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Bonnie Bedelia

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Bonnie Bedelia
Bedelia in The New Land (1974)
Born
Bonnie Bedelia Culkin

(1948-03-25) March 25, 1948 (age 76)
Other namesBonnie Culkin
OccupationActress
Years active1958–present
Spouses
Ken Luber
(m. 1969; div. 1980)
Jay Telfer
(m. 1975; div. 1975)
Michael MacRae
(m. 1995)
Children2
RelativesKit Culkin (brother)
Macaulay Culkin (nephew)
Kieran Culkin (nephew)
Rory Culkin (nephew)

Bonnie Bedelia (born Bonnie Bedelia Culkin; March 25, 1948)[1] is an American actress. After beginning her career in theatre in the 1960s, Bedelia starred in the CBS daytime soap opera Love of Life and made her film debut in The Gypsy Moths. Bedelia subsequently appeared in the films They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Lovers and Other Strangers, Heart Like a Wheel, The Prince of Pennsylvania, Die Hard, Presumed Innocent, Sordid Lives, and Needful Things.

For her television work, Bedelia has earned two Emmy Awards nominations. From 2001 to 2004, Bedelia played the lead role in the Lifetime television drama series The Division. She also starred as family matriarch Camille Braverman in the NBC family drama series Parenthood (2010–15).

Early life

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Bedelia was born in New York City,[2] the daughter of Marian Ethel (née Wagner), a writer and editor, and Philip Harley Culkin, who was in public relations and 50 years old at the time.[3] She was born in a difficult financial period when her father's firm went bankrupt, and they lived in a cold-water tenement flat.[3] Her mother died when she was 14, and her father, who had always had ulcers, spent a year in hospital following her death.[3] She has two brothers,[3] one of whom is actor Kit Culkin, and a sister, Candice Culkin.[4] She is the aunt of actors Macaulay, Kieran, and Rory Culkin.[3][4]

Bedelia studied dance in her youth, at School of American Ballet.[3] She received her acting training at HB Studio.[5]

Career

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Before becoming an actress, Bedelia studied ballet and appeared in a few productions with the New York City Ballet, including The Nutcracker. Her only dancing role onscreen was that of Clara in the Playhouse 90 television production of the George Balanchine Nutcracker (1958). From 1961 to 1967, Bedelia was a regular on the CBS soap opera Love of Life, portraying Sandy Porter. She also worked on Broadway, where she debuted supporting Patty Duke in 1962, in Isle of Children,[3] and won a Theatre World Award for playing the lead of in My Sweet Charlie, in 1966.[6]

Bedelia in the made-for-TV film Message to My Daughter (1973)

Bedelia made her film debut in The Gypsy Moths in 1969; later that year she attracted attention as the pregnant marathon dancer in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?[7] She starred in the comedy Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), had dramatic roles in The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie (1972), Bonanza (1972), and Between Friends (1973), and appeared opposite Richard Dreyfuss in the comedy The Big Fix (1978). On television she played the leading role in the short-lived ABC drama series, The New Land (1974).

In 1984, Bedelia received critical acclaim and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her starring role in Heart Like a Wheel (1983), as drag racer Shirley Muldowney.[4][8] Other well-known performances include her portrayals of Holly Gennero McClane, the wife of Bruce Willis's character John McClane in Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard 2 (1990), and of Barbara Sabich, the wife of Harrison Ford's character in Presumed Innocent (1990).[7][9]

Bedelia appeared in two Stephen King screen adaptations: Salem's Lot (1979) and Needful Things (1993). She was nominated for Emmy Awards for her performance in the Showtime anthology series Fallen Angels (1993) and for the leading role in the made-for-television movie Locked in Silence (1999).[9] She played a number of leading roles in television films and miniseries, such as Switched at Birth, A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story, Her Costly Affair, and Picnic. From 2001 to 2004, Bedelia starred as Capt. Kate McCafferty in the Lifetime television drama series The Division.[9] She later guest-starred in Big Love and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and starred opposite Rue McClanahan and Olivia Newton-John in the 2008 sitcom Sordid Lives: The Series.[10]

Bedelia starred in the NBC drama series Parenthood (2010–15) as the family matriarch, Camille Braverman.[11][12]

In 2017, she appeared in season 2 of the ABC crime drama series Designated Survivor, and in two Hallmark movies. In 2019, she guest starred on the Netflix series What/If.

