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Betty Buckley

Biography

Actress/vocalist Betty Buckley offers starred in various theatrical productions, in addition to making looks in film and tv, but she actually is perhaps most widely known for her part as Grizabella within the Broadway edition of Pet cats and her corresponding functionality from the show’s personal number, “Storage.” Betty Lynn Buckley was created on July 3, 1947, in Fort Worthy of, Texas; at age group 11, she went to a production from the Pajama Video game and dropped irrevocably deeply in love with the movie theater, learning vocalists like Judy Garland and Ella Fitzgerald to build up her technique. After obtaining a level in journalism from Tx Christian and touring using a USO troupe, Buckley discovered her method to NY, where in 1969 she arrived the Broadway function of Martha Jefferson in 1776. She transferred to London afterwards in the entire year, where she starred in Neil Simon’s Claims, Claims, and spent another five years performing both in London and NY, in addition to portraying the fitness center teacher within the 1976 Stephen Ruler film Carrie. In 1977, Buckley attained national identification with her function because the stepmother on the tv screen series Eight WILL DO; she landed assignments in such movies as Tender Mercies and musicals like I’m Obtaining My Act Jointly and Acquiring It On the highway. When Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Felines made the leap from London to Broadway, Buckley was tapped to portray Grizabella; regardless of the character’s brand song, “Storage,” having been popular one for London ensemble member Elaine Paige, with variations also documented by Barbra Streisand and Judy Collins, Buckley acquitted herself therefore well that she was honored the 1983 Tony Award for Greatest Actress within a Musical. She continued to surface in productions from the Secret of Edwin Drood (1985), Melody and Dance (1986), as well as the short-lived Broadway edition of Carrie (1988; this time around portraying the religious mom). In the past due ’80s and ’90s, Buckley provides appeared within the movies Frantic (1988) and Wyatt Earp (1994) as well as the play Sunset Boulevard (1994). Furthermore to her ensemble recordings, Buckley in addition has recorded some albums, both live and in the studio room, mostly comprising show tunes. The very first, 1987’s Betty Buckley, highlighted many of the singer’s very own compositions; 1993’s Kids Will Listen came back her to even more standards place, and 1994’s With One Appear varied her range a little, with addresses of Hank Williams, Joni Mitchell, and Mary-Chapin Carpenter. 1997’s A LOT MORE was followed 2 yrs later on by Betty Buckley’s Broadway. Center to Heart made an appearance in the springtime of 2000. She released two albums in Feb of 2008, Quintessence, which presented jazz preparations of specifications by pianist Kenny Werner, and 1967, a documenting produced when Buckley was simply 19 yrs . old. The T-Bone Burnett-produced Ghostlight made an appearance in 2012.

Quick Facts


Full Name Betty Buckley
Height 1.67 m
Profession Actor, Singer
Education Texas Christian University
Nationality American
Spouse Peter Flood
Parents Betty Bob, Ernest Lynn Buckley
Siblings Norman Buckley, Patrick Buckley, Michael Buckley
Awards Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Music Songs Memory, With One Look, Stephen Bruton Story, Old Flame, Elaine Stritch Story, I'm Still Here, Howard Dasilva Story, As If We Never Said Goodbye, You've Got to Be Taught, He Plays the Violin, 1776: He Plays the Violin, Fire and Rain, All Things in Time, Song On The Sand, Sweeney Todd Suite, Another Life, Prayer in Open D, How Long Has This Been Going, Tell Me on a Sunday, Practical Arrangement, Bird on a Wire, Throw It Away, Finale: The Writing On The Wall, Stars and the Moon, Dark Blue-Eyed Blues, Hey There, Rose's Turn, High and Dry, Perfect Strangers, I Wanna Be Free, No Good Can Come From Bad, Over You
Albums Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway, An Evening at Carnegie Hall, Story Songs, Ghostlight, Stars and the Moon: Live at the Donmar, The London Concert, Betty Buckley 1967, Fifteen Year Anniversary, With One Look, Quintessence
Nominations Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In Children's Programming, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In A Children/Youth/Family Special, TV Land "Who Knew They Could Sing?" Award
Movies Split, Carrie, The Happening, Frantic, Tender Mercies, Wyatt Earp, Simply Irresistible, Rain Without Thunder, Another Woman, Five Time Champion, The Mummy an' the Armadillo, Baby Cakes, Wild Thing, Bonnie & Clyde: The True Story, The Three Wishes of Billy Grier, Critical Choices, The Ordeal of Bill Carney, Broadway's Lost Treasures, Noon Blue Apples, Wishbone's Dog Days of the West, Betrayal Of Trust, Betty Buckley: Stars and the Moon: Live at the Donmar, Celebrating AFI, Health Quiz: Vol. 3, The War Zone 3D, Vinegar Hill, Last Time Out
TV Shows Evergreen, Eight Is Enough


