Betty Buckley

Betty Buckley
Buckley in 2009
Born	Betty Lynn Buckley (1947-07-03) July 3, 1947 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 theater, film and television actress and singer. She is a Tony Award Winner, a 2012 inductee into the Theater Hall of Fame and a twice Grammy Award nominee.

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. 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 newspaper, 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 musical 1776; she has been called "The Voice of Broadway" by New York magazine. Her rendition of "Memory" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats established her reputation. 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 also appeared in the original movie version of Carrie in 1976. She played Miss Collins, Carrie's gym teacher; in 1987, she appeared as Margaret White in the musical adaptation of the film. In 1977, she recorded an uncredited solo on the song "Walking in Space", in the movie Hair.

She played the role of a country singer in Bruce Beresford's film Tender Mercies (1982), in which she sang the song "Over You".

She also appeared in the Woody Allen film Another Woman (1988) and in Roman Polanski's Frantic (1988). 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. 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 also 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 has recently filmed a guest star appearance in an episode of the new Fox series The Chicago Code. Most recently she appeared on Pretty Little Liars as Regina Marin, also directed by her brother Norman in which she is a recurring guest star.

Buckley participated in a reading of the musical Ruthless! in September, 2010, playing the role of Sylvia St. Croix/Ruth DelMarco.

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 Theater Hall of Fame.

In February and March 2013, she starred in the London revival of Jerry Herman's Dear World."

Music career

Buckley has recorded 15 solo albums, and gives concerts and makes guest solo appearances 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 recordings of 1776, Cats, the London recording of Promises, Promises, Triumph of Love and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She has been twice nominated for a Grammy Award.

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 will be released in 2014.

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. "No matter what your career, to communicate at your best is absolutely vital, whether it's to one person, a group or an entire audience. But most people get nervous, forgetful and too fearful to express themselves," says Buckley. "I'll help you redefine that fear and use it to your advantage. We'll talk about the dynamics of communication, the essence of common respect, and training your mind to focus on your behalf."

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

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	Happening, TheThe Happening	Mrs. Jones
2011	5 Time Champion	Fran

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977	Ryan's Hope	Divorced Lady	Episode: "1.405"
1977	Rubber Gun Squad, TheThe Rubber Gun Squad	Rosie	TV movie
1977-1981	Eight Is Enough	Sandra Sue 'Abby' Abbott Bradford	102 episodes
1981	Ordeal of Bill Carney, TheThe Ordeal of Bill Carney	Barbara Slaner	TV movie
1984	Special Treat	Mrs. Lawson	Episode: "Bobby and Sarah"
1984	Three Wishes of Billy Grier, TheThe 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	Jury, TheThe 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"
2008	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Attorney Walsh	Episode: "Lunacy"
2010	Melrose Place	Bernadette Reese	Episode: "Sepulveda"
2010	Pacific, TheThe Pacific	Marion Leckie	Episode: "Home"
2011	Chicago Code, TheThe Chicago Code	Sister Paul	Episode: "Hog Butcher"
2011	Pretty Little Liars	Regina Marin	Episode: "I Must Confess"
2013			Episode: "She's Better Now"

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1969	1776	Martha Jefferson	Replacement
1973	Pippin	Catherine	Replacement
1982	Cats	Grizabella
1985	Song and Dance	Emma	Replacement
1985	Drood	Edwin Drood / Miss Alice Nutting
1988	Carrie	Margaret White
1994	Sunset Boulevard	Norma Desmond	Replacement
1997	Triumph of Love	Hesione
2010	White's Lies	Mrs. White

References

bettybuckley.com Theatre: 1776- Martha Jefferson- 1969, then returning in 1971 Betty was in Promises, Promises 1970- nominated for Evening Standard Award for Best Actress in a Musical Off Broadway- What's a Nice Country Like You Doing in a State Like This- 1972 Pippin - 1973-1976 New York- Heather- I'm Getting my Act Together and Taking it on the Road- 1980 Los Angeles- Heather- I'm Getting my Act Together and Taking it on the Road-1981 Second Stage Theater- Juno's Swans- 1985 N.Y's Shakespear Festival- Edwin Drood-1985 Emma- Song and Dance- 1986 Carrie-Margaret White-1988 williamstown theatre festival-Pirate Jenny- The Threepenny Opera- 1992 Southern Light Arizona Company- Mama Rose- Gypsy- 1992 Chigcago- The Fourth Wall-1993 London- Norma Desmond- Reprise of Sunset Boulevard-1994 Broadway- Norma Desmond- Sunset Boulevard- 1995 Broadway- Triumph of Love- 1997 Papermill Playhouse- Mama Rose- 1998 Hartford Stage Production- Camino Real Lincoln Center- Elegies- A Song Cycle- 2003 Reprised Role Jenny- Threepenny Opera- 2003 London-Dear World 2013

Awards Even Standard Nomination for Best Actress- 1970 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical- 1983

Emmy Nominated-Abc Special-1988 Olivier Award Nomination-1994 Tony Award Nomination- Triumph of Love-1997 Grammy Award Nomination for Stars and Moon(Album)-2004

Legend of Cabaret Award 2004 Texas Film Hall of Fame Induction-2007 BroadwayWorld's Cabaret Award for Best Female Vocalist-2012

External links

• Betty Buckley's Official web site
• Official Website for Carrie The Musical
• Betty Buckley at AllRovi
• Betty Buckley at the Internet Broadway Database
• Betty Buckley at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Betty Buckley at the Internet Movie Database
• TonyAwards.com Interview with Betty Buckley
• AMC Interview with Betty Buckley about The Happening
• Sony BMG Masterworks Betty Buckley Podcast