, changing her name in the process from Audrey Johnson. She chose "Brett" after a character in Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises," and "Somers" was her mother's maiden name. Somers's first acting roles were in the theater, which translated well when she transitioned to her first television roles, in live programs such as "Playhouse 90" and "Kraft Television Theatre." Somers continued to appear in television guest roles for the next few decades, most notably on "The Odd Couple" as the ex-wife of sportswriter Oscar Madison, who was played by her then-husband, Jack Klugman. Her real claim to fame, though, was on the 1970s game show "Match Game," where she appeared as a regular panelist for 72 episodes. Somers largely retired from television when "Match Game" went off the air in the early 1980s, but she continued to act on stage and make occasional television appearances until her death.