Barbara Billingsley’s performance followed heartbreak in her personal life.
Making the best of a bad situation is no easy feat. Turning tragedy into triumph is a story we love to hear because it helps us believe that these things are possible. Maybe when it’s our turn to go through something terrible, these stories tell us we can get through it, and might even be stronger on the other side.
Nobody should wish for the kind of success Barbara Billingsley had, as it bloomed from heartbreaking misfortune. Her most notable role came to her in the wake of losing a partner.
In 1953, a few years before Leave It to Beaver, Billingsley wed filmmaker Roy Kellino. Nobody could have predicted how short their marriage would last. Just three years later, Kellino died of a heart attack at age 44.
“It’s a terrible blow, but you can’t wallow in your grief,” Billingsley told The Times in 1993.
“When Roy died, my agent made me work all the time. And six months later, they called me to start the series.”
The “they” she referred to were producers Bob Mosher and Joe Connelly. They were the creators behind the series that became Leave It to Beaver.
The timing may have been a coincidence, or it may have been the result of her agent urging her to work more and more. Regardless, the fact that she came out on the other side as June Cleaver is significant, not just in her life, but in the history of American television.
While Billingsley had suffered a great loss, she came to represent something more than herself on Leave it To Beaver. June Cleaver became an avatar of the ideal mother. Those without a mom of their own could project their emotions onto this fictional one, finding comfort in the fair but firm child-rearing on their TV. And those with a mother who fell short of Billingsley’s “perfect” mom could find solace in June Cleaver with each episode.