  • Facts
  • Filmography
  • Awards
  • Salaries
  • Quotes
  • Trademarks
  • Pictures

#Fact
1 Performed New Year's Day, 2000 at NY's Cafe Carlyle
2 (26 Nov 1996 - 8 Dec 1996) Stars in Andrew Lloyd Webber's: Music of the Night (Boston Colonial Theatre)
3 Lives on a ranch in Texas, where she trains and rides cutting horses. [May 2008]
4 The awards given in her hometown of Fort Worth for Excellence in High School Musical Theater are called the Betty Lynn Buckley awards in her honor. They have been so named since 2000. The award ceremony is held at the Casa Manana Theater.
5 Once saved Rufus Wainwright from drowning in a hotel pool.
6 Daughter of Ernest (a dean of engineering and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force) and Betty Bob Diltz (a dancer and journalist). Her father vehemently disapproved of her becoming an actress which caused her great emotional distress.
7 Studied journalism at Texas Christian University and worked at the Fort Worth Press for a year where she covered hard news and was a rodeo reporter.
8 Studied acting with Stella Adler after going to New York.
9 Replaced wife and mother Diana Hyland on the Eight Is Enough (1977) series after the actress became ill and died from breast cancer. Hyland had taped only four episodes and the series returned with father Dick Van Patten a widower.
10 Has taught courses and workshops emphasizing the role of meditation in actor training at the University of Texas at Arlington and elsewhere.
11 Left New York after 9/11 and presently has a 35-acre ranch in Fort Worth, Texas, with her four dogs, two cats, three horses and an African gray parrot. She is learning how to ride cutting horses, a practice that dates back to the Old West.
12 Saw a production of "The Pajama Game" at the Casa Mañana in Fort Worth at age 11 and during the classic "Steam Heat" dance number knew that acting was what she wanted to do.
13 Was encouraged to participate in beauty pageants. She was crowned Miss Fort Worth, but lost the "Miss Texas" title. Nevertheless, she was asked to sing at the Miss America pageant in 1967.
14 Practices therapy and spiritual meditation.
15 Inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame on March 9, 2007 in Austin, Texas.
16 Worked for one year at a local Texas newspaper prior to going to New York to try her luck as an actress. On her first day after arriving in New York Buckley was cast in one of the two female roles for the Broadway musical "1776".
17 Along with her 1983 Tony Award and 1998 nomination, she has been nominated for two Emmy Awards and two Grammy Awards. "Over You", the song she sang in the 1983 movie, Tender Mercies (1983), was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Song of the Year.
18 Won Broadway's 1983 Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role - Musical) for "Cats." In 1998, she was Tony-nominated as Best Actress (Musical) for "Triumph of Love."
19 Sang backup on Roberta Flack's 1974 hit album "Feel Like Makin' Love".
20 Member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.
21 Played Carrie's mother, Margaret White, in the Broadway musical version of "Carrie". In the film Carrie (1976), Buckley played the gym teacher.
22 Graduated from Texas Christian University (Ft. Worth, TX)


