JoBeth Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids JoBeth Williams
Williams at the SAG Foundation brunch in January 2007
Born	Margaret JoBeth Williams (1948-12-06) December 6, 1948 (age 76) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	Pembroke College in Brown University
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1974–present
Spouse(s)	John Pasquin ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	2

JoBeth Williams (born December 6, 1948) is a talented American actress. She became well-known for her roles in many popular movies. These include Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Stir Crazy (1980), and Poltergeist (1982). She also starred in The Big Chill (1983) and The Day After (1983).

JoBeth Williams has been nominated for three Emmy Awards. She was recognized for her work in the TV movie Adam (1983) and the TV miniseries Baby M (1988). Her third nomination was for a guest role in the TV show Frasier (1994). She also starred in the TV series The Client (1995–96). Later, she had recurring roles in Dexter (2007) and Private Practice (2009–11).

In 1994, Williams directed a short film called On Hope. This film earned her an Academy Award nomination. From 2009, she served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. She is now the President Emeritus of the foundation.

Early Life and Education

JoBeth Williams was born in Houston, Texas. Her mother, Frances Faye, was a dietitian. Her father, Fredric Roger Williams, was an opera singer and managed a wire and cable company. JoBeth grew up in the South Park area of Houston. She went to Jones High School and graduated in 1966.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Television

JoBeth Williams's first TV role was in a children's show called Jabberwocky. This show started in 1972. She joined the cast in the second season, playing a character named JoBeth. The series ran until 1978. She also appeared regularly on two soap operas. She played Carrie Wheeler on Somerset and Brandy Shelloe on Guiding Light.

Her first movie role was in 1979's Kramer vs. Kramer. She played a girlfriend of Dustin Hoffman's character.

Big Screen Success

Williams is well-known for her roles in several movies. She starred in Stir Crazy (1980) with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. She also appeared in The Dogs of War (1980) with Christopher Walken.

One of her most famous roles was Diane Freeling in Poltergeist (1982). She played a suburban mom in this scary movie. She played the same character again in the sequel, Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986). A year later, she was part of the cast in the comedy-drama The Big Chill (1983).

Her leading role in American Dreamer (1984) earned her an award. She won the 1985 Best Actress Award from the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. She also had important roles in Teachers (1984) with Nick Nolte. Other films include Desert Bloom (1986), Memories of Me (1988), and Switch (1991).

She starred with Kris Kristofferson in Welcome Home (1989). This movie was about Vietnam POWs. In 1992, she worked again with The Big Chill director Lawrence Kasdan. She played Bessie Earp in Wyatt Earp with Kevin Costner. She also starred in the independent comedy Me Myself & I.

Williams co-starred with Ed O'Neill in the comedy Dutch (1991). She also appeared in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) with Sylvester Stallone. In 1995, she was nominated for an Academy Award for her short film On Hope. This was her first time directing. In 2005, she was in the baseball comedy Fever Pitch with Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon.

In 2011, she appeared in the bird-watching comedy The Big Year. She starred alongside Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Rashida Jones, and Jack Black.

Television Roles

JoBeth Williams has also received praise for her roles in TV movies. These include the nuclear movie The Day After (1983). She also starred in Murder Ordained (1987) and My Name is Bill W. (1989). She played Lois Burnham Wilson in the latter. She was also in The Ponder Heart (2003) for Masterpiece Theatre.

She earned Emmy nominations for playing real-life people. She played Revé Walsh in Adam (1983). Revé was the wife of John Walsh. She also played Mary Beth Whitehead in Baby M (1988). In 1993, she was in the TV movie Chantilly Lace.

She had an Emmy-nominated guest role on Frasier. She also played Reggie Love in the 1995–1996 CBS series The Client. This show was based on the 1994 movie.

Williams appeared in an episode of 24 in 2006. She played Miriam Henderson, the wife of Christopher Henderson. She also appeared in the 1998 TV miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. She played Marge Slayton in the episode "The Original Wives Club".

In 1999, Williams teamed up with John Larroquette for the CBS network comedy Payne. This show was based on the British comedy Fawlty Towers.

In 2007, she joined Dexter for four episodes. She played the future mother-in-law of the main character. She also appeared in a 2009 episode of Criminal Minds. She played Professor Ursula Kent, who helped the BAU team.

She had a recurring role as Bizzy Forbes-Montgomery on ABC's Private Practice from 2009. She played the mother of Kate Walsh's character.

In 2014, she appeared in the CBS science-fiction show Extant.

Personal Life

JoBeth Williams is married to TV and film director John Pasquin. They worked together on the movie Jungle 2 Jungle. They have two sons named Will and Nick. She also has a step-daughter, Sarah, from John Pasquin's previous marriage.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: JoBeth Williams para niños