Betty Buckley

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Betty Buckley
Betty Buckley Eight Is Enough 1977.JPG
Buckley as Abby Abbott in Eight is Enough, 1977
Born Betty Lynn Buckley
(1947-07-03) July 3, 1947 (age 77)
Big Spring, Texas, U.S.
Occupation Actress, singer
Years active 1969–present
Spouse(s) Peter Flood (1972-1979; divorced)
Website www.bettybuckley.com

Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American stage, film and television actress, and singer. She starred from 1977 to 1981 on the ABC series Eight is Enough, before going on to win the 1983 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of Cats. Her other musical roles include playing Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard from 1994 to 1996, in both London and New York, receiving an Olivier Award nomination. She is a 2012 American Theater Hall of Fame inductee.[1]

Buckley made her Broadway debut in the 1969 musical 1776. Other Broadway musical credits include Pippin (1973) and Drood (1985). She played gym teacher Ms. Collins in the 1976 Brian de Palma film Carrie and went on to star in the short-lived Broadway musical version of Carrie in 1988, this time playing Carrie's mother, Margaret White. She received a Tony Award nomination for the 1997 musical Triumph of Love, and Grammy Award nominations for The Diaries of Adam and Eve (1999) and Stars and the Moon: Live at the Donmar (2001). Her other film roles include Dixie Scott in Tender Mercies (1983), Sondra Walker in Frantic (1988), Kathy in Another Woman (1988) and Mrs. Jones in The Happening (2008). She also had a recurring role in the HBO series Oz (2001–03). In the 2010s, her stage work includes Dear World (2013) in London, and The Old Friends (2013) and Grey Gardens (2015) in New York.

Early life

Betty Lynn Buckley was born in Big Spring, Texas and raised in Fort Worth, the daughter of Betty Bob (née Diltz), a dancer and journalist, and Ernest Lynn Buckley, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and former dean of engineering at South Dakota State University. She is the oldest of their four children. She has three brothers—Norman Buckley is a film editor and TV director, and Patrick and Michael Buckley are engineers. While a student at Texas Christian University (TCU), she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and crowned "Miss Fort Worth" in 1966 and was runner-up in the Miss Texas competition. Buckley was then invited to perform at the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, and it was there that she was spotted by a talent scout. After returning to TCU to earn her college degree, she toured Asia to visit soldiers wounded in the Vietnam War. After this, she worked for a time as a reporter for the Fort Worth Press, but went to New York City in 1969, where she landed the role of Martha Jefferson in 1776 her first day in town.

Career

Stage and screen career

Buckley made her Broadway debut in 1969 in the original production of the musical 1776;[2] she has been called "The Voice of Broadway" by New York magazine. She is perhaps best known for the 1977–81 TV dramedy Eight Is Enough. She joined the show in its second season when the original star, Diana Hyland, died after the first four episodes of season one. Hyland's character (Joan Bradford) died, and Buckley was cast as the widower's new romantic interest, Sandra Sue Abbott (nicknamed Abby), who became stepmother of the eight children to which the series' title refers.

Buckley appeared in the original movie version of Carrie in 1976, playing Miss Collins, Carrie's gym teacher. She would go on to appear as Margaret White in the 1987 musical adaptation of the film on Broadway.

In 1977, she recorded an uncredited solo on the song "Walking in Space", in the movie Hair.

In 1982, Buckley starred as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of the musical Cats, which features the song "Memory". She would stay with the production for eighteen months. For this role, she won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Screen roles during the 1980s include Bruce Beresford's film Tender Mercies, where she played a country singer and sang the Academy Award nominated song "Over You". She also appeared in the Woody Allen film Another Woman (1988), Roman Polanski's Frantic (1988), Lawrence's Kasden's Wyatt Earp (1994) and M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening (2008). On television, she received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Program/Special, for NBC Special Treat - Bobby and Sarah (1984) and ABC Afterschool Special - Taking a Stand (1989).

