What Happened to This Famous Star Who Underwent Brain Surgery & Lost Sight in Her Left Eye?

A beloved and cheerful star from the 1970s faced a life-changing health crisis amid her rising career, leading to lasting physical changes while continuing to shine in entertainment.

Sandy Duncan, the effervescent actress known for her roles in Disney films and Broadway's "Peter Pan," underwent a dangerous brain tumor surgery in 1971 that left her permanently blind in her left eye.

The Texas-born triple threat performer was at the height of her early television success when doctors discovered the condition affecting her optic nerve, forcing her to leave a major sitcom and endure a 10-hour operation that would forever alter her life and career.

The Rise of a Texas Talent

Duncan was born on February 20, 1946, in Texas with dreams that set her apart from others in her hometown. She was the older of two girls, and her dad owned a gas station. Because she loved acting, she always felt like she didn't fit in. This did not stop the determined young girl from pursuing her dreams.

She started taking ballet lessons every week in Dallas after seeing a dance show at the American Legion Hall. By age 12, she earned her first professional role, appearing in "The King and I" for $150 weekly.

"I would go up to Dallas, and I would work three full months. It was not huge money but it was a beginning," Duncan shared. She also danced on TV shows in her area and at the yearly rose festival in Tyler, Texas.

While attending Lon Morris Junior College in Jacksonville, Texas, she appeared in numerous productions including "Gypsy," "The Music Man," "Showboat," "Little Me," and "The Sound of Music" in Dallas. Determined to make it big, she eventually packed her bags for New York after leaving college.

Her talent quickly became apparent on the New York stage. She played a wonderful Wendy in the show "Peter Pan," which showed her talent at singing, dancing, and acting.

In 1968, she married Bruce Scott and was in the rock musical "Your Own Thing." After that, people on Broadway started to pay attention to her. She got her first Tony nomination for being in a musical based on Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales."

Next, Duncan played Maisie, a funny and charming character, in the musical "The Boy Friend," which was set in the Jazz Age. She became the most talked-about person in the show, even though Judy Carne was the main star.

This got her another Tony nomination for "Best Actress." But, after this, she would face challenges that would test her strength like never before.

From Broadway to Hollywood and a Life-Changing Diagnosis

In 1970, Time Magazine named Duncan "the most promising face of tomorrow." This recognition reached the ears of Disney executives, who decided to cast her opposite Dean Jones in the comedy film "The Million Dollar Duck" (1971). Television producers also noticed her potential, featuring her increasingly in commercials.

After her Disney success, the actress took on the title role in the film version of Neil Simon's comedy "Star Spangled Girl" (1971). However, it disappointed at the box office.

Fortunately, her career kept going. CBS saw enough promise in the young performer to give her a starring role in her own sitcom.

In "Funny Face" (1971), she played Sandy Stockton, a corn-fed Midwesterner who moves to Los Angeles where she appears in TV commercials while pursuing a teaching degree at UCLA. The series became a Top 10 hit, but here's where everything changed.

Duncan began experiencing severe headaches on set. Her health rapidly declined. "I was working until 3 every morning, only getting three hours of sleep a night, and I weighed 86 pounds," she recalled. "The panic and anxiety that took hold of me at that moment were unbelievable. I started fantasizing that I was in an insane asylum."

Afterward, doctors discovered a tumor on her optic nerve, and she had to leave the series, which was later pulled from the air. Following a lengthy and delicate operation, doctors saved her eye but she lost all vision in it.

"They sawed the top of my head off," Duncan said in an interview years later. "I have holes and scars all over the place. And then they stapled it back on. I had to wear a wig for almost a year. And everyone thinks that I lost my eye. And I go: No, I'm sorry, I didn't. You know, no, it's not a prosthetic."

The brain tumor was benign, but the 10-hour surgery at UCLA Medical Center in November 1971 could not save the sight in her left eye. "It tracks the reflex in the other eye. I still have to go in for a CAT scan periodically," she explained. "The only thing that bothers me is that it tires me. And it made me suddenly aware of my mortality."

The surgery would forever change her perspective on life and leave her with ongoing health concerns.

Return to the Spotlight and Personal Transformation

The following year, Duncan returned to television in a revamped version of her show, now titled "The Sandy Duncan Show" (1972). This time, her character created chaos at an ad agency. Sadly, the second incarnation failed to regain its former audience and was canceled by mid-December.

