Sandy Duncan, born February 20, 1946, in New London, Texas, rose to fame early—by 24 she had her own CBS sitcom Funny Face, after starring in Disney films The Million Dollar Duck and Star Spangled Girl and earning acclaim in musicals like The Boy Friend. During stardom, she began suffering severe headaches and vision problems—symptoms later traced to a benign brain tumor located behind her left optic nerve.
In November 1971 at UCLA Medical Center, surgeons performed a delicate, 10-hour surgery to remove the tumor. Unfortunately, the optic nerve had to be severed, costing her the sight in her left eye. The surgery involved removing the top of her skull and stapling it back—leaving significant scars and forcing her to wear a wig for nearly a year. Despite persistent rumors, she has repeatedly clarified she does not have a glass eye—the blind eye still moves in sync with the right, but she lost depth perception.
Life changed dramatically as CBS halted production of Funny Face mid‑season. Despite this, the show eventually aired 13 episodes; she was later nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Performance in a Comedy Series. A revised version titled The Sandy Duncan Show aired in 1972 but was canceled after 13 episodes due to weak ratings and loss of its lead‑in audience.
Remarkably, Duncan persevered. In 1979 she took on the title role in the Broadway revival of Peter Pan, performing over 500 shows. Critics praised her ability to “defy gravity” onstage, and in 1980 she earned a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
Offstage, she faced personal challenges: her first marriage ended amid rising fame, and she married Dr. Thomas Calcaterra in 1973—a surgeon she met during her surgery—though they divorced in 1979. In 1980 she married dancer-choreographer Don Correia, and they remained partners both personally and professionally, having two sons in the 1980s and performing nightclub acts together.
Throughout her later career, Duncan appeared on Roots, earning another Emmy nomination; starred in Disney films like The Cat from Outer Space; voiced in animated classics such as The Fox and the Hound; and co‑hosted PBS’s Championship Ballroom Dancing. She returned to Broadway in roles in No, No, Nanette, Driving Miss Daisy, and The Glass Menagerie while also performing in national tours of musicals including The King and I.
Reflecting on her experience, Duncan has spoken candidly about living with depression and being highly empathetic—traits she says sometimes feel overwhelming. Yet she credits motherhood and her family with helping stabilize her mental health. Now in her late 70s, she lives in Connecticut with her husband Don Correia, staying candid about aging and health while continuing to be admired for the resilience that has defined her life and art.