Name
Betty Buckley
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1947-07-03 (79 years old)
Place of Birth
Big Spring, Texas, USA
Biography
Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American actress and singer who has worked in film, television and theatre. She possesses a singing of voice of great power and beauty and has achieved great success in cabaret and concerts. Betty has also sustained a successful recording career with numerous cast albums and 18 solo albums to her credit, for which she has been nominated for two Grammys.
Buckley is widely known for the 1977–81 TV series 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, and her character Joan Bradford died as well. Buckley was cast as the central character's new romantic interest, Sandra Sue "Abby" Abbott, who became stepmother of the eight children to which the series' title refers. Betty later 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).
From 2001 to 2003, Betty Buckley 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. Betty also guest-starred in a Christmas special of the TV series Remember WENN, in which she sang "You Make It Christmas".
On film, Buckley appeared in the original movie version of Carrie in 1976, playing Miss Collins, Carrie's gym teacher. She went on to appear as Margaret White in the notorious 1987 musical adaptation of the film on Broadway; an expensive and creatively disastrous flop in which she nevertheless scored a personal triumph. In 1977, she recorded an uncredited solo on the song "Walking in Space", in the movie Hair.
Her screen roles during the 1980s include Bruce Beresford's film Tender Mercies, where she played a country music 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) and Lawrence's Kasden's Wyatt Earp (1994). In 2008, Buckley played Mrs. Jones in M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening. In 2017, Buckley was one of the stars of M. Night Shyamalan's Split, a major success which was the number-one film at the box office for three weeks running.
Buckley has worked regularly in the theatre throughout her career. In 1969, she made her Broadway debut as Martha Washington in the original company of Tony winner 1776; a role she famously won on her first day in New York. That same year, she made her West End debut in the original London cast of Promises, Promises.
In 1982, Buckley starred as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of the musical Cats, which features the song "Memory". For this role, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 1985 she played the titular character in another Tony winning musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood. This was the third time Buckley had originated a role in a show that went on to win the Tony for Best Musical. Buckley starred in both London (1994) and New York (1995) as Norma Desmond in the musical Sunset Boulevard. For her role in the London production, she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
Known For
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- 1988 Frantic as Sondra Walker
- 2001 Acting 'Carrie' as Self
- 1976 Carrie as Miss Collins
- 1988 Another Woman as Kathy
- 2008 The Happening as Mrs. Jones
- 2002 New World Order as Rose Kross
- 2012 Five Time Champion as Fran
- 1983 Tender Mercies as Dixie
- 1987 Wild Thing as Leah
- 2024 Imaginary as Gloria
- 1992 Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall as Self
- 1992 Bonnie & Clyde: The True Story as Mrs. Parker
- 1993 Rain Without Thunder as Beverly Goldring
- 2004 The Mummy an' the Armadillo as Let
- 1994 Wyatt Earp as Virginia Earp
- 1987 Roses Are for the Rich as Ella
- 2003 Broadway's Lost Treasures as Grizabella (segment "Cats")
- 1994 Last Time Out as Maxine Black
- Soon Broadway: The Next Generation as Self
- 1984 The Three Wishes of Billy Grier as Nancy Grier
- 1989 Taking a Stand as Lillian Robinson
- 1999 Simply Irresistible as Aunt Stella
- 2024 The Mayfly
- 2017 Split as Dr. Karen Fletcher
- 1981 The Ordeal of Bill Carney as Barbara Slaner
- 2016 Harry Benson: Shoot First as Self
- 2025 Eternity as Older Joan
- 2001 Stars and the Moon: Betty Buckley Live at the Donmar as Herself
- 1989 Babycakes as Wanda
- 1996 Critical Choices as Dr. Margret Ludlow
- 2017 The Making of 'Split' as Self
- 1994 Betrayal of Trust as Jan Galanti
- 2005 Vinegar Hill as Mary Margaret Grier
- 2026 By Design as Cynthia
- 2012 The Real Love
- 1992 Gypsy: Live from the Southern Arizona Light Opera Company as Rose Hovick
- 1999 Yours for a Song: The Women of Tin Pan Alley
- 2016 More Acting 'Carrie' as Self
- 1977 The Rubber Gun Squad
- 1984 Salute to Lady Liberty
- 1986 L.A. Law ( 2 episodes ) as Elsa Chandler
- 2002 Monk ( 1 episode ) as Cheryl Fleming
- 1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit ( 3 episodes ) as Attorney Walsh
- 2002 Without a Trace ( 1 episode ) as Catherine Ryder
- 1982 Cagney & Lacey ( 1 episode )
- 1977 Eight Is Enough ( 103 episodes ) as Abby Bradford
- 2004 The Jury ( 1 episode )
- 2015 Supergirl ( 1 episode ) as Owl (voice)
- 1985 Evergreen ( 3 episodes ) as Mrs. Bradford
- 1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit ( 3 episodes ) as Trial Division Chief Lorraine Maxwell
- 2010 Pretty Little Liars ( 2 episodes ) as Regina Marin
- 1993 Intimate Portrait ( 1 episode ) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2010 The Pacific ( 1 episode ) as Marion Leckie
- 2014 The Leftovers ( 1 episode ) as Jane
- 2015 Chicago Med ( 1 episode ) as Olga Barlow
- 2015 Supergirl ( 4 episodes ) as Patricia Arias
- 2016 Preacher ( 10 episodes ) as Gran’ma
- 1996 The Rosie O'Donnell Show ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit ( 4 episodes ) as Lorraine Maxwell
- 2020 Stars in the House ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1997 Oz ( 1 episode ) as Suzanne Fitzgerald
- 1971 Great Performances ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1996 Remember WENN ( 1 episode ) as Gloria Redmond
- 1961 The Mike Douglas Show ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2013 Getting On ( 1 episode ) as Dottie Levy
- 1987 Roses Are for the Rich ( 2 episodes ) as Ella
- 2009 Melrose Place ( 1 episode ) as Bernadette Reese