Actress

Actress

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Chicago Med 2016 TV Series Olga Barlow
Split 2016/IX Dr. Karen Fletcher
The Leftovers 2015 TV Series Jane
Getting On 2014 TV Series Dottie Levy
Pretty Little Liars 2011-2013 TV Series Regina Marin
The Chicago Code 2011 TV Series Sister Paul
5 Time Champion 2011 Fran
The Pacific 2010 TV Mini-Series Marion Leckie
Melrose Place 2010 TV Series Bernadette Reese
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 2006-2008 TV Series Attorney Walsh
The Happening 2008 Mrs. Jones
Brothers & Sisters 2006 TV Series Iva March
Without a Trace 2006 TV Series Catherine Ryder
Vinegar Hill 2005 TV Movie Mary Margaret Grier
The Jury 2004 TV Series Carla Kohler
Mummy an' the Armadillo 2004 Let
Monk 2003 TV Series Mrs. Fleming
Oz 2001-2003 TV Series Suzanne Fitzgerald
Noon Blue Apples 2002 Rose Kross
Simply Irresistible 1999 Aunt Stella
Of Love & Fantasy 1998 Video Dr. Tania Brandt
Remember WENN 1996 TV Series Gloria Redmond
Critical Choices 1996 TV Movie Dr. Margaret Ludlow
Ride for Your Life 1995 Video Game short
Last Time Out 1994 Maxine Black
Wyatt Earp 1994 Virginia Earp
Betrayal of Trust 1994 TV Movie Dr. Jan Galanti
Tribeca 1993 TV Series Ruth
Square One Television 1992 TV Series Sally Storm
Rain Without Thunder 1992 Beverly Goldring
Bonnie & Clyde: The True Story 1992 Mrs. Parker, Bonnie's Mother
Mathnet 1992 TV Series Sally Storm
L.A. Law 1991 TV Series Elsa Chandler
Babycakes 1989 TV Movie Wanda
ABC Afterschool Specials 1989 TV Series Lillian Robinson
Another Woman 1988 Kathy
Frantic 1988 Sondra Walker
Cagney & Lacey 1987 TV Series Marci Bruckman
Roses Are for the Rich 1987 TV Movie Ella
Wild Thing 1987 Leah
Evergreen 1985 TV Mini-Series Mrs. Bradford
The Three Wishes of Billy Grier 1984 TV Movie Nancy Grier
NBC Special Treat 1984 TV Series Mrs. Lawson
Tender Mercies 1983 Dixie
The Ordeal of Bill Carney 1981 TV Movie Barbara Slaner
The Rubber Gun Squad 1977 TV Movie Rosie
Ryan's Hope 1977 TV Series Twice Divorced Lady checking Frank out.
Carrie 1976 Miss Collins

Soundtrack

Soundtrack

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts 2006 TV Special performer: "Memory"
Great Performances 1993-2003 TV Series performer - 2 episodes
Broadway on Broadway 2000 TV Movie performer: "Memory"
American Masters 1999 TV Series documentary performer - 1 episode
The 52nd Annual Tony Awards 1998 TV Special performer: "Broadway Divas", "Memory"
The 43rd Annual Tony Awards 1989 TV Special performer: "Memory"
The 40th Annual Tony Awards 1986 TV Special performer: "There You Are", "Don't Quit While You're Ahead"
The 37th Annual Tony Awards 1983 TV Special performer: "Memory"
The Magic of David Copperfield V 1983 TV Special performer: "Memory"
Tender Mercies 1983 performer: "The Best Bedroom in Town", "Over You" 1982
Hair 1979 performer: "Walking in Space"

Composer

Composer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
ABC Afterschool Specials 1989 TV Series 1 episode

