Betty Buckley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Betty Buckley
Buckley in December 2009
Born	(1947-07-03) July 3, 1947 (age 78) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, singer, music teacher
Years active	1964–present
Spouse(s)	Peter Flood ​ ​ (m. 1972; div. 1979)​
Relatives	Norman Buckley (brother)

Betty Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is a talented American actress and singer. She is famous for her powerful voice and amazing performances on stage and screen. Betty has won a Tony Award, which is a very important award for theater. She has also been nominated for many other big awards, like the Tony Award again, two Daytime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Olivier Award. In 2012, she was honored by being added to the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Betty Buckley won a Tony Award in 1983 for her role as Grizabella in the original Broadway show Cats. She sang the famous song "Memory" in that musical. Later, she played Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard in London and New York. She was also nominated for another Tony Award for her role in Triumph of Love in 1997. She has been in many other Broadway shows, including 1776 and Pippin. From 2018 to 2019, she starred as the main character in the national tour of Hello, Dolly.

On television, Betty Buckley was a star in the TV series Eight Is Enough from 1977 to 1981. She also played Miss Collins, a gym teacher, in the 1976 movie Carrie. Later, she played Carrie's mother, Margaret, in the Broadway musical version of Carrie in 1988. She has appeared in many other films like Tender Mercies (1983) and Frantic (1988). In 2016, she was in the movie Split and was nominated for an award for her role. Her TV work also includes the series Oz and Preacher.

Betty Buckley's Career

On Screen: Movies and TV Shows

Buckley as Abby Abbott in Eight is Enough, 1977

Betty Buckley was born in Fort Worth, Texas. She became well-known for her role in the TV show Eight Is Enough, which ran from 1977 to 1981. She joined the show in its second season. She played Sandra Sue "Abby" Abbott, who became the stepmother to eight children.

In 1976, Betty appeared in the original movie Carrie. She played Miss Collins, the gym teacher. She also sang a part in the movie Hair in 1977.

For her work on children's TV shows, she was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards. These nominations were for NBC Special Treat - Bobby and Sarah (1984) and ABC Afterschool Special - Taking a Stand (1989).

In the 1980s, she was in the film Tender Mercies. In this movie, she played a country music singer and sang the song "Over You." She also appeared in films like Woody Allen's Another Woman (1988) and Roman Polanski's Frantic (1988).

From 2001 to 2003, she played Suzanne Fitzgerald in the HBO series Oz. She also made guest appearances in many other TV shows. These include Without a Trace, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Monk. In 2010, she played Marion Leckie in the HBO series The Pacific.

In 2008, Betty Buckley played Mrs. Jones in M. Night Shyamalan's movie The Happening. In 2017, she was one of the stars in M. Night Shyamalan's Split. This movie was very popular and was the number-one film for three weeks. She also appeared in The Leftovers and Supergirl. In 2018, she was cast in the third season of the series Preacher.

On Stage: Broadway and Beyond

Betty Buckley first appeared on Broadway in 1969 in the musical 1776. New York magazine has called her "The Voice of Broadway."

In 1982, Betty starred as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of Cats. She stayed with the show for 18 months. For this role, she won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Betty played Norma Desmond in the musical Sunset Boulevard in both London (1994) and New York (1995). She was nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance in London.

In 1997, she starred as Hesione in the Broadway musical Triumph of Love. This role earned her another Tony Award nomination.

Betty sang "Memory" from Cats at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006. This was part of a special tribute to the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. In 2013, she was inducted into The American Theater Hall of Fame. She also starred in the London premiere of Jerry Herman's Dear World in 2013.

In 2015, Betty Buckley appeared as Big Edie in the musical Grey Gardens. She performed this role in New York and Los Angeles. From 2018 to 2019, she played the main role of Dolly Gallagher Levi in the national tour of Hello, Dolly!.

Her Music

Buckley singing the National Anthem at MetLife Stadium, in 2012

Betty Buckley has released many solo albums. Her 18th solo album, Hope, was released in 2018. She often performs concerts across the U.S. She is also a composer and has written many songs. Her first recording mostly featured songs she wrote herself.

She is also featured on many Broadway cast recordings. These include the original Broadway recordings of 1776, Cats, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

In 2002, Betty was nominated for a Grammy Award for her album Stars and the Moon: Live at the Donmar. This was her second Grammy nomination. Her first was in 2000 for The Diaries of Adam and Eve, where she read the story.

Her albums Quintessence and 1967 were released in 2008. 1967 was a recording she made when she was only 19 years old. Her album Ghostlight was released in 2014.

Personal Life

Betty Buckley was married to Peter Flood from 1972 to 1979. They divorced, and she does not have any children.

She has received two special honorary doctorates. These awards recognize her important contributions to musical theater.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Theatre Performances

Discography

Albums

Cast Recordings

Awards and Nominations

Honorary Awards

• 2004 Legend of Cabaret Award
• 2007 Texas Film Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2012 American Theater Hall of Fame Inductee

See also

In Spanish: Betty Buckley para niños