Actress and model Peggy Lipton was born on August 30, 1947, in New York City. After Peggy was born, her mother attempted to change the name on her birth certificate from Peggy to Margaret Ann. However, it was too late by that time. The name Peggy, which her mother later decided was unsophisticated, had already stuck. Growing up in Long Island, Peggy suffered sexual abuse at the hands of an uncle. She loved the escapism that books, music, and film offered, and initially got into show business by signing with the Ford Model Agency. When she was 17, Lipton’s family moved to Los Angeles. That same year, Peggy landed a contract with Universal Pictures, and soon after made her small-screen debut on The John Forsythe Show.
In 1968, Lipton’s star rose when she was cast in The Mod Squad, a hip Aaron Spelling series which transformed her into one of the most formidable fashion players of the times. For her role as undercover cop Julie Barnes, Peggy received a total of four Golden Globe nominations, and in 1971 won a Golden Globe award for Best TV Actress in a Drama. Lipton stayed with the show until it went off the air in 1973. During the late 60s and early 70s, Lipton also attained success as a singer and songwriter – her songs "Stoney End" in 1968, "Lu" in 1970, and "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" in 1970 all landed on the Billboard charts.
In 1974, Lipton married the music mogul with the Midas-touch, Quincy Jones. They had two daughters. The first was Kidada, a fashion stylist, and the second is the well known actress Rashida Jones. In 1990, the couple divorced. However, they remain close friends and collaborated with one another to write Quincy’s 2001 book Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones.
As the 80s drew to a close, Lipton stepped back into the spotlight after a self-imposed hiatus to focus on raising her family. In 1988, she landed supporting roles in Purple People Eater as well as in Keenan Ivory Wayans' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!. Lipton scored a main-stream hit when she teamed up with David Lynch to play the role of Norma Jennings on his surrealistic series Twin Peaks from 1990 to 1991. In 1991, Peggy also had a cameo role in Michael Jackson’s controversial video for the song "Black or White."
In 2000, Lipton starred in the drama Skipped Parts with Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Jason Leigh. In 2004, she played the mother of government agent Lauren Reed in popular series Alias with Jennifer Garner.
She has also guest-starred in a recurring role on TV series Popular, and in 2003 appeared on stage with daughter Rashida Jones in a play called Pitching To The Star. The production was directed by her brother, Robert Lipton. Lipton continues to work as a fashion model, appearing in beauty magazine editorials. In 2002, she was named the #5 Sexiest Star of All Time by TV Guide.
In 2004, Lipton was diagnosed with colon cancer. One year later, she published her autobiography Breathing Out. The book includes details on Peggy’s past relationships with such iconic music makers as Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, and Sammy Davis Jr.