The only daughter of a General Motors executive, Bertinelli was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and raised with one older and two younger brothers. The family traveled through so many cities that she still calls herself a "GM brat". At fourteen, Bertinelli got the idea she would like to do some acting. "I did one commercial, for J.C. Penney", she says, "and did nothing else for months. Then, I got a call for One Day at a Time. Everyone at home was jubilant when the show went on the air. But the young actress' mood darkened when she realized that she had to work and go to school, as well. Her high school graduation in 1978 was "a real relief". Bertinelli has a home in Los Angeles and a production company (named Tuxedo Limited after one of the stray cats she's always taking in). She owns a Corvette and an MG.



Briefly dated director/producer Steven Spielberg in the late 70s. Son Wolfgang Van Halen was born on March 16, 1991. Was considered for Lori Singer's role in Footloose (1984) and Meg Tilly's role in The Big Chill (1983). Born on the same day as Stephen Clark of Def Leppard. Ex-sister-in-law of Alex Van Halen. Remains close to her former "One Day at a Time" (1975) co-star Glenn Scarpelli, an openly gay actor. Separated from Edward Van Halen in 2001.