Candice Patricia Bergen born May 9 1946 is an American actress and former fashion model She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom Murphy Brown 19881998 20182019 She is also known for her role as Shirley Schmidt on the ABC drama Boston Legal 20052008 In films Bergen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Starting Over 1979 and for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Gandhi 1982 Bergen began her career as a fashion model and appeared on the cover of Vogue before she made her screen debut in the film The Group 1966 She starred in The Sand Pebbles 1966 Soldier Blue 1970 Carnal Knowledge 1971 and The Wind and the Lion 1975 She made her Broadway debut in the 1984 play Hurlyburly and starred in the revivals of The Best Man 2012 and Love Letters 2014 From 2002 to 2004 she appeared in three episodes of the HBO series Sex and the City Her other film roles include Miss Congeniality 2000 Sweet Home Alabama 2002 The Women 2008 Bride Wars 2009 Book Club 2018 and Let Them All Talk 2020