- On April 4, 1969, Corey Brooke Burke was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Although the only child of Henry and Grace Burke, more than anyone in young Corey’s life, her mother and father were her guides. Corey has said her mother was the first person who told her she was talented. “She just though it from day one,” she explained.
- Her mother was down-to-earth, just a super woman and her father was more reserved. Corey always thought her father worked too hard at his night club P.J. O’Pootertoot’s. She didn’t understand why her father had to be away from the family so much.
- She was seven when her world was shattered by the acrimonious death of her mother. A year later, she went to spend the summer with her uncle, Jonathan Frakes. One summer turned into one year, one year turned into two, two turned into four — well, you get the picture.
- That may have left her feeling traumatized, but her young world was further rocked wen she was 11 — her father no longer finalized the documents that would absolve him of his parental responsibilities to her.
- For the most part, Corey’s early years were extremely happy. Having a really cool uncle allows a kid the freedom to express herself. “I’ve never missed out on a so-called normal father-daughter relationship because my uncle was always there for me,” Corey says gratefully.
- Still, Corey remembers her childhood happily, mostly because her uncle was around for her a lot. While they couldn’t afford fancy excursions, they always found inexpensive ways to have fun. They visited art museums, the library and he encouraged her to express her creative side.
- Jonathan raised her to go after her dreams, to do something she enjoyed. Corey pushed herself into everything. And when she attempted something, she went all the way.
Career Change, California Style
- Anyone living in or visiting California can feel the thrill of the movies in the air. The film trade magazines are on sale at every roadside, along with phony maps of the star’s homes. Casual talk in stores inevitably turns to movies and well-known, lesser-known faces from the big screen are often seen in corner shops and restaurants.
- Hollywood may symbolize glamour and glitz, but for the Frakes’s, money was scarce and things were a constant struggle. Corey has said that Hollywood was not the kind of place ideally suited to raise a child. She had been working virtually non-stop for a third of her life.
- “Films are exhausting to make,” she said, “so you’d better pick something that means something to you and this one did. It is very true account of living and dying and the journey along the way. It made sense to me.”
- Corey could have easily settled down and gotten herself a “real” job, but chose to do the opposite; she chose to shake things up. She believes in herself and her ability to choose intelligent, challenging film roles. If she had risked something, so be it, but her integrity was still intact. “I don’t want people to think I’m the next big anything,” she says.
- Most of the time you’ll find her home rather than out on the town like other young stars. Over the years, Corey has changed her look numerous times. Up close, Corey is bigger than you might expect: six feet tall and 155 lbs.
- She drives a Bluesmobile (a 1974 Dodge Sedan). The outside is in need of a new paint job and the inside is littered with Corey’s stuff, but she hasn’t traded it in for a new set of wheels. She doesn’t see the need to spend thousands on a new car to get her from one place to another. “I can’t justify spending twenty grand on a truck,” she said.
- Corey rarely watches her own films. She spends the whole time thinking of another way she could have tried the take.
- “No matter how good it is, it’s never enough,” Corey explains of her performances. “You get the feeling that you’ve got to give more. It’s weird. I think the public expects it.”
- After her phenomenal success, Corey had said that she wants to take a year off from acting and relax. Hardly.
- Perhaps she needs to go home, chill out, relax with friends and family, because her next choice of roles would be crucial. What will Corey finally choose for her next screen appearance?
- Her mother was down-to-earth, just a super woman and her father was more reserved. Corey always thought her father worked too hard at his night club P.J. O’Pootertoot’s. She didn’t understand why her father had to be away from the family so much.