Buckley starred in both London (1994) and New York (1995) as Norma Desmond in the musical Sunset Boulevard.[3] For her role in the London production, she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.[4] In 1997, she starred as Hesione in the Broadway musical Triumph of Love and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

In 2001–03, she played a role in seasons 4–6 of the HBO series Oz. She also has guest-starred in a number of television series, including Without a Trace, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Monk. She guest-starred in a Christmas special of the TV series Remember WENN, in which she sang "You Make It Christmas".

Buckley sang "Memory" from Cats at the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2006 as part of the tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber.[5] In 2007, Buckley appeared with Quintessence at Lincoln Center in its Great American Songbook series.

In 2008, Buckley played "Mrs. Jones" in M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening opposite Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel. She appeared as "Marion Leckie", mother of Robert Leckie in the HBO series The Pacific, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, which aired in 2010.

Buckley appeared in the 18th episode of Melrose Place in 2010 as a food critic cast by her brother Norman Buckley, who directed the episode. She also guest starred in an episode of the new Fox series The Chicago Code. She was a recurring guest star on Pretty Little Liars as Regina Marin, also directed by her brother Norman.

Buckley participated in a reading of the musical Ruthless! in September, 2010, playing the role of Sylvia St. Croix/Ruth DelMarco. She then played Mrs. White in the off-Broadway comedy White's Lies from March–May 2010. In 2011, Buckley starred in the Dallas Theater Center production of Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring with Tovah Feldshuh.

On January 28, 2013 Buckley was inducted into The American Theater Hall of Fame. From January–March 2013, she starred in the London Premiere of Jerry Herman's Dear World, receiving rave reviews.[6] The musical was directed and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, who Buckley had previously worked with on Cats. In September 2013, she starred in the World Premiere of Horton Foote's The Old Friends at the Signature Theatre off-Broadway. She repeated her performance in 2014 at Houston's famed Alley Theatre.

In May 2015, it was announced that Buckley would appear as Big Edie in the musical, "Grey Gardens"[7] at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, NY.

On November 30, 2015, Buckley guest-starred as the character Meg's mother in the TV series The Leftovers.

Music career

Buckley has recorded 16 solo albums, and performs in concert across the U.S. each year. She is also a composer; her first recording contains mostly songs she wrote. She is also featured on many Broadway compilation recordings, and on the original cast recording of 1776, the Original Broadway recording of Cats, the London recording of Promises, Promises, Triumph of Love and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

In 2002, Buckley was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Category, for her album Stars and the Moon: Live at the Donmar, which was recorded at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre in London. This was her second Grammy nomination, she had previously been nominated in 2000, in the Best Spoken Word Album category for The Diaries of Adam and Eve.

Her albums Quintessence and 1967 were released by Playbill Records in February 2008. Quintessence features jazz arrangements of standards by her longtime collaborator, jazz pianist Kenny Werner; while 1967 is a recording produced by T-Bone Burnett, and made when Buckley was just 19.

Her album Bootleg: Boardmixes From the Road was released in 2010, and her recording of her hit show at Feinstein's at the Regency with pianist Christian Jacob, entitled Ah, Men: The Boys of Broadway debuted on 28 August 2012.

Her most recent album Ghostlight was produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett and was released on September 16, 2014.[8]

Personal life

Buckley was married to Peter Flood in 1972, divorced in 1979, and has no children.

She lives on a ranch in Texas and participates in NCHA cutting horse competitions while continuing to appear in films, television and theater and to sing concerts in a wide variety of venues.

Buckley has also taught song interpretation and scene study for over 40 years. She conducts master classes in Fort Worth, New York City, Los Angeles and other cities around the country.

Buckley's official website contains her concert and theater schedule, a detailed biography and timeline, and summaries of her singing and acting accomplishments.

