Adrienne Barbeau from ‘Maude’ Looks Great at 76 after Giving Birth to Twins at 51 Focusing On Family

• Adrienne Barbeau is a renowned actress famous for her role on the hit show “Maude.”
• But she stopped acting to be a mother.
• Even in real life, she pushed boundaries and became one of 144 women to have babies over 50 in 1997.

Adrienne Barbeau is a famous actress known for her role as the original Broadway’s Rizzo in the musical “Grease” and the forward-thinking Carol in the hit series “Maude.”

Barbeau has also starred in films like, “No Escape New York” and “The Fog,” but at the peak of her career, the actress welcomed her son Cody with her first husband, John Carpenter, and decided to take a break from acting.

Adrienne Barbeau in Los Angeles in 1976 | Source: Getty Images

As a woman who has never been afraid to push boundaries in her fictional and real life, Barbeau gave birth to twin boys when she was 52.

According to reports, she was just one of 144 American women to have babies over 50, making her the face of mature mothers then.

She said people would come to her and call her a hero, but she was careful with her responses because the reality of trying to have children at her age was not easy.

Adrienne Barbeau on “Shadow Play” in 1986 | Source: Getty Images

She did not want people to assume it was easy because “we went through hell to get this to happen,” confessed the actress.

Barbeau welcomed her twin boys with her second husband, Billy Van Zandt, who was 12 years younger than her. The actress revealed that they tried to conceive for five years through a number of fertility techniques.

She has not spoken about what helped her conceive her two boys. But throughout the process, Barbeau never worried about whether she would have the physical strength to care for twins; the only stressful part was getting pregnant.

Adrienne Barbeau in “Having Babies” in 1976 | Source: Getty Images

She was not afraid because she grew up around strong women. Barbeau saw her 70-year-old mother work two jobs while her aunt worked until she was 84.

Her sons, William and Walker, arrived in March 1997, and the “Maude” star delivered them naturally. Raising twins was not easy; Barbeau said she did not remember the last time she had a whole night’s sleep, but she eventually got used to the exhaustion.

Fortunately, her husband helped a lot. She remembered when she spent two weeks with her newborn twins alone and realized how much she needed and appreciated the extra hands.

Adrienne Barbeau after having her twin sons in Los Angeles in 1997 | Source: Getty Images

However, despite having already had her son, Cody, Barbeau said raising twins did not even come close to her experience with her first son.

Firstly, the differences between the two pregnancies were extreme since she was much older when she had twins, and William and Walker’s characters were also different from their older brother.

“Maude” Star Looks Different at 77

Barbeau admitted that her career would never become before motherhood. She reiterated, “My career has always taken second place to be a mom.”

Adrienne Barbeau and Billy Van Zandt with their sons William and Walker in Los Angeles in 2004 | Source: Getty Images

When she welcomed Cody, she deliberately decided not to take on specific jobs; the same happened with her twins.

The 77-year-old successfully raised her three sons and now has an empty nest. She is still as energetic as ever, but her marriage with Van Zandt ended in 2018.

The actress continued to act and appeared in “Swamp Thing” and “Creepshow,” but she started a new career as a writer in her 50s.

Despite the ups and downs in her love life, Barbeau said she was much happier and had gone to therapy. She understood the input she had in some of her life’s experiences and had made peace with how everything turned out.

The inspiration behind her writing career was partly inspired by the void she was left with after one of her closest friends died from cancer in 1998.

After writing a series of vampire stories, Barbeau continued to be on screen. She had two movies show at a film festival and starred in the Netflix show “AJ and the Queen” with RuPaul.

The actress posted a picture with another iconic actor Clint Howard who was one of the stars of “The Andy Griffin Show.” The two icons were all smiles, and fans were excited to see the legendary actors together. “Those smiles never age,” expressed a fan.

Fans expressed how Barbeau and Howard were major parts of their adolescence and thought both looked good. “Now my heart is melting! Love that.” gushed a user.

As for TV mom Bea Arthur, Barbeau said she would forever appreciate her. The two played important roles in “Maude” of two women unafraid to address their political opinions.

Adrienne Barbeau Recalls Screen Mom, Who Changed Her Life

Barbeau and Arthur were close both on and off-screen. Their characters were game changers, and Barbeau believed it was the reason the show was so successful.

It addressed issues around abortion, mental health, and sexuality, which was unusual in the ’70s. However, her memories from the show will always include Arthur because she was a good mentor, especially since it was the first time she did TV.

Arthur was always looking out for the show; for instance, the 77-year-old remembered how she would direct the show’s jokes in a way that would always produce a good show and present everyone in a good light.

Although Arthur was more of a friend than a motherly figure to Barbeau, she appreciated her caring nature and will forever remember her delicious chicken salad.

Arthur died in 2009, but out of all the cast from “Maude,” Barbeau is one of the few with a thriving acting career.

Barbeau might still have an active career, but her family is still important. She shared an adorable picture of her, her two sons, and their dog in front of the Christmas tree and wished everyone a Merry Christmas.

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