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Bebe Neuwirth

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 12.96.13.2 (talk) at 18:06, 17 January 2015 (corrected "occupation" to incluce 'dancer' since she professionally trained in ballet (julliard, princeton) for over a decade). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Bebe Neuwirth
At the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Annual Grand Auction and Flea Market, September 2006
Born
Beatrice Neuwirth

(1958-12-31) December 31, 1958 (age 65)
Occupation(s)Actress, singer, dancer
Years active1986–present
Spouse(s)Paul Dorman (1984–1991)
Chris Calkins (2009–present)

Beatrice "Bebe" Neuwirth (/ˌbətrɪs ˌbb ˈnjwɜːrθ/; born December 31, 1958) is an American actress, musician and dancer. She has worked in television and is known for her portrayal of Dr. Lilith Sternin, Dr. Frasier Crane's wife (later ex-wife), on both the TV sitcom Cheers (in a starring role), and its spin-off Frasier (in a recurring guest role). On stage, she is also known for the role of Nickie in the revival of Sweet Charity, the role of Velma Kelly in the revival of Chicago (for both of which she won Tony Awards) and for the role of Morticia Addams in The Addams Family musical.

As of 2014, she currently stars as Nadine Tolliver in Madam Secretary.

Early life

Neuwirth was born in Princeton, New Jersey, the daughter of Sydney Anne, a painter, and Lee Paul Neuwirth,[1] a mathematician. She has an older brother Peter, an actuary.[2][3] Neuwirth is Jewish. She attended Chapin School in New Jersey, Princeton Day School (New Jersey) and Princeton High School (a public school).[4]

She began to study ballet at the age of five, and chose it as her field of concentration when she attended Juilliard in New York City in 1976 and 1977,[5] during which time she performed with the Princeton Ballet Company in Peter and the Wolf, The Nutcracker, and Coppélia, also appearing in community theater musicals. Neuwirth always dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer; the only other career she reportedly seriously contemplated was being a veterinarian.[6]

Career

Theatre work

Neuwirth made her Broadway debut in the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line in 1980. She later appeared in revivals of Little Me (1982) Sweet Charity (1986), for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and Damn Yankees (1994). 1996 saw her play Velma Kelly in the Broadway revival of Chicago. That role brought her her greatest stage recognition to date, and several awards including the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Neuwirth would later return to the still-running revival of Chicago in 2006, this time as Roxie Hart. [citation needed]

She appeared in a musical revue Here Lies Jenny, that featured songs by Kurt Weill, sung and danced by Neuwirth and a four-person supporting cast, as part of an unspoken ambiguous story in an anonymous seedy bar possibly in Berlin in the 1930s. The show ran from May 7 through October 3, 2004, in the Zipper Theater in New York City.[7] Here Lies Jenny was also presented by Neuwirth in San Francisco in 2005. In 2009, Neuwirth toured a one-woman cabaret show with pianist Scott Cady. The cabaret included music by Kurt Weill, Stephen Sondheim, Tom Waits, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, John Kander and Fred Ebb amongst others. In 2010, she returned to Broadway to create the role of Morticia Addams in the original production of The Addams Family opposite Nathan Lane.[8]

Film and television

At the Governor's Ball after the 43rd Annual Emmy Awards, August 25, 1991

Her screen credits include Green Card, Bugsy, Say Anything..., Jumanji, Summer of Sam, Liberty Heights, Tadpole (for which the Seattle Film Critics named her Best Supporting Actress), The Associate, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Malice, The Big Bounce, The Faculty and Woody Allen's Celebrity.

On television, from 1986 to 1993 Neuwirth played Dr. Lilith Sternin, who married Dr. Frasier Crane in the hit comedy series Cheers. From the fourth to the seventh season, Neuwirth portrayed Lilith in a regular recurring role, and she appeared on the show as a main star from season eight to the final season, season eleven. Like Kelsey Grammer when he started on the show as Frasier Crane, she was not immediately given star billing in the opening credits, but at the end for seasons eight and nine; she appeared in the opening credits with her own portrait in seasons ten and eleven. She auditioned for this role with her arm in a sling, following a fall a week earlier. She won two Emmy Awards for the role, in 1990 and 1991. The character also made an appearance in the series Wings and in 12 episodes of the Cheers spin-off Frasier, which earned her a 1995 Emmy Award nomination as Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Other small-screen credits include a guest appearance in the first season of NewsRadio, a small role on The Adventures of Pete and Pete (episode: "The Call"), Deadline (2000), Hack (2003), Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999 as a modeling agent/suspect; 2005 as A.D.A Tracey Kibre), and the miniseries Wild Palms and the fourth season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, First Contact, as Lanel.

She appeared as herself in episodes of Will and Grace, Strangers with Candy and Celebrity Jeopardy!. In 2009, she co-starred as Ms. Kraft in the remake of Fame. She recently had a recurring role as Caroline, the literary editor of Jonathan Ames, on the HBO series Bored to Death. She is currently a member of the cast in Madam Secretary on CBS.

