Valerie Anne Bertinelli (born on April 23, 1960) is an American film and television actress best known for her role as Bonnie Franklin's smart, nice, and lovable daughter, Barbara Jean Cooper, on the long-running television series One Day at a Time.

Valerie Bertinelli was born on April 23, 1960 in Wilmington, Delaware. Her father was a General Motors executive. In her early teens, her father was transferred to the GM assembly plant in Van Nuys, California. At this time, Ms. Bertinelli enrolled in the Tami Lynn School of Artists to study acting. In January 1975, the situation comedy "One Day at a Time" (1975), produced by Norman Lear, premiered on CBS with Bertinelli as Barbara Cooper, one of two daughters of a recently divorced woman. The show was a long-time hit and ended production in 1984 without being canceled. Ms. Bertinelli has starred in three feature films: C.H.O.M.P.S. (1979), Ordinary Heroes (1986), and Number One with a Bullet (1987). She was also the protagonist of the miniseries _I'll Take Manhattan (1987) (mini)_ , based on a novel by Judith Krantz. She has appeared in made-for-TV movies almost annually since 1979. She was also the star of two other situation comedies, "Sydney" (1990) and "Cafe Americain" (1993), both of which were canceled after short runs. Since 1981, she has been married to heavy metal guitarist Edward Van Halen. They reside in Malibu and have a son, Wolfgang, but have been separated for some time, pending a divorce. Ms. Bertinelli is still chiefly remembered by her television fans for her work on "One Day at a Time" (1975).

The only daughter of a General Motors executive, Bertinelli was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and raised with one older and two younger brothers. The family traveled through so many cities that she still calls herself a "GM brat". At fourteen, Bertinelli got the idea she would like to do some acting. "I did one commercial, for J.C. Penney", she says, "and did nothing else for months. Then, I got a call for "One Day at a Time" (1975). Everyone at home was jubilant when the show went on the air. But the young actress' mood darkened when she realized that she had to work and go to school, as well. Her high school graduation in 1978 was "a real relief". Bertinelli has a home in Los Angeles and a production company (named Tuxedo Limited after one of the stray cats she's always taking in). She owns a Corvette and an MG.