Introduction
Not everyone who becomes a household name follows a conventional path to fame. Brett Somers was one of those rare personalities who carved her own space in American entertainment through wit, resilience, and an unmistakable screen presence. Best remembered for her sharp humor and quick-fire banter on the CBS game show Match Game, Somers was so much more than a game show panelist. She was a trained actress, a singer, a comedienne, and a woman who lived a genuinely complex and fascinating life far beyond what cameras ever showed.
What made Brett Somers so endearing to audiences was her authenticity. She never seemed to be performing a character — she simply showed up and was herself, and that was more than enough. Her relationship with actor Jack Klugman, her struggles with personal loss, and her eventual battle with cancer are all chapters of a story that deserves to be told fully. This article takes a deep look at who Brett Somers really was — her origins, her family, her marriages, her career milestones, and the final years of her remarkable life.
Quick Facts:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Birth Name | Audrey Dawn Johnston |
| Stage Name | Brett Somers |
| Date of Birth | July 11, 1924 |
| Place of Birth | Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian-American |
| Occupations | Actress, Comedian, Singer, Game Show Panelist |
| Years Active | 1955–2007 |
| First Marriage | Robert H. Klein (m. 1948, divorced) |
| Second Marriage | Jack Klugman (m. 1953, div. 1977) |
| Children | Leslie Klein (d. 2003), David Klugman, Adam Klugman |
| Date of Death | September 15, 2007 |
| Cause of Death | Stomach and colon cancer |
| Place of Death | Westport, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Best Known For | Match Game (1973–82), The Odd Couple (Blanche Madison) |
From Audrey to Brett: The Reinvention That Launched a Career
Brett Somers was not born with that name. She came into the world as Audrey Dawn Johnston on July 11, 1924, in Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada. Shortly after her birth, her family relocated to Portland, Maine, where she was raised. Growing up in Maine gave her a certain grounded quality, but from an early age, she dreamed of something bigger than a quiet New England upbringing.
At just 17 or 18 years old — accounts vary slightly — she made a bold decision and ran away from home to pursue an acting career in New York City. She settled in Greenwich Village, the beating heart of artistic bohemian life, and began the process of reinventing herself entirely. She chose the first name “Brett” from Lady Brett Ashley, the lead female character in Ernest Hemingway’s iconic 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. As for her last name, “Somers” came from her own mother’s maiden name — a choice that kept a quiet thread to her roots even as she built a brand-new identity.
That act of self-creation was itself a statement about who she was. Brett Somers was someone who took life into her own hands and shaped it deliberately. She became a U.S. citizen later in life, firmly planting herself in the American entertainment world she had chosen. The young woman from New Brunswick who ran away from home would eventually become one of the most recognizable faces in American television.
Early Career: From the Actors Studio to Broadway
Brett Somers was serious about her craft from the start. She joined the prestigious Actors Studio in 1952, placing herself alongside some of the finest theatrical talent in the country. The Actors Studio was known for its rigorous, method-driven approach to performance, and membership was considered a significant milestone for any serious actor. Somers would remain a lifetime member — a distinction that reflected her deep commitment to the art form.
Her early career was built almost entirely on the stage. She appeared in theatrical productions including The Seven Year Itch, Happy Ending, and The Country Girl — the last of which she performed alongside her then-husband Jack Klugman. These were not vanity projects but serious dramatic roles that helped establish her credibility as a trained performer. In 1958, she made her Broadway debut in a short-lived production called Maybe Tuesday, which ran for only five performances. Though the play flopped, the experience added to her growing resume.
Television soon came calling. She made appearances on notable dramatic anthology programs of the era, including The Philco Television Playhouse, Kraft Television Theatre, Playhouse 90, and Robert Montgomery Presents. These were prestige programs at the time, and her involvement demonstrated that she was not simply an entertainer chasing fame — she was an actress building a body of work. Over the following decades, she would make guest appearances on a wide range of primetime shows, from Have Gun Will Travel and The Fugitive to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Barney Miller, and The Love Boat.
The Odd Couple: Playing Blanche and Acting Alongside Her Real Husband
One of the most intriguing chapters in Brett Somers’ career is her recurring role on the ABC sitcom The Odd Couple, which aired from 1970 to 1975. She played Blanche Madison — the ex-wife of Oscar Madison, the lovably messy sportswriter portrayed by none other than Jack Klugman, her real-life husband. The casting gave the show an additional layer of authenticity that writers couldn’t have scripted any better.
Audiences watching The Odd Couple likely didn’t realize just how much real-life tension and familiarity informed those scenes. By the time Somers was appearing in these episodes, her marriage to Klugman was already strained, and the two were living increasingly separate lives. Playing estranged spouses on screen while being estranged in reality added a strange, unscripted texture to her performances. To her credit, Somers handled it with professionalism and a sense of humor that kept the role fresh.
