Beth Howland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beth Howland
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Howland in Li'l Abner (1959)
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| Born |
Elizabeth Howland
May 28, 1939 Brighton, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | December 31, 2015 (aged 76) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1959–2002 |
| Known for | Alice Company |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
Beth Howland (born May 28, 1939 – died December 31, 2015) was an American actress. She was famous for her roles on stage and TV. Many people remember her as Vera Gorman, the waitress in the TV show Alice.
Beth also created the role of Amy in the original Broadway musical Company. In this show, she sang the very fast and funny song "Getting Married Today".
Contents
Early Life and Stage Work
Beth Howland was born in Brighton, Massachusetts, on May 28, 1939. When she was 16, she moved to New York City with a dancer friend.
After some hard work, she started her Broadway career in 1959. Her first role was Lady Beth in the musical Once Upon a Mattress. She also appeared in other musicals like Bye Bye Birdie, High Spirits, and Drat! The Cat!.
Television and Film Career
Beth Howland appeared in the movie Li'l Abner (1959). She can be seen dancing and singing in the chorus. After her time in Company, she moved to California.
There, she made guest appearances on many TV shows. These included Love, American Style, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Little House on the Prairie, and The Love Boat.
Her most famous role was Vera Gorman in the sitcom Alice. She played Vera for all nine seasons of the show. For this role, Beth was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards. After Alice ended in 1985, she worked less often. She still made guest appearances on shows like Murder, She Wrote and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Personal Life
From 1961 to 1969, Beth Howland was married to actor Michael J. Pollard. They had one daughter together.
In 2002, she married actor Charles Kimbrough. They had worked together in the musical Company. They stayed married until her death.
Death
Beth Howland passed away on December 31, 2015. She was 76 years old and died from lung cancer. Her family kept her death private until May 2016, as she had wished.
Selected Film and Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Li'l Abner | Clem's wife | Uncredited role in a musical film. |
| 1970 | Original Cast Album: Company | Herself / Amy | A documentary about recording the musical Company. |
| 1972 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Linda Foster | Episode: "Have I Found a Guy for You" |
| 1973 | Love, American Style | Rita | Episode: "Love and Carmen Lopez/Love and the Cover/Love and the Cryin' Cowboy" |
| 1974 | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot | Vault Manager's Wife | Uncredited role in a crime film. |
| 1975 | Cannon | Secretary | Episode: "Nightmare" |
| 1976 | Little House on the Prairie | Clerk | Episode: "The Pride of Walnut Grove" |
| 1976–85 | Alice | Vera Louise Gorman | Main role in 202 episodes. |
| 1977 | Eight Is Enough | Mavis | Episode: "Is There a Doctor in the House?" |
| 1979 | The Love Boat | Lee Noble | Episode: "Third Wheel/Grandmother's Day/Second String Mom" |
| 1979 | You Can't Take It with You | Essie Carmichael | A TV movie. |
| 1981 | The Love Boat | Eloise Farnsworth | Two episodes. |
| 1983 | A Caribbean Mystery | Evelyn Hillingdon | A TV movie based on a mystery novel. |
| 1988 | ABC Afterschool Special | Eleanor Flemming | Episode: "Terrible Things My Mother Told Me" |
| 1993 | Murder, She Wrote | Sandy Oates | Episode: "Lone Witness" |
| 1997 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Mrs. Ericson | Episode: "Cat Showdown" |
| 2002 | The Tick | Bea | Episode: "Arthur, Interrupted" |
