Actresses Debbie Reynolds (R) and Carrie Fisher pose in the press room during the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Ethan Miller | Getty Images

Born April 1, 1932, Reynolds appeared in beauty pageants before making her debut her film debut in 1950 in the musical "The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady." The actress starred in the "The Debbie Reynolds Show," a short-lived sitcom on NBC during the late 1960s. Reynolds then turned her attention to the stage, performing on Broadway and in Las Vegas over the next 20 years. She continued to appear in films throughout the 1990s. In all, the actress appeared in dozens of films, televisions shows and stage productions and has been nominated for multiple Golden Globes and Academy and Emmy Awards. Reynolds married three times, first in 1955 to singer Eddie Fisher. The pair had two children together, Carrie and Todd. The couple divorced just two years after Carrie was born, following Fisher's affair with actress Elizabeth Taylor. Reynolds later married shoe Mogul Harry Karlin in 1960, before getting divorced in 1973. her third marriage was to real estate developer Richard Hamlett in 1985. The two divorced in 1996.

Debbie Reynolds entertains guest at her pool party in Los Angeles, circa 1955. Earl Leaf | Michael Ochs Archives | Getty Images