The role of Blanche wasn’t a lead position, but it became one of the more memorable supporting characters in the series. Her chemistry with Klugman — born of genuine shared history — made the scenes pop. It was also a role that introduced her to a new generation of viewers who would later come to love her even more on Match Game.
Match Game: The Role That Made Her a Legend
If any single job defined Brett Somers’ public persona, it was her position as a regular panelist on Match Game, the popular CBS game show hosted by Gene Rayburn. The show, which ran on the network from 1973 to 1979, involved celebrities filling in the blank of an absurdly worded question, with contestants trying to match their answers. What made it television gold was the chemistry among the panelists — and no one contributed more to that chemistry than Brett Somers.
Interestingly, she wasn’t the original choice for the panel. It was Jack Klugman who appeared during the show’s first week in 1973. He enjoyed the experience so much that he personally suggested the producers bring Brett aboard. They agreed — and what followed was perhaps the most important professional decision of her life. Her dry wit, impeccable comic timing, and the natural banter she developed with fellow regulars Charles Nelson Reilly and Richard Dawson made her an instant fan favorite. Charles Nelson Reilly famously gave her the nickname “Susan” on set, a running joke that audiences adored.
Somers and Reilly had a comedic rapport that felt genuinely spontaneous — which, by most accounts, it was. They played off each other constantly, trading good-natured insults and exaggerated reactions that turned every episode into appointment television. The show remained at the top of the daytime ratings for much of the 1970s, and Somers was no small part of that success. Episodes from the original run still air today on cable, and new generations continue to discover her through those recordings.
Even after the original network run ended, Somers continued to appear on various revivals and tributes tied to the Match Game legacy. In 2006, just a year before her death, she was a prominent interviewee in The Real Match Game Story: Behind the Blank, a documentary aired on the Game Show Network. She also hosted a Match Game DVD release, proof that she was still a beloved figure closely associated with the show until the very end of her life.
Two Marriages: Love, Complexity, and What Endured
Brett Somers’ romantic life was layered and, at times, quietly unconventional. Her first marriage was to businessman Robert H. Klein, whom she wed in 1948 after settling in New York. The two had one child together, a daughter named Leslie Klein. The marriage eventually ended in divorce, and Leslie would later tragically die of lung cancer in 2003 — a devastating loss for Somers that came during a particularly difficult period of her life.
Her second marriage, to actor Jack Klugman, began in 1953 and became the defining relationship of her personal life. Their union produced two sons: David Klugman and Adam Klugman. Adding a charming coincidence to the family story, Adam shared his mother’s birthday of July 11. After marrying Klugman, Somers used the name Brett Somers Klugman for a period, though she remained best known professionally under the Somers name. The couple made countless television appearances together and were considered one of the more charismatic showbiz couples of their era.
Their separation is where the story becomes more complicated. The couple stopped living together around 1974, and for years it was widely believed — even by many in the entertainment industry — that they had never formally divorced. Somers herself seemed to fan those flames in a 2003 interview, saying plainly: “We haven’t lived together for — God, I don’t know how many years. But neither of us will ever get married again.” That statement gave the impression of a legally married but informally separated couple who had chosen to remain in a kind of permanent limbo. California divorce records, however, later revealed that the couple had officially divorced in August 1977. The confusion persisted largely because Klugman waited until after Somers’ death in 2007 to marry again — leading many to believe the first marriage had technically never ended. Whatever the paperwork said, their bond clearly never fully dissolved in any emotional sense.
Her Children and the Weight of Personal Loss
Brett Somers was a mother of three, and her experiences as a parent were marked by both joy and profound grief. Her daughter Leslie Klein, born from her first marriage, died of lung cancer in 2003. Leslie’s death preceded Brett’s own cancer diagnosis by just a year, meaning Somers was still processing that loss when she received her own devastating news. The timing speaks to a personal resilience that often went unnoticed beneath her public humor.
Her two sons with Jack Klugman have each had their own distinct lives. David Klugman has largely remained out of the public eye. Adam Klugman, the younger of the two, has built a successful career as an award-winning media strategist and campaign consultant. He lives in West Linn, Oregon, with his family. It was Adam who publicly confirmed the details of his mother’s cause of death following her passing in 2007, providing a statement that reflected both grief and grace.
There is something quietly poignant about the way Brett Somers navigated motherhood alongside a demanding entertainment career. She managed to maintain her presence as a performer while raising children and working through two marriages. She rarely made her family the centerpiece of public interviews — preferring instead to let her work speak for itself — but those close to her knew that her children and grandchildren were deeply important to her.
Health Struggles and the Final Years
For years, rumors circulated that Brett Somers was dealing with serious health issues. Her naturally husky voice led some to speculate about a throat ailment, and whispers of cancer came up repeatedly in media coverage. Somers consistently denied those rumors. In a 2002 interview, she firmly stated she did not have cancer — a denial she repeated in subsequent interviews over the following two years.