Personal life

Neuwirth's 1984 marriage to Paul Dorman ended in divorce in 1991. Since 2009, she has been married to Chris Calkins.[9]

In May 2006, she had a total hip replacement.[10]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Say Anything... Mrs. Evans
1990 Without Her Consent Gloria Allred Television movie
1990 Green Card Lauren
1991 Bugsy Countess di Frasso
1993 Malice Det. Dana Harris
1995 Jumanji Nora Shepherd
1996 All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 Anabelle, the Dog Angel (voice)
1996 The Adventures of Pinocchio Felinet
1996 The Associate Camille Scott
1996 Dear Diary Short film
1998 Celebrity Nina, the hooker
1998 The Faculty Principal Valerie Drake
1998 An All Dogs Christmas Carol Annabelle/Belladonna (voice)
1999 Getting to Know You Trix
1999 Summer of Sam Gloria
1999 Dash and Lilly Dorothy Parker Television movie
1999 Liberty Heights Ada Kurtzman
2000 An Extremely Goofy Movie Sylvia Marpole (voice)
2000 Cupid and Cate Francesca DeAngelo Television movie
2000 Tadpole Diane Lodder
2003 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Lana Jong
2003 Le Divorce Julia Manchevering
2004 The Big Bounce Alison Ritchie
2005 Game 6 Joanne Bourne
2008 Adopt a Sailor Patricia
2009 Fame Ms. Kraft
2013 Browsers Julianna Mancuso-Bruni Television movie

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1986–1993 Cheers Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane 80 episodes
1986 Simon & Simon Receptionist Episode: "Family Forecast"
1986 Fame Phyllis Turner Episode: "Stagefright"
1990 The Famous Teddy Z Unknown Episode: "Teddy Gets a Guru"
1990 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Dr. Lilith Sternin Episode: "Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration"
1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation Lanel Episode: "First Contact"
1992 Wings Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane Episode: "Planes, Trains and Visiting Cranes"
1993 Wild Palms Tabba Schwartzkopf 5 episodes
1994 The Adventures of Pete & Pete Mailcarrier 2 episodes
1994–1995 Aladdin Mirage (voice) 6 episodes
1994–2003 Frasier Dr. Lilith Sternin 12 episodes
1995 NewsRadio Sandi Angelini Episode: "Friends"
1996 Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man Tamara La Boinque (voice) Episode: "Noir Gang"
1996 Freakazoid! Deadpan (voice) Episode: "The Wrath of Guitierrez"
1996–1998 All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series Anabelle/Belladonna (voice) 5 episodes
1997 The Magic School Bus Flora Whiff Episode: "Makes a Stink"
1997 Jungle Cubs La La Episode: "Old Green Teeth/The Elephant Who Couldn't Say No"
1999 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Juliette Episode: "Salem and Juliette"
1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Nina Laszlo Episode: "Or Just Look Like One"
2000–2001 Deadline Nikki Masucci 13 episodes
2002–2003 Cyberchase Binky the Cat (voice) 2 episodes
2003 Hack Faith O'Connor 5 episodes
2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit A.D.A. Tracey Kibre Episode: "Night"
2005–2006 Law & Order: Trial by Jury A.D.A. Tracey Kibre 13 episodes
2009–2011 Bored to Death Caroline Taylor 3 episodes
2010 The Late Show with David Letterman Morticia Addams Episode: "17.117"
2010 The Cleveland Show Sarah Friedman (voice) Episode: "Brotherly Love"
2012–2013 The Good Wife Judge Claudia Friend 3 episodes
2013–2014 Blue Bloods Kelly Peterson 5 episodes
2014–present Madam Secretary Nadine Tolliver 13 episodes
2014 Over the Garden Wall Margueritte Grey (voice) Episode: "Mad Love"

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
1975–1990 A Chorus Line Sheila
1978–1982 Dancin' Replacement
1982 Little Me Boom Boom Girl
1986–1987 Sweet Charity Nickie
1994-1995 Damn Yankees Lola
1996–2014 Chicago Velma Kelly
2002–2003 Funny Girl Fanny Brice
2010–2011 The Addams Family Morticia Addams

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1986 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Sweet Charity Nominated
1986 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Musical Won
1990 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Cheers Won
1990 Viewers for Quality Television Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series Nominated
1991 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Won
1991 Viewers for Quality Television Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series Nominated
1995 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Frasier Nominated
1997 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actress in a Musical Chicago Won
1997 Tony Awards Best Actress in a Musical Won
1999 American Comedy Awards Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a Television Series Frasier Nominated
1999 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Dash and Lilly Nominated
2000 American Comedy Awards Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a Television Series Frasier Nominated
2002 Seattle Film Critics Awards Best Supporting Actress Tadpole Won
2003 Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated

References

  1. ^ Lee Paul Neuwirth at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
  2. ^ Television "Cheers": A Comprehensive Guide, p. 98
  3. ^ "Bebe Neuwirth Biography". filmreference. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  4. ^ Bloom, Nate (June 25, 2004). "Celebrity Jews: Bebe and Lilith". Jewish News Weekly. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  5. ^ "Alumni News: February 2009". Juilliard.edu. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Bebe Neuwirth ('77, dance)
  6. ^ Television "Cheers": A Comprehensive Guide
  7. ^ Jones, Kenneth."Jenny Made Her Mind Up: Here Lies Jenny Will Extend One Last Time, to Oct. 3" playbill.com, August 27, 2004
  8. ^ "The Addams Family Lands Bebe Neuwirth And Tempts Nathan Lane", New York Post
  9. ^ Mary Green (May 5, 2009). "Frasier's Bebe Neuwirth Ties the Knot". People magazine. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  10. ^ "Bebe Neuwirth on Dancerhips" http://dancerhips.com/bebe.html

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