Filmography

Film[9]
Year Title Role Notes
1976 Carrie Miss Collins
1983 Tender Mercies Dixie
1987 Wild Thing Leah
1988 Frantic Sondra Walker
1988 Another Woman Kathy
1992 Rain Without Thunder Beverly Goldring
1994 Last Time Out Maxine Black
1994 Wyatt Earp Virginia Earp
1995 Ride for Your Life Short film
1998 Of Love & Fantasy Dr. Tania Brandt Video
1999 Simply Irresistible Aunt Stella
2002 New World Order Rose Kross
2004 Mummy an' the Armadillo Let
2008 The Happening Mrs. Jones
2011 5 Time Champion Fran
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1977 Ryan's Hope Divorced Lady Episode: "1.405"
1977 The Rubber Gun Squad Rosie TV movie
1977-1981 Eight Is Enough Sandra Sue 'Abby' Abbott Bradford 102 episodes
1981 The Ordeal of Bill Carney Barbara Slaner TV movie
1984 Special Treat Mrs. Lawson Episode: "Bobby and Sarah"
1984 The Three Wishes of Billy Grier Nancy Grier TV movie
1985 Evergreen Mrs. Bradford TV miniseries
1987 Roses Are for the Rich Ella TV movie
1987 Cagney & Lacey Marci Bruckman Episode: "You've Come a Long Way, Baby"
1989 ABC Afterschool Specials Lillian Robinson Episode: "Taking a Stand"
1989 Babycakes Wanda TV movie
1991 L.A. Law Elisa Chandler Episode: "Something Old, Something Nude"
Episode: "TV or Not TV"
1992 Mathnet Sally Storm Episode: "The Case of the Mystery Weekend"
1992 Bonnie & Clyde: The True Story Mrs. Parker TV movie
1992 Square One TV Sally Storm 3 episodes
1993 Tribeca Ruth Episode: "The Rainmaker"
1994 Betrayal of Trust Dr. Jan Galanti TV movie
1996 Critical Choices Dr. Margaret Ludlow TV movie
1996 Remember WENN Gloria Redmond Episode: "Christmas in the Airwaves"
2001-2003 Oz Suzanne Fitzgerald 18 episodes
2003 Monk Mrs. Fleming Episode: "Mr. Monk Goes to the Theater"
2004 The Jury Carla Kohler Episode: "Last Rites"
2005 Vinegar Hill Mary Margaret Grier TV movie
2006 Brothers & Sisters Iva March Episode: "Unaired Pilot"
2006 Without a Trace Catherine Ryder Episode: "Expectations"
2006 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Attorney Walsh Episode: "Manipulated"
Episode: "Clock"
Episode: "Lunacy"
2010 Melrose Place Bernadette Reese Episode: "Sepulveda"
2010 The Pacific Marion Leckie Episode: "Home"
2011 The Chicago Code Sister Paul Episode: "Hog Butcher"
2011 Pretty Little Liars Regina Marin Episode: "I Must Confess"
2013 Episode: "She's Better Now"
2014 Getting On Dottie Levy Episode: "Is Soap A Hazardous Substance?"
2015 The Leftovers Jane Episode: "Ten Thirteen"
Theatre
Year Title Role Notes
1969 1776 Martha Jefferson Broadway
1969 Promises, Promises Fran Kubelik West End
1972 What's A Nice Girl Like You Doing in a State Like This Off-broadway
1973 Pippin Catherine Broadway (replacement)
1980-81 I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road Heather New York/Los Angeles
1982-84 Cats Grizabella Broadway
1985 Song and Dance Emma Broadway (replacement)
1985 Drood Edwin Drood / Miss Alice Nutting Broadway
1985 Juno's Swans Off-broadway (Second Stage Theatre)
1988 Carrie Margaret White Broadway
1992 The Threepenny Opera Jenny Diver Williamstown Theatre Festival
1992 Gypsy Mama Rose Arizona
1993 The Fourth Wall Chicago Opera Theatre
1994-6 Sunset Boulevard Norma Desmond West End/Broadway (replacement)
1997 Triumph of Love Hesione Broadway
1998 Gypsy Mama Rose Paper Mill Playhouse
1998 Camino Real Hartford Stage
2003 Elegies: A Song Cycle Lincoln Center
2003 The Threepenny Opera Jenny Diver Williamstown Theatre Festival
2010 White's Lies Mrs. White Off-broadway
2013 Dear World Countess Aurelia West End
2013 The Old Friends Gertrude Off-broadway
2015 Grey Gardens Big Edie Bay Street Theater, Sag Harbour N.Y

