Juanita Gless, her great-grandmother, was an early settler of California who came from the Basque region of France.

[2] Her father, Jack Baur, was a veteran casting director at 20th Century Fox,[3] and did not want his daughter in the industry.

"[3] Baur left college to join a 20th Century Fox program for training actors.

[4] After actress Barbara Anderson left NBC's Ironside after four seasons, Baur was hired as her replacement.

"[6] Two years later, she said, "Officer Fran Belding is the hardest part I've ever had to play, because she's so straight, so normal.