Mary Ann Mobley was born on February 17, 1937, in Biloxi, Mississippi. After winning the Miss America 1959 title, she became a sought-after guest star in episodic television, appearing on numerous hit series of the 1960s, including Perry Mason, Mission: Impossible, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and The Virginian.
Mary Ann's most notable contributions to 1960s popular culture were her roles opposite Elvis Presley in the films Harum Scarum and Girl Happy. Her success in film earned her a 1965 Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer, which she shared with Mia Farrow and Celia Kaye.
In the 1970s, Mary Ann's television and film output decreased as she focused on raising her daughter, Clancy Collins White, with her husband, Gary Collins. During this time, she made guest appearances on shows like Love, American Style, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and the game show Match Game, where she was a frequent panelist alongside other famous personalities.
In the 1980s, Mary Ann starred as stepmother "Maggie McKinney" on the final season of Diff'rent Strokes, appeared in a recurring role as alcoholism counselor "Dr. Beth Everdene" on Falcon Crest, and continued to make guest appearances on various TV shows and game shows. She also acted as her husband's frequent guest co-host on his talk shows and the Miss America Pageant.
In the 1990s, Mary Ann made guest appearances on sitcoms like Designing Women, Hearts Afire, Hardball, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She and her husband were also hosts of an infomercial for "SelectComfort", a specialty bed product, and toured in the popular play "Love Letters". Mary Ann performed a cabaret act at the Cinegrill in Hollywood and made appearances on various TV shows.
Mary Ann and other "Match Game"/"Hollywood Squares" regulars were spoofed on Saturday Night Live in a 2002 game show sketch called "Super Buzzers" with Tina Fey playing Mary Ann. Mary Ann and her husband appeared as themselves in a satiric infomercial parody on the Showtime series Dead Like Me in 2003.
