Candice Bergen
(1946)
American actress, plays title roll in 'Murphy Brown'.
Candice Bergen in her role as Murphy Brown touched on the issue of medical marijuana in November '97 when the episode "Waiting to Inhale" was aired. Murphy Brown was shown smoking a joint to ease the discomfort of her chemotherapy treatments.
In the show's final season, a year-long story arc aired in which Murphy battled breast cancer. The show's handling of the subject was credited with a 30 percent increase in the number of women getting mammograms.
The storyline was not without controversy; an episode in which she used medical marijuana to relieve side effects of chemotherapy was attacked by conservative groups, and a women's health group protested an episode in which Murphy, while shopping for prosthetic breasts, uttered the line "Should I go with Demi Moore or Elsie the Cow?"
However, Bergen was presented an award from the American Cancer Society in honor of her role in educating women on the importance of breast cancer prevention and screening.
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