Betty Thomas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Betty Thomas
Thomas at the Emmy Awards Governors Ball in 1994
Born	Betty Lucille Nienhauser (1947-07-27) July 27, 1947 (age 78) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, director
Years active	1975–present
Spouse(s)	Douglas Thomas

Betty Thomas (born Betty Lucille Nienhauser on July 27, 1947) is an American director and actress. She is well-known for playing Sergeant Lucy Bates in the TV show Hill Street Blues. For this role, she was nominated for an Emmy award seven times and won once. Betty Thomas has also directed many popular movies. Her film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel was once the highest-earning movie directed by a solo woman.

Early Life and Start in Entertainment

Betty Lucille Nienhauser was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1947. She graduated from Willoughby South High School in Ohio in 1965. After high school, she studied at Ohio University and earned a degree in Fine Arts.

From Teacher to Performer

Before becoming famous, Betty Thomas worked as an artist and a high school teacher. She started working as a waitress at The Second City in Chicago. This was a famous place for improv comedy. While working there, she was encouraged to try out for the comedy group. She joined the team and became a performer.

Betty was known for her strong and honest performances. She was the first woman to direct one of their main stage shows. She also worked with other rising stars like Bill Murray. When The Second City opened a branch in Los Angeles, Betty moved there.

Career Highlights

Betty Thomas has had a successful career both as an actress and a director.

Acting Roles

Betty Thomas as Lucy Bates in Hill Street Blues, 1982

When Betty arrived in Los Angeles, she got small parts in movies like Used Cars (1980). Her big break as an actress came when she was cast as police officer Lucy Bates in the TV series Hill Street Blues (1981–87). In the show, her character grows from a new police officer to a confident sergeant. She received seven Emmy nominations for her role. She won the award in 1985.

Directing Films and TV Shows

Betty Thomas began her directing career after a funny incident. She told a reporter she planned to direct an episode of Hooperman. The show's producer then gave her a real chance! After that, she started directing episodes of Hooperman and later Doogie Howser, M.D. in 1989.

She also directed episodes of the HBO series Dream On. For her work on Dream On, she won an Emmy for best director. Betty Thomas is sometimes called "The Midnight Queen" because she likes to film scenes at night.

First Feature Films

In 1992, Betty Thomas directed her first movie, Only You. It was a romantic comedy. The producer of the film said Betty was chosen to direct because the story was about a man looking for the "perfect woman." They felt a female director would make the story feel less sexist.

Three years later, she directed The Brady Bunch Movie (1995). This movie was a funny, modern take on the 1970s TV show The Brady Bunch. The Brady Bunch Movie was a big success at the box office. It earned over $46 million, which was much more than its $12 million budget. At the time, it was one of the highest-grossing films directed by a woman.

Continued Directing Success

Betty Thomas continued to direct many successful movies. These include ... (1997), Dr. Dolittle (1998), 28 Days (2000), and John Tucker Must Die (2006).

In 2009, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel became the first movie directed by a woman to earn over $200 million. This made her the most successful woman director at the box office at that time. In 2012, she directed an online series called Audrey for the WIGS YouTube channel.

In 2001, Betty Thomas received the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award from the Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards. In 2021, she was honored with the Directors Guild of America Robert B. Aldrich Award.

Film and Television Work

Betty Thomas has worked on many films and TV shows as a director, producer, and actress.

Films Directed

TV Series Directed

Acting Roles in TV and Film

See also

In Spanish: Betty Thomas para niños