Producer

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Stars and the Moon: Betty Buckley Live at the Donmar 2002 Video producer - as Betty Lynn Buckley

Self

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Broadway: The Next Generation 2018 Documentary filming Herself
Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age 2017 Documentary post-production Herself
Ok! TV 2017 TV Series Herself
Harry Benson: Shoot First 2016 Documentary Herself
More Acting 'Carrie' 2016 Video documentary short Herself
Side by Side by Susan Blackwell 2013 TV Series Herself
Resurrecting Carrie 2012 Video short Herself
The 85th Anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2011 TV Special documentary Herself
Show People with Paul Wontorek 2011 TV Series Herself
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2010 TV Movie Herself
The 76th Annual Drama League Awards 2010 TV Special Herself - Presenter
Today 2007-2010 TV Series Herself
The Happening: I Hear You Whispering 2008 Video short Herself
Texas Monthly Talks 2007 TV Series Herself - Interviewee
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts 2006 TV Special Herself
Character Studies 2005 TV Series Herself
Breakfast with the Arts 2005 TV Series Herself
Macy's 4th of July Spectacular 2003 TV Special Narrator
Stars and the Moon: Betty Buckley Live at the Donmar 2002 Video Herself
Good Morning America 1980-2002 TV Series Herself
Intimate Portrait 2002 TV Series documentary Narrator
75th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2001 TV Movie Herself
The Rosie O'Donnell Show 1996-2001 TV Series Herself
Acting 'Carrie' 2001 Video documentary short Herself
Singing 'Carrie': Carrie - The Musical 2001 Video short documentary Herself
Biography 2001 TV Series documentary Herself
Broadway on Broadway 2000 TV Movie Herself - Performer "Memory" (Cats)
E! True Hollywood Story 2000 TV Series documentary Herself
Starskates on Broadway 1999 TV Movie Herself
Bravo Profiles 1999 TV Series documentary Herself
American Masters 1999 TV Series documentary Herself - Hostess
The 52nd Annual Tony Awards 1998 TV Special Herself - Nominee & Performer
Working in the Theatre 1995 TV Series documentary Herself
Great Performances 1993 TV Series Herself - Performer
The 43rd Annual Tony Awards 1989 TV Special Herself - Performer
The 40th Annual Tony Awards 1986 TV Special Herself - Performer
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1985 TV Special Herself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 1984-1985 TV Series Herself
Salute to Lady Liberty 1984 TV Movie documentary Herself
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1983 TV Special Herself
The 37th Annual Tony Awards 1983 TV Special Herself - Performer & Winner: Best Featured Actress in a Musical
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts 1982 TV Special Herself
The Merv Griffin Show 1981 TV Series Herself - Guest
The Mike Douglas Show 1980 TV Series Herself - Co-Host
The Hollywood Squares 1978 TV Series Guest Appearance
The Kraft Music Hall 1971 TV Series Herself

Archive Footage

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Entertainment Tonight 2016 TV Series Herself
Broadway: The American Musical 2004 TV Mini-Series documentary Grizabella (in 'Cats')
Great Performances 2003 TV Series
Miracles & Mercies 2002 Video documentary short Dixie

Won awards

Won awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovieAward shared with
2004 Best of the Fest Breckenridge Festival of Film Ensemble Award Mummy an' the Armadillo (2004)

Nominated awards

Nominated awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovieAward shared with
2007 TV Land Award TV Land Awards The "Who Knew They Could Sing?" Award
1989 Daytime Emmy Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special ABC Afterschool Specials (1972)
1985 Daytime Emmy Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Performer in a Children's Program NBC Special Treat (1975)


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#Quote
1 My big dream was to be a world-champion [rodeo] barrel racer. My other was to sing on Broadway. I did one of them.
2 I never moved to Hollywood trying to become a movie star. It's an interesting place, probably a daunting place. It's not a place I would try to go and knock people's doors down. But when things come my way, I'm glad to consider the roles.


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