The truth emerged in 2004, when she was diagnosed with stomach and colon cancer. Though the revelation confirmed what some had suspected, it also showed that Somers had been protecting her privacy rather than deceiving the public. Even after her diagnosis, she did not retreat quietly. She continued to perform when her health allowed, and in the summer of 2003 — just before the diagnosis — she had staged a one-woman cabaret show called An Evening with Brett Somers, which she wrote and co-produced herself. It was a remarkable display of creative energy for someone in her late 70s.
In 2005, Somers and Jack Klugman reunited onstage for Danger, People at Large, a trio of short comedies presented at Fairfield University. It was the first time the two had performed together in over 30 years, and by all accounts the event carried a tremendous amount of warmth and nostalgia. Her cancer went into remission for a period, offering hope that she might have more time. But in 2007, the cancer returned in an inoperable form.
Brett Somers died on September 15, 2007, at her home in Westport, Connecticut. She was 83 years old. Her son Adam confirmed that the cause of death was stomach and colon cancer. Following her death, the Game Show Network ran a full Match Game marathon in her honor, followed by the broadcast of The Real Match Game Story: Behind the Blank — a fitting tribute to a woman who had given the show so much of herself.
Brett Somers’ Legacy: A Voice That Still Resonates
Legacy is often difficult to quantify, but in Brett Somers’ case, the measure of it is clear: people still watch her, still laugh at her, and still feel a sense of connection to her decades after her best work aired. The reruns of Match Game that continue to broadcast on cable aren’t just nostalgia — they’re evidence of a talent that holds up across time. Her timing was precise, her personality was genuine, and her humor never felt mean-spirited even at its sharpest.
Beyond the laughs, what Somers modeled was something more quietly powerful: a woman who built a career on her own terms, reinvented herself when necessary, dealt with personal heartbreak without making it a public spectacle, and kept performing even when illness was closing in. She didn’t fit neatly into any single category — she was too funny to be called a dramatic actress, too serious about her craft to be dismissed as a personality, and too self-aware to be typecast into anything comfortable.
In the world of classic television, her name stands alongside those of the great ensemble performers — people who made others around them funnier, sharper, and more entertaining simply by being present. That is a rare and undervalued gift, and Brett Somers had it in abundance.
Conclusion
Brett Somers lived a life that was far richer and more complicated than a single television role or a single decade of fame could capture. From her runaway youth in New Brunswick and her reinvention in Greenwich Village, to her marriages, her children, her loss, and her enduring presence on Match Game, she packed multiple lifetimes of experience into her 83 years. She was a woman who chose her own name, chose her own path, and never stopped performing — even when that path became difficult and painful.
Her legacy is one of authenticity above all else. In an industry that often rewards artifice, Brett Somers succeeded by simply being herself — sharp, warm, funny, and utterly real. For those who grew up watching her, she remains one of the great personalities of American television. And for those encountering her story for the first time, the picture that emerges is of someone well worth knowing, long after the credits have rolled.
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(FAQs)
1. What was Brett Somers’ real name?
Brett Somers was born Audrey Dawn Johnston on July 11, 1924, in Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada. She chose the name “Brett” from the lead female character in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises, and “Somers” from her mother’s maiden name.
2. Who was Brett Somers married to?
She was married twice. Her first marriage was to businessman Robert H. Klein in 1948, with whom she had a daughter, Leslie. Her second and more widely known marriage was to actor Jack Klugman in 1953. The two had two sons, David and Adam Klugman, and officially divorced in 1977, though many believed they remained legally married until her death.
3. How did Brett Somers get on Match Game?
Interestingly, she was not the original choice. Her husband Jack Klugman appeared during Match Game’s first week in 1973 and personally recommended her to the producers. Her wit and dry humor were so well received that she became one of the show’s most iconic regulars for its entire network run.
4. What was Brett Somers’ cause of death?
Brett Somers died on September 15, 2007, at her home in Westport, Connecticut. She was 83 years old. Her son Adam Klugman confirmed the cause of death was stomach and colon cancer. She had been diagnosed in 2004 and fought the disease for several years before it returned in an inoperable form in 2007.
5. Did Brett Somers and Jack Klugman ever divorce?
This remained a source of public confusion for years. The two separated around 1974 and Somers herself suggested in interviews that neither of them planned to remarry. However, California divorce records confirm the couple officially divorced in August 1977. Klugman married his long-time girlfriend in 2008, a year after Somers’ death.
6. How many children did Brett Somers have?
Brett Somers had three children. Her daughter, Leslie Klein, came from her first marriage and tragically died of lung cancer in 2003. Her two sons, David Klugman and Adam Klugman, were born from her marriage to Jack Klugman. Adam, the younger son, shares his mother’s July 11 birthday.
7. What is Brett Somers best remembered for?
She is primarily remembered as one of the three signature panelists on Match Game (1973–82), alongside Charles Nelson Reilly and Richard Dawson. She is also recalled for her recurring role as Blanche Madison on The Odd Couple, where she played opposite her real-life husband Jack Klugman. Her dry humor and genuine charisma made her a beloved figure in classic American television.
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