Discography

Solo Albums
Name Year Label Notes
Betty Buckley 1986 Rizzoli
Children Will Listen 1993 Sterling
With One Look 1994 Sterling
New Ways to Dream - Songs from Sunset Boulevard 1994 Really Useful Records
The London Concert 1995 Sterling Recorded March 19, 1995
An Evening at Carnegie Hall 1996 Sterling Recorded June 10, 1996
Betty Buckley's Broadway 1996 Sterling Compilation Album
Much More 1997 Sterling
Betty Buckley - 15 Year Anniversary Re-Release 2000 KO
Heart to Heart 2000 KO
The Doorway 2001 Fynsworth Alley
Stars and the Moon - Live at the Donmar 2001 Concord Recorded August 31 and September 1, 2000
1967 2007 Playbill Recorded in 1967, released 40 years later
Quintessence 2008 Playbill
Bootleg: Boardmixes From The Road 2010 Practical Magic
Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway 2012 Palmetto Songs originally sung by men on Broadway
Ghostlight 2014 Practical Magic Produced by T Bone Burnett
Cast Recordings[10]
Show Cast Year Role
1776 Original Broadway Cast 1969 Martha Jefferson
Promises, Promises Original London Cast 1969 Fran Kubelik
Hair Film Soundtrack 1979
Cats Original Broadway Cast 1982 Grizabella
The Mystery Of Edwin Drood Original Broadway Cast 1985 Edwin Drood / Dick Datchery / Miss Alice Nutting
Prom Queens Unchained Studio Cast 1997
The Civil War Concept Album 1998
Triumph of Love Original Broadway Cast 1998 Hesione
Elegies, A Song Cycle Original Off-Broadway Cast 2003
Other Contributions[11]
Album Year Notes
Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall 1992 Sings "Children Will Listen"
George & Ira Gershwin: A Musical Celebration 1993 Sings "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
Mathis On Broadway 2000 Sings "Children Will Listen" and "Our Children"
The Maury Yeston Songbook 2003 Sings "I Had a Dream About You" and "Be On Your Own"

Awards and nominations

Year Nominated work Award Category Result
1983 Cats Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated
1983 Cats Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical Won
1985 NBC Special Treat: Bobbby and Sarah Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Performer in a Children's Program/Special Nominated
1989 ABC Afterschool Special: Taking a Stand Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Performer in a Children'c Program/Special Nominated
1994 Sunset Boulevard Olivier Award Best Actress in a Musical Nominated
1998 Triumph of Love Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Nominated
1998 Triumph of Love Tony Award Best Actress in a Musical Nominated
2000 The Diaries of Adam and Eve Grammy Award Best Spoken Word Album Nominated
2002 Stars and the Moon: Live at the Donmar Grammy Award Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Nominated
2014 The Old Friends Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Nominated

Honorary awards

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ http://www.biography.com/people/betty-buckley-9542146
  3. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/16/theater/betty-buckley-to-follow-glenn-close--in-sunset.html
  4. ↑ http://www.olivierawards.com/about/previous-winners/
  5. ↑ http://www.americantheatrewing.org/biography/detail//betty_buckley
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/betty-buckley-and-rachel-york-will-tend-grey-gardens-this-summer-350075
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ http://castalbums.org/people/Betty-Buckley/273
  11. ↑ http://castalbums.org/people/Betty-Buckley/273

External links

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