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The beautiful Deborah Raffin is constantly reinventing herself. Although most of us know her as Aunt Julie in the Aaron Spelling series 7th Heaven on the WB network, Deborah has an impressive track record in television, film and theater. She made her acting debut opposite Gene Kelly and Liv Ullman in Forty Carats and went on the achieve acclaim with her film roles in The Dove, Once is Not Enough, and Touched By Love, among others.
Deborah's television career has created some of her most memorable performances. Prior to playing the alcoholic sister to Stephen Collins' character on 7th Heaven, she had already become a favorite among viewers for her roles in television films and mini-series such as "Haywire," The Last Convertible," "The Sands of Time," and "Morning Glory," to name just a few.
Her work on stage has taken her from the Jupiter, Florida-based Burt Reynolds Theater to London. Aside from a prestigious career before the screen, Raffin has garnered respect in Hollywood for her work as a producer and director. Family Blessings, Unwed Father and the feature film Wilde are her most noted productions.
Her love of reading and literature led Deborah, along with partner Michael Viner, to found Dove Entertainment, which became the largest independent producer of audio books in the world, with a catalog of over 1,600 titles, over 400 of which have been New York Times bestsellers and for which Deborah herself served as line producer! The library included audio versions of books by noted author Amy Tan, the author of The Joy Luck Club; and Sidney Sheldon, the author of Rage of Angels, that were read by the likes of Robin Williams, Tom Cruise, and Audrey Hepburn.
When Dove Entertainment went public and Deborah and Michael sold their interests, they formed a new company, New Millennium Entertainment. Deborah lives in California with her husband, Michael, and their newborn daughter, Taylor Rose, and a furry family composed of two dogs and a cat.
The Pet Tribune: How many pets do you have?
Deborah Raffin: I have two Yorkshire terriers, Crillon and Scooter, and a kitty named Mister Vicky. We bought this house about six years ago, and we had some work done to the house before we moved in, and our cleaning lady was living here before we moved in, and the kitty found his way onto the property, and he and her became buddies, so she decided to call the cat Vicky, but a bit later we discovered it was actually a boy, so then I tried calling him Victor, but he wouldn't respond, so Mister Vicky it is. Our yorkie, Crillon, is named after the hotel Crillon in Paris. I was there finishing production on a mini-series, and my husband flew in the puppy from London as a gift for me, and so we named him after the hotel we were staying in. When Michael and I first married we originally had golden retrievers, and we actually got our first yorkie while in London 'cause we were homesick for our own pets. We enjoyed the breed so much we kept getting yorkies.
TPT: Growing up, did you have many animals around?
DR: Oh, yes, always. Dogs and cats. We usually had much larger dogs; I remember one that we had for many years that was a German shepherd and Great Dane mix.
TPT: Are you afraid of or do you dislike any type of animals?
DR: Well, there are a lot of wild animals that one must be respectful of, but even stray dogs and other animals I am very cautious with, because although they may be very loving they can spook easily or feel threatened, so I am always extremely respectful.
TPT: You balance a hectic schedule between acting, your company, and raising a daughter as well as caring for your pets. How do you do it all?
DR: Well, my daughter clearly is my number one priority, but thankfully my role with 7th Heaven has me as a semi-regular, which comes out to be five to six episodes a season, so it is not too much, and with the company being our own I can work from home a lot and go into the office once a week or so. Somehow I juggle it all.
TPT: Have you worked with animals before?
DR: Actually, I am one of the few actors that loves working with children and animals on film because there is a spontaneity that occurs that is wonderful. I have worked with animals many times. My husband produced the last four or so specials of the "Circus of the Stars," and one year I was asked to do a comedic dog act, which was great fun.
TPT: Why are animals important to your life?
DR: There is such a tremendous affection and warmth, and such an inner peace in having them.
TPT: Do your pets travel with you?
DR: Oh, yes, they've been all over the world with us. They especially like France. One of the great signs of how much the French really adore animals is when we were at a little town called La Beux, where there is a very well-known inn, and we were eating, and the chef heard we had our little yorkies with us and came out with a specially made dish for them. My little Crillon has become quite clever and learned how to unzip his dog carrier, and a number of times I'd fall asleep and I'd hear people say, "Oh, my goodness, what's this?" and I'd wake up to find that Crillon was many aisles behind me visiting other passengers.
TPT: What aspect of your career have you enjoyed most?
DR: Well, I have a couple of careers, as you know, and I think what I enjoy the most is the versatility of it. Throughout the years I have been able to work in front of the cameras or behind them. I've loved working with such great talents like Jason Robards, Gene Kelly and, of course, Stephen Collins, who I think is very talented. I have been able to experience all aspects of the entertainment business. Then, of course, there is the great luxury of having our own business and having the privilege of working with Stephen Hawkings and Dominick Dunne or Larry King and, of course, the actors who have read the audio, from Meryl Streep to Ben Kingsley. It is such a tremendous luxury.
TPT: If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why?
DR: Well, I definitely would want to be one of ours. I think they have a pretty great life. I don't think it matters what I come back as long as it is in this household.
TPT: What have you learned from your pets?
DR: I think that pets are the epitome of unconditional love. They are so devoted and unconditionally there for you. There is no doubt that having pets as your initial babies, you do learn a lot about responsibilities and caring for another living thing. I think pets are a wonderful way to teach children responsibility and kindness.
-Kareem Tabsch is a freelance writer who specializes in celebrity interviews. He has interviewed celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Bob Hope, Joan Rivers, Julio Iglesias, and Barbara Mandrell, among others. He writes frequently on animal-related issues as well as on the entertainment industry.
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