More bad news followed as her marriage to Scott ended in 1972. But a year later, she wed ophthalmologist Dr. Thomas Calcaterra, whom she met during her eye operation.

In a 1985 interview, the actress explained that he stood for respect and had a real job, unlike the entertainment industry. But unfortunately, their differences were too great, and they divorced six years later.

After her second series ended, Duncan refocused on musical comedy and maintained her profile as a guest star on variety shows including "The Sonny & Cher Show," "The Flip Wilson Show," "The Tonight Show," and "Laugh-In." She also appeared on game shows like "What's My Line?" and "Hollywood Squares."

However, she also had the opportunity for more serious roles, like "Roots" (1977), which earned her an Emmy nomination. In the meantime, Duncan continued working with Disney, co-starring in the comedy film "The Cat from Outer Space" (1978) and later providing a voice for "The Fox and the Hound" (1981).

Duncan returned to Broadway triumphantly in 1979. Instead of playing Wendy as she had earlier in her career, she took on the title role in "Peter Pan" and received her third Tony nomination. She performed in approximately 1,000 shows over a three-year run.

On her own after her second divorce, Duncan put together a nightclub act and hired dancer Don Correia as her partner. The two married in 1980 and appeared in a Radio City Music Hall production written for them called "Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Dance!"

What began as a professional partnership bloomed into a relationship that would last decades and result in a new chapter in her personal life.

Family Life and Later Career

During the 1980s, Duncan starred in commercials for Wheat Thins crackers. Sometimes, her two sons with Correia, Jeffrey and Michael, were featured with her.

"I gained 60 pounds with each baby — it's just the way I do pregnancy," she revealed. For a while, out of shape and depressed, she considered giving up show business. But when she and Correia were offered roles in "My One and Only" in 1984, she dieted and exercised herself back into shape.

In 1987, she returned to television, replacing Valerie Harper in "Valerie" after Harper departed due to contractual disagreements. The show was renamed "The Hogan Family," and Duncan entered as a close family member. The show ran for four more seasons thanks to her.

Later on, she started hosting big events like Thanksgiving Day parades, dance contests, and shows for teenage girls. She also played the main character, Roxie Hart, in the Broadway show "Chicago" in 1999. Plus, she was the star of traveling shows called "Anything Goes" and "The King and I."

On television, she played several characters on the "Law & Order" shows and appeared in the rom-com "Never Again" (2001).

In 2008, she was in "No, No, Nanette," and in 2009, she was in "Driving Miss Daisy" and "The Glass Menagerie." Even with her busy career, Duncan helped others.

She volunteered for an organization called "RFB&D" that made books for people who couldn't see or had trouble reading. She also got an award called the National Rehabilitation Hospital Victory Award, given to people who are brave when life is hard.

The Actress Today

Today, Duncan lives in Connecticut with her husband of over 40 years. Their dancing partnership evolved into a lasting marriage. When asked what it felt like to dance together, she expressed, "You just knew you were never going to fall. You were never going to be dropped."

In a 2022 interview with Page Six, the now 79-year-old revealed a side of herself that differs greatly from her bubbly stage persona.

"I'm a depressive person by nature," she admitted. "My husband calls me an empath because I feel very much who I'm interacting with and it affects me in a real deep way, to the point where it's crippling in terms of my behavior because I'm caught up in their swirl."

Duncan takes medication for her depression but expressed uncertainty about its effectiveness. However, she also credited motherhood with helping her mental health.

"They pushed me through a lot of behavior that I would not ordinarily be able to do," she explained about raising her sons. "They require it, and you have to do it. So I'm grateful for that."

Despite the health challenges and personal struggles she has faced throughout her career, fans continue to express their admiration for the performer who captivated audiences for decades.

In a 2022 interview with CBS morning, many netizens left supporting comments for the starlet. One fan wrote, "Sandy looks fantastic. So glad to see her doing so well. -patty [sic]" Another added, "I love the Sandy Duncan interview! So good to see her looking so great! ❤❤" And one person posted, "She truly is forever young❤"

Though she lost sight in her left eye after brain surgery during the height of her early career, Sandy Duncan continued to dazzle audiences with her talents and build a life filled with both professional success and personal meaning. Her story reminds us that even stars face profound challenges, but with determination and support, they can continue to shine.