Barbara Billingsley, born Barbara Lillian Combes, began her journey in the entertainment industry by attending Los Angeles Junior College in the mid-1930s. She then made her way to New York City, where she worked as a model before receiving a contract from MGM in 1945. Throughout the late 1940s and 1950s, she appeared in several films, sometimes without receiving screen credit.
In the 1950s, Billingsley transitioned to television, landing roles in various shows, including the sitcoms Professional Father in 1955 and The Box Brothers in 1956. She also made guest appearances on "The Abbott and Costello Show", the David Niven anthology series Four Star Playhouse in 1952, and the sitcom Mr. Adams and Eve in 1957.
In 1957, Billingsley landed her most iconic role as "June Cleaver", the mother of "Wally" and "Theodore", nicknamed "Beaver", in the popular sitcom Leave It to Beaver. She remained with the show for six seasons, starring in a total of 234 episodes. After 17 years of semi-retirement, Billingsley returned to the big screen in the 1980 comedy Airplane!, spoofing her wholesome image with a brief appearance as a middle-aged white passenger who could translate between a white stewardess and two African-American passengers.
Billingsley also reprised her role as "June Cleaver" in the 1983-1989 series The New Leave It to Beaver and voiced the character of "Nanny" in the Muppet Babies cartoon series from 1984 to 1991. Throughout her career, she made occasional appearances on other sitcoms, including Roseanne in 1988 and Empty Nest in 1988.
