‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ Star Wore a Wig for an Interesting Reason
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a groundbreaking series for seven seasons. The series, which ran from 1970-77, centered around Mary Richards, an associate producer at a fictional CBS affiliate TV station WJM in Minneapolis.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was one of the foremost shows whose main character was a single “career girl.” The first episode revealed that Richards just broke off an engagement and needed a job. She applies for a secretarial position at WJM. After meeting with news producer Lou Grant (Ed Asner), she learns the job was already filled. Grant likes her, so he offers her the associate producer position.
The opening sequence to the show featured the song “Love is All Around.” It ends with Moore’s famous “hat toss,” as the lyrics say, “You’re gonna make it after all!” The hat toss has become iconic and often imitated by stars such as Tina Fey and Oprah Winfrey.
Mary Tyler Moore portrayed Laura Petrie sans wig before playing Mary Richards
Before The Mary Tyler Moore Show, there was The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ran from 1961-65. Dyke starred as Rob Petrie, head writer for the fictional Alan Brady Show. A huge hit, the series centered around Petrie’s work life and home life with his wife Laura Petrie, played by Moore, and their son Ritchie.
Laura was a dancer-turned-stay-at-home mom. She became a very popular character and was widely known for her fashion, especially her capri pants. Her hairstyle was also very popular, as First Lady Jackie Kennedy influenced it at the time.
Mary Tyler Moore wore a wig as Mary Richards to differentiate her character from Dick Van Dyke’s Laura Petrie
Moore was initially unsure about playing Richards, wondering if any role could compare to Laura Petrie.
The role originally portrayed Richards as a “divorcee.” Not only was divorce controversial at the time, but CBS was afraid viewers would confuse Richards with Petrie and think she divorced Rob. So they changed the circumstances to a broken engagement.
During the first season, Richards had longer hair. She did not let it grow. She wore a wig because she wanted to be sure viewers got to know this new character and not think she was still Petrie.
“I was trying to get a different look from The Dick Van Dyke Show so that they wouldn’t think it was Laura Petrie who has come in a new incarnation,” she told CNN in 2002. The wig was gone by Season 2.
Mary Tyler Moore lied about her age
Moore auditioned for the part on The Dick Van Dyke Show, although she was only 23. Van Dyke was in his mid-thirties, and she was afraid she was too young to play his wife.
Moore’s solution was a little white lie. She told the casting directors she was 25, giving herself two extra years. Although Van Dyke still believed she might be a little young for him, she got the role. It’s hard to picture anyone else playing Petrie now.
After her death, Van Dyke told the Hollywood Reporter, “My first question was, ‘Can this girl do comedy?’ After that, I said, ‘She’s a little young for me.’ I got to be on hand and watch her grow into the talent she became. She was just the best.”
