Debbie Butala is the elder sister of renowned dancer, producer, and actor Jenna Elfman Butala of Hollywood. Debbie’s sister, Jenna, is best known for playing the title character, Dharma, in the ABC comedy Dharma & Greg (1997–2002), for which she won the 1999 Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. This article highlights everything about Debbi Butala, including her personal life, career, and more.
About her
Debbie Butala was born in the year 1957. Her father is Richard Butala and her mother is Sue Grace Butala. She lived her whole life in Los Angeles, California, the United States. She has a younger sister, Jenna Elfman Butala. She has a fraternal uncle named Tony Butala. She was brought up as a Roman Catholic and has a Croatian background on her father’s side. Debbie completed her high school education at St. Genevieve High School in the San Fernando Valley.
Family
Debbie Butala’s mother, Sue Grace Butala, is a homemaker, and her father is a Hughes Aircraft executive. Hughes Aircraft is a major American aerospace and defence contractor company.
Her paternal uncle, Tony Butala, is an American signer. Although Anthony Francis Butala has been retired since 2019, he served as the vocal group The Lettermen’s main singer since 1958. Butala is the final surviving member of the original trio. In February 2020, The Lettermen were honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Debbie has four cousins. They are Rebecca Butala, Anthony Butala, Lisa Butala, and Regina Butala.
Debbie’s younger sister, Jenna Elfman, received her diploma from Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Later, her sister enrolled at California State University, Northridge for college (CSUN). At the age of 5, Jenna began her ballet training. However, after a tendon detached from a bone, she stopped. With a full scholarship, Debbie’s sister attended the Westside School of Ballet. Debbi Butala follows Christianity as her religion.
Career
While Jenna Elfman, Debbie Butala’s sister, started her professional career as a dancer, there is little information available about Debbie Butala. In addition to performing with the rock band ZZ Top as a Legs Girl on their 1994 tour, Jenna made appearances in music videos for Depeche Mode in the 1990 song Halo, Anthrax in the 1993 song Black Lodge, Chris Isaak in the 1995 song Somebody’s Crying, and Depeche Mode in the 1990 song Halo.
Debbie’s sister, Jenna, was cast in the brief-lived 1996 American comedy Townies on ABC after making appearances in television advertisements. Debbie’s younger sister, Dharma Freedom Finkelstein Montgomery, appeared in Dharma & Greg on ABC in 1997. The show aired for five seasons until being cancelled in 2002.
Jenna, Debbie’s sister, and Bodhi, Jenna’s husband, launched their podcast, Kicking and Screaming by Jenna and Bodhi Elfman, in 2012. Debbie’s sister had roles in the NBC comedies Growing Up Fisher and 1600 Penn in 2013, both of which were cancelled after just one season. In 2016, Jenna was given a role in the ABC comedy series Imaginary Mary. The show was cancelled after the first season, just like 1600 Penn and Growing Up Fisher.
As for Debbie’s uncle, Anthony Francis Butala, he debuted on Starlets on Parade, a Saturday morning program on KDKA radio in Pittsburgh, in 1948, when he began his professional singing career. During his pre-teen years, Tony swiftly rose to popularity in and around his hometown of Sharon.
Conclusion
Debbie Butala is not as famous and renowned as her uncle and younger sister, but is one of the kindest and most loving people. Debbie is an incredible daughter and a lovely sister to her own siblings and to her cousins.
