Valerie Bertinelli opened up about the complicated feelings she had toward Norman Lear while working on One Day at a Time.
Although Bertinelli described Lear as loving and protective, she admitted that his presence also intimidated her during her early years in Hollywood.
Valerie Bertinelli explains why she was ‘always afraid’ of being reprimanded by One Day at a Time creator Norman Lear
Bertinelli credited Lear with creating an environment that made her feel protected as a young performer. She discussed her relationship with former co-star Mackenzie Phillips on Getting Naked: The Podcast.
“He was so loving,” she recalled.
Bertinelli said she considered herself fortunate to have Lear as a mentor at a time when young actresses often faced difficult experiences in Hollywood.
However, her admiration also came with anxiety.
Bertinelli joined One Day at a Time when she was only 14 and still learning how to act professionally. She recalled struggling with an emotional scene during the first-season finale.
Lear noticed her difficulty and spoke with her directly.
“I was too embarrassed because I wasn’t an actor. I was just learning how to do this,” Bertinelli explained. “Now I can. But I also have 50 years experience behind me, right? But I remember being so scared of [Lear].”
Phillips remembered her relationship with Lear differently. She said she adored him and placed him on a pedestal.
Phillips also recalled signs of tension between Lear and Bertinelli years later. She remembered asking Bertinelli to share the cost of a newspaper advertisement honoring Lear, but said Bertinelli initially declined.
According to Phillips, “there was some sort of ridge that had developed” between the two. She clarified that Bertinelli eventually contributed to the advertisement.
Despite those complicated feelings, Bertinelli continued to speak warmly about her years on the sitcom.
In 2025, she reflected on the show’s 50th anniversary and said certain memories from the set had stayed with her decades later.
Bertinelli’s relationship with Lear therefore included both deep admiration and the nervousness she felt as a young actress trying to prove herself.
