My mother died when I was 12, and right after, my dad died in a car crash. I was 15 and had no family. The court sent me to live with my uncle and aunt in Missouri.

My Aunt Marsha ruled the family with a rod of iron. She was one wicked, mean woman.

My mother had early-onset Alzheimer's, and it took her four years to die. She was only 44; I was 14.

I grew up in Hollywood during WWII, and my mother was afraid that my father was going to be drafted because she didn't think we were going to be able to live on army pay. She didn't want to have to get a job, so she decided to put me to work, and that's how I got started in the movies.

From that point on, I would refer to him as "your uncle" and he would mostly refer to me as "your aunt" and it would take a longtime for our children to even understand that we were siblings first.

My life has never been wonderful. Maybe when I was a child, but not after age 15.