Personal life

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Bedelia married scriptwriter Ken Luber on April 24, 1969.[citation needed] The couple had two sons, Uri (b. 1970) and Jonah (b. 1976), before divorcing in 1980.[3] She wed actor Michael MacRae in 1995.[13][14]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1969 The Gypsy Moths Annie Burke
1969 They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Ruby Bates
1970 Lovers and Other Strangers Susan Henderson
1972 In Pursuit of Treasure
1972 The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie Rosalie
1973 Between Friends Ellie
1978 The Big Fix Suzanne
1983 Heart Like a Wheel Shirley Muldowney
1986 Death of an Angel Deacon Grace McKenzie
1986 Violets Are Blue Ruth Squires
1986 The Boy Who Could Fly Charlene Michaelson
1987 Like Father Like Son Lady with Gum in Hair
1987 The Stranger Alice Kildee
1988 The Prince of Pennsylvania Pam Marshetta
1988 Die Hard Holly Gennaro McClane
1989 Fat Man and Little Boy Kitty Oppenheimer
1990 Die Hard 2 Holly Gennaro McClane
1990 Presumed Innocent Barbara Sabich
1993 Needful Things Polly Chalmers
1994 Speechless Annette
1994 Judicial Consent Gwen Warwick
1997 Bad Manners Nancy Westlund
1999 Gloria Brenda
1999 Anywhere But Here Carol
2000 Sordid Lives Latrelle Williamson
2003 Manhood Alice
2005 Berkeley Hawkins
2013 Munchausen Mother Short film
2016 Broken Links Melanie
2017 A Very Sordid Wedding Latrelle Williamson
2017 The Scent of Rain and Lightning[15] Annabelle
2019 A Stone in the Water Martha
2021 Violet Aunt Helen
2022 The Noel Diary Ellie Foster
2023 The Hill Gram

Television films

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Year Title Role Notes
1969 Then Came Bronson Temple Brooks Television Pilot (NBC)
1972 Sandcastles Jenna Hampshire Television film (NBC)
1973 A Time for Love Kitty Television film (CBS)
1973 Message to My Daughter Janet Thatcher Television film (NBC)
1974 Heatwave! Laura Taylor Television film (ABC)
1978 A Question of Love Joan Saltzman Television film (ABC)
1979 Walking Through the Fire Dr. Rand Television film (CBS)
1979 Salem's Lot Susan Norton Miniseries (CBS)
1980 Tourist Mandy Burke Television film
1980 Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story Aleta Television film (ABC)
1982 Million Dollar Infield Marcia Miller Television film (CBS)
1983 Memorial Day Cass Television film (CBS)
1985 The Lady from Yesterday Janet Weston Television film (CBS)
1986 Alex: The Life of a Child Carole Deford Television film (ABC)
1987 When the Time Comes Liddy Travis Television film (ABC)
1990 Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture Hannah McGrath Television film (HBO)
1991 Switched at Birth Regina Twigg Television film (NBC)
1992 A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story Elizabeth Morgan Television film (ABC)
1993 The Fire Next Time Suzanne Morgan Television film (CBS)
1995 Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story Jill Coit Television film (Fox)
1995 Shadow of a Doubt Robin Harwell Television film (NBC)
1996 Homecoming Eunice Logan Television film (Showtime)
1996 A Season in Purgatory Valerie Sabbath Miniseries (CBS)
1996 Her Costly Affair Dr. Diane Weston Television film (NBC)
1997 Any Mother's Son Dorothy Hajdys Television film (Lifetime)
1998 To Live Again Iris Sayer Television film (CBS)
1999 Locked in Silence Lydia Television film (Hallmark)
2000 Flowers for Algernon Rose Television film (CBS)
2000 Picnic Flo Owens Television film (CBS)
2017 A Joyous Christmas Joy Television film (Hallmark)
2017 Christmas on the Coast Ellie Cassadine Television film (Hallmark)
2022 The Noel Diary Ellie Foster Netflix film

