Michelle Lee Is 'Playful' Granny at 80 — She Spends Time with Her Family after Her Son Changed Her 'Inside and Out'

• Prime-time soap opera legend and actress Michele Lee is a doting 80-year-old grandma.
• Despite her increased popularity in the entertainment industry, Lee prioritized her family and is still close to her son.
• Following her triumphant TV career, Lee lives a different life with her husband of 35 years.

Michele Lee, originally born Michele Lee Dusick on June 24, 1942, is the daughter of premiere make-up artist Jack Dusick. The actress is a Los Angeles native and has a sister who is a United States District Attorney.

As a child, Lee primarily grew up in the Hollywood entertainment industry. As a natural-born extrovert, Lee was energetic and outgoing and would never miss any opportunity to perform in front of family and friends. By the time she got to junior high school, she continued pursuing acting and got a part in many school plays. Lee had also picked up singing as a talent and became a part of a band in her teenage days.

The "Knots Landing" star's acting skills first debuted when she landed a part in the Broadway revue "Vintage '60". After going on to land roles in several other productions, Lee's musical talents also began to get noticed by top-level execs in the industry, and the actress scored a record deal with Columbia Records (now Sony).

Soon after appearing regularly on Broadway, she appeared as a guest on several television shows. The Hollywood talent would dance, sing, and perform comedy routines in live-action segments, most notably on "The Danny Kaye Show" in 1963. Lee was only 22 years old at the time, and her career had already begun to skyrocket.

After welcoming her first and only child, the "Herbie" actress scored a role in what was deemed the best movie of 1970 that reached the top of the box office charts across the entire country—"The Love Bug." In 1979, after returning from a family vacation, she accepted a leading role in the popular classic primetime show, "Knots Landing," as the feisty yet friendly Karen Fairgate MacKenzie.

Before marrying her current husband, TV producer Fred Rappoport, Lee was married to American actor James Farentino. Lee and Farentino divorced after many years together in 1983. According to Lee, though the marriage was somewhat "rocky," they remained close friends after their divorce:

"If you're married a long time, and they don't do you in, and you can't live with them, what a joy it is to keep the relationship. I kept one with [James] until the day he died [and] I was there when he passed away, with his wife, because [he] and I never called each other exes. And I fell in love with his wife, and she loved me, so I would go over for dinner, [and] they'd come for holidays."

Of her current husband, Rappoport, Lee revealed that she had met him while filming "Knots Landing," and he was on CBS. The actress gushed about how much the pair share the same understanding of one another and how they complement each other in every sense.

Today, Lee focuses most, if not all, her attention on being a loving mother to her son and a doting grandmother to her grandchild.

Michelle Lee Is a Doting Grandma after Her Son Changed Her Life

During the course of her marriage to Farentino, Lee had a son, David Farentino. When asked about how motherhood had changed her as a person, Lee responded with the following:

"I think it changed me inside and out. It changed the way I would choose things, how long I could go away for, and when I could take my son with me."

As mentioned previously, though Farentino and Lee had called it quits as a couple in 1983, the two remained very close friends all the way until his passing. In 1992, the two friends collaborated as co-stars in the dramatic film "When No One Would Listen." Based on true events, the story follows a woman (played by Lee) who is stuck in an abusive relationship with her partner (played by Farentino).

Lee and Farentino's son even had a small part in the movie as one of the couple's neighbors who also falls into trouble with Farentino's character. When the ex-couple was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, the pair's closeness as friends was felt directly by the interviewer, who was prompted to ask how the two remained close throughout their history. Farentino disclosed:

"There is a closeness that we never lost [because] we were together so long. We grew up together, and we came out here together. This is a relationship that has lasted [and] if you deny that relationship and that love, then what was 18 years about, and what was your child about, and what are you about?"

Lee confirmed Farentino's words about their relationship by agreeing with his sentiment. The "Along Came Polly" star added that the two managed to stay friends after their split because they never allowed themselves to get to the point of disliking one another. Lee chimed in on the conversation, saying:

"We had to go through whatever we had to go through to separate and work out our problems and remain friends and be strong for the family. Let's face it, in our world today, look at the divorce rate. There are many, many children who have parents divorcing, [so] I feel lucky."

Today, Lee focuses most, if not all, her attention on being a loving mother to her son and a playful, doting grandmother to her grandchild. In an adorable Instagram post shared to Lee's feed, she beams beside her son as he holds her grandchild.

"The Comic" icon finishes off the cute post with a caption in which she expresses her gratitude for her family by saying she is blessed. Lee is extremely close with her only son and always takes the opportunity to show him love on her social media.

In another family picture, Lee celebrated her 80th birthday with her son, and the two are seen sitting on some steps, sharing a side hug as they smile at the camera. The actress's caption read:

"I just love his smile. Me with my son, David, celebrating my 80th trip around the sun."

Lee is all about dedicating copious amounts of time to her family. The "My Son Johnny" actress always shares beautiful pictures of her baby granddaughter, Gianna Farentino, on her Instagram feed. An adorable photo of Lee's granddaughter wearing an apron and a mini chef hat surfaced on the star's timeline and the little cutie absolutely enchanted fans.

Comments complimenting the baby's beauty were in full effect, as well as praise for her father's expert parenting skills. Proud grandma Lee shared:

"As you can see by Gianna's apron, she's a Chef in Training, watching her Dad cook every night. It's true."

Michele Lee Is All about Family

Lee has been married to Rappoport since 1987, and the happy couple is still going strong after 36 years. Outside of working on a few projects, the "Broadway Bound" starlet spends every free moment with her family, most noticeably her son, who she labels as one of her favorite people.

The mother and son spend a lot of time doing all sorts of fun family activities together, like hosting backyard BBQs and cooking family dinners. Keeping a close-knit family is imperative to Lee's lifestyle.

At 80 years old, Lee is still a stunner. On a recent dinner outing with some friends, the star wore a sleek black blazer and chic seeing glasses with her brunette fringed-bob on full display. The talented actress is described by friends as being "playful," and her quirky expressions in the photos show this to be the case:

"With a playful Michele Lee, with whom I was thrilled to share a table, along with Ron Abel, at tonight's 'New Belters' show (Nicolas King and Seth Sikes)."

"The Fatal Image" actress also enjoys traveling when she is not busy starring in productions. The star shared a beautiful picture of her surrounded by an array of stunning flora and fauna on an island in the Pacific.

When she is not too busy spending time with family, Lee still finds time to pursue acting projects. In 2014, the star hosted her own cabaret show at 54 Below, which was her first time back performing since 2010 after playing Feinstein's at the Regency, putting on a show at Carnegie Hall, and starring in "Love, Loss & What I Wore."

She also announced that she started working on a short documentary which she did not give away too much detail about, in 2020. Lee stated the following about where she currently is in her life:

"I'm working on a short documentary I can't talk about. The three of us 'Knots Landing' girls have been asked to go to theaters and do interview shows with clips, and we more than like each other. So I'm in a wonderful place!"

Lee has accomplished the kinds of achievements that many take a lifetime to garner. The Hollywood star has built up quite the name for herself in the industry and is now focused on being the best mother and grandmother. She currently has upcoming projects that she continues to work on, but for the most part, she is focused on looking after her family.

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