Valerie Bertinelli
She evolved from America's beloved sitcom daughter into a candid author and food personality who champions body positivity and second acts.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American actress·Birthday: April 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Valerie Bertinelli entered American living rooms as a teenager, winning hearts as the sweet, sometimes rebellious Barbara Cooper on the hit 1970s sitcom 'One Day at a Time.' Born in 1960 in Wilmington, Delaware, her early Golden Globe wins signaled a major talent. But her life off-screen became a public narrative of its own—her marriage to rock star Eddie Van Halen, the intense scrutiny of her weight, and the search for an identity beyond the girl-next-door image. In her forties, Bertinelli shrewdly pivoted, becoming a warm and relatable fixture on the Food Network with shows like 'Valerie's Home Cooking.' Her voice found new power in best-selling memoirs where she spoke with disarming honesty about family, self-acceptance, and loss. Rather than fading from the spotlight, she reinvented it, using her platform to connect with audiences over shared struggles in the kitchen and in life, crafting a second act defined by resilience and relatable warmth.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Valerie was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Valerie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Valerie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her role on 'One Day at a Time' in 1981 and 1982.
- Starred as the lead in the CBS sitcom 'Sydney' and later had a long-running role on the network's drama 'Touched by an Angel.'
- Became a popular Food Network host, earning a Daytime Emmy Award for her show 'Valerie's Home Cooking.'
- Authored multiple New York Times best-selling memoirs, including 'Losing It' and 'Enough Already.'
Did You Know?
She was married to guitarist Eddie Van Halen from 1981 until their divorce in 2007, and they remained close friends until his death.
She is the spokesperson for Jenny Craig, having lost significant weight on the program in the 2000s.
Her son, Wolfgang Van Halen, is a musician who played bass in Van Halen and now leads the band Mammoth WVH.
“Happiness. It comes in moments. Don't go looking for it. Just be open to it.”