Television series

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Year Title Role Notes
1958 Playhouse 90 Clara Episode: "The Nutcracker"
1961–1967 Love of Life Sandy Porter Series regular
1964 East Side/West Side Linda Stuart Episode: "The $5.98 Dress"
1968 Judd, for the Defense Ellie Episode: "The Death Farm"
1968 The High Chaparral Tina Granger Episode: "The Deceivers"
1969 Then Came Bronson Temple Brooks Episode: "Pilot"
1969, 1972 Bonanza Laurie Mansfield /Alice Harper Episodes: "The Unwanted" and "Forever"
1973 Hawkins Edith Dayton-Thomas Episode: "Death and the Maiden"
1973 Love Story Alice Hartman Episode: "Love Came Laughing"
1974 The New Land Anna Larsen Series regular, 13 episodes
1993 Fallen Angels Sally Creighton Episode: "The Quiet Room"
1996 The Outer Limits Nancy McDonald Episode: "Worlds Apart"
2001–2004 The Division Capt. Kate McCafferty Series regular, 88 episodes
2007 Big Love Virginia "Ginger" Heffman Episode: "Good Guys and Bad Guys"
2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation DDA Madeline Klein Episode: "Grissom's Divine Comedy"
2008 Sordid Lives: The Series Latrelle Williamson Series regular, 12 episodes
2010–2015 Parenthood Camille Braverman Series regular, 103 episodes
2017 Designated Survivor Eva Booker 5 episodes
2019 What/If Margaret Denner Episode: "What Secrets"
2021 Panic Anne McCarthy 8 episodes

Web series

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Year Title Role Notes
2025 Easter[16] Maundy Lindros / Ember Libitina Episode: TBD (present-day storyline only)

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
1967 Theatre World Award Theatre World Award My Sweet Charlie Won
1984 Golden Globe Award Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Heart Like a Wheel Nominated
1989 Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Female The Prince of Pennsylvania Nominated
1994 Emmy Award Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Fallen Angels Nominated
1997 CableACE Award Outstanding Actress in a Movie or Miniseries Any Mother's Son Nominated
1999 Lone Star Film & Television Awards Best TV Actress To Live Again Won
2000 Emmy Award Outstanding Actress in a Movie or Miniseries Locked in Silence Nominated
2012 Ojai Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award Won
2017 FilmOut Festival Award Best Actress A Very Sordid Wedding Won

References

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  1. ^ Mike Rose, cleveland com (March 25, 2024). "Famous birthdays list for today, March 25, 2024 includes celebrities Katharine McPhee, Sarah Jessica Parker". cleveland. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "Bonnie Bedelia". TVGuide.com. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Bandler, Michael J. (October 25, 1992). "Character Study Despite Her Laurels, Bonnie Bedelia Wonders When Stardom Will Arrive". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c "Bonnie Bedelia: Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  5. ^ "Alumni". HB Studio.
  6. ^ The Broadway League. "Bonnie Bedelia". IBDB.com. Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Bonnie Bedelia". Allmovie.com. March 25, 1946. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  8. ^ "Bonnie Bedelia Bio | Parenthood". NBC. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c "Bonnie Bedelia". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  10. ^ Backlot, The (July 3, 2008). "The To-Die-For Cast of "Sordid Lives: The Series"". thebacklot.com. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  11. ^ "More stars join NBC's 'Parenthood'". HitFix. April 19, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  12. ^ "Parenthood: Renewed for Sixth and Final Season". May 11, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  13. ^ Neilly, Peter (2010). "Out to Lunch!: Jay Telfer". The Wayback Times. Hastings, Ontario, Canada. Archived from the original on November 1, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  14. ^ Ryon, Ruth (November 24, 1996). "10-Year 'Affair' With L.A. Ends". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  15. ^ "Logan Miller, Mark Webber, Justin Chatwin Join 'The Scent of Rain and Lightning'". TheWrap. November 5, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  16. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7517148/
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