Bonnie Bedelia

Bonnie Bedelia
Bonnie Bedelia in The New Land (1974).
Born	Bonnie Bedelia Culkin (1948-03-25) March 25, 1948 New York City, New York, USA
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1957–present
Spouse(s)	Ken Luber (m.1969–1980) Michael MacRae (1995–present)
Children	2
Parent(s)	Marian Ethel Wagner Philip Harley Culkin
Relatives	Kit Culkin Macaulay Culkin Kieran Culkin Rory Culkin

Bonnie Bedelia Culkin (born March 25, 1948) is an American actress. She began her career in theatre and during 1960s starred in the CBS daytime soap opera, Love of Life (1961–67), before making her movie debut in The Gypsy Moths (1969).

Bedelia was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in 1983 film Heart Like a Wheel, and for an Independent Spirit Award for The Prince of Pennsylvania (1988). She is best known for her role as Holly Gennaro McClane in the action films Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard 2 (1990), as well as the movies They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), Presumed Innocent (1990), and Needful Things (1993). Bedelia also had many other leading and supporting roles, and has worked regularly on television.

For her television work, Bedelia received two Emmy Awards nominations. From 2001 to 2004, Bedelia played the lead role in the Lifetime television drama series, The Division, and later starred as family matriarch Camille Braverman in the NBC drama series, Parenthood (2010–2015).

Early life

Bonnie Bedelia was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of Marian Ethel (née Wagner), a writer and editor, and Philip Harley Culkin, a journalist. She was born in a difficult financial period when her father's firm went bankrupt and they lived in "a cold-water tenement flat". She has two brothers, one of whom is actor Kit Culkin, and a sister, Candice Culkin. She is the aunt of actors Macaulay, Kieran, and Rory Culkin.^[1][2] Her mother died when she was 14 and her father, "who had always had ulcers," died shortly after.^[1]

Career

Before becoming an actress, Bedelia studied ballet and appeared in a few productions with the New York City Ballet, including The Nutcracker. In 1958 she had her only dancing role onscreen as Clara in the Playhouse 90 television production of the George Balanchine Nutcracker. From 1961 to 1967 Bedelia was a regular on the CBS soap opera, Love of Life, playing the role of Sandy Porter. She also worked on Broadway, making her debut supporting Patty Duke in 1962 in Isle of Children^[1] and winning a Theatre World Award in the lead of My Sweet Charlie in 1966.^[3]

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

Bedelia made her debut in The Gypsy Moths, and later in 1969 she attracted attention as the pregnant marathon dancer in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?.^[4] In following years, she starred in the 1970 comedy Lovers and Other Strangers, and had dramatic roles in The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie (1972), and Between Friends (1973). She also appeared opposite Richard Dreyfuss in 1978 comedyThe Big Fix. On television she had the leading role in the short-lived ABC drama series, The New Land.

In 1984 Bedelia received critical acclaim and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her starring role in 1983's Heart Like a Wheel as drag racer Shirley Muldowney.^[2][5] Other well-known performances came as Holly Gennaro McClane, the wife of Bruce Willis's character John McClane in Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard 2 (1990), and as Barbara Sabich, the wife of Harrison Ford's character in Presumed Innocent (1990).^[4][6]

Bedelia appeared in two Stephen King screen adaptations: Salem's Lot (1979) and Needful Things (1993). She was nominated for Emmy Award for performances in Showtime anthology series, Fallen Angels in 1993, and for the leading role in the made for television movie Locked in Silence (1999).^[6] On television 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 had lead role as Capt. Kate McCafferty in the Lifetime television drama series The Division.^[6] She later guest-starred in Big Love and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and starred oppisite Rue McClanahan and Olivia Newton-John in 2008 sitcom Sordid Lives: The Series.^[7]

In 2010 Bedelia began starring in the NBC drama series, Parenthood, playing the role of the family matriarch, Camille Braverman.^[8] The series aired during six seasons to 2015.^[9]

Personal life

She married scriptwriter, Ken Luber, on April 24, 1969, and they had two sons - Uri (b. 1970) and Jonah (b. 1976); in 1980, they divorced. She married actor, Michael MacRae, in 1995.^[10]

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bonnie Bedelia.

• Bonnie Bedelia at the Internet Movie Database
• Bonnie Bedelia at the Internet Broadway Database
• Bonnie Bedelia at AllMovie