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Betty Thomas

 
Director: Betty Thomas
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Jul 27, 1948 in Saint Louis, Missouri
  • Occupation: Director, Actor
  • Active: '70s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Drama
  • Career Highlights: Charlie's Angels, The Brady Bunch Movie, Private Parts
  • First Major Screen Credit: The Last Affair (1976)

Biography

Blonde, statuesque (6'1") comic actress Betty Thomas graduated from Ohio University with a fine arts degree. Betty taught in the Chicago public school system, where she ran afoul of the Establishment over her frankly articulated opinions on social and sexual issues. She found a more agreeable outlet for her outspokenness as an improvisational comedienne with the Second City troupe. She went to appear in such blackout-oriented films as Tunnel Vision (1975) and Chesty Anderson USN (1976), and as a regular on the 1976 TV series Fun Factory, a combination quiz show/audience participation/sketch-comedy outing. Thomas achieved stardom in the role of no-nonsense police officer Lucille Bates on TV's Hill Street Blues (1981-87), winning a 1985 Emmy for her work on the series. Never one to shy away from any personal or professional risk, she plunged into TV directing in the late 1980s, helming such films as Only You (1991) and such made-for-TV flicks as My Breast (1994). In 1993, Thomas won her second Emmy, this time for her direction on the cable sitcom Dream On. As of this writing, Betty Thomas' biggest directorial success has been the 1995 box office bonanza The Brady Bunch Movie. She then made a pair of comedies about the media. Her made for cable adaptation of The Late Shift covered the retirement of Johnny Caron and the battle between Jay Leno and David Letterman to take over The Tonight Show. Thomas also directed Private Parts, the biopic of radio personality Howard Stern. Teaming with Eddie Murphy, Thomas scored a solid box-office hit with Dr. Dolittle. She attempted a change of pace with Sandra Bullock with the addiction comedy/drama 28 Days. She had her hand in a pair of summer hits acting as producer on the Charlie's Angels films, but also produced the flop Surviving Christmas. She helped bring another television show to the big screen by joining Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy in I Spy. In 2006 she helmed the dark high school comedy {#John Tucker Must Die. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Betty Thomas

Thomas at the Emmy Awards Governors Ball, 1994
Born Betty Thomas Nienhauser
July 27, 1948 (1948-07-27) (age 61)
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Betty Thomas (born July 27, 1948) is an American actress and director in television and motion pictures.

Life and career

Born Betty Thomas Nienhauser in St. Louis, Missouri, Thomas graduated from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She worked as an artist and taught school in Chicago before deciding to pursue a career in show business.

Thomas joined The Second City comedy group and appeared in the films Tunnel Vision (1975), Chesty Anderson, USN (1976), Used Cars (1980) and Loose Shoes (1980) and on the TV series The Fun Factory (1976). Later, she appeared as a guest performer on the British comedy program Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 1988.

While Thomas had been building her career in comedy, her breakthrough role as an actress came when she was cast in the dramatic role of police officer (later Sergeant) Lucille Bates on the TV series Hill Street Blues (1981-1987). She was nominated for six Emmy Awards for this role and won one for Best Supporting Actress in 1985. Thomas' character was paired with Officer Joe Coffey, portrayed by Ed Marinaro.

Following the end of the series, Thomas moved into directing. She first worked in TV, directing episodes of series such as Doogie Howser, M.D., Dream On, Hooperman, Mancuso, F.B.I., Midnight Caller, On the Air, Parenthood, Shannon's Deal and Sons and Daughters, and TV movies such as Couples (1994), My Breast (1994), and The Late Shift (1996). She won Emmys for her direction of Dream On in 1990 and My Breast in 1994.

Thomas made her feature film directorial debut in 1992 with Only You. She went on to direct several films, including The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Private Parts (1997), Dr. Dolittle (1998), 28 Days (2000), and I Spy (2002). She has also produced several films, including Can't Hardly Wait (1998), Charlie's Angels (2000), and Surviving Christmas (2004).

In December 2008 Thomas signed on to direct Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel.

External links

v • d • e
Films directed by Betty Thomas

Only You (1992) · The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) · Private Parts (1997) · Dr. Dolittle (1998) · 28 Days (2000) · I Spy (2002) · John Tucker Must Die (2006) · Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)
v • d • e
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Drama Series

Ellen Corby (1976) · Kristy McNichol (1977) · Nancy Marchand (1978) · Kristy McNichol (1979) · Nancy Marchand (1980) · Nancy Marchand (1981) · Nancy Marchand (1982) · Doris Roberts (1983) · Alfre Woodard (1984) · Betty Thomas (1985) · Bonnie Bartlett (1986) · Bonnie Bartlett (1987) · Patricia Wettig (1988) · Melanie Mayron (1989) · Marg Helgenberger (1990) · Madge Sinclair (1991) · Valerie Mahaffey (1992) · Mary Alice (1993) · Leigh Taylor-Young (1994) · Julianna Margulies (1995) · Tyne Daly (1996) · Kim Delaney (1997) · Camryn Manheim (1998) · Holland Taylor (1999) · Allison Janney (2000)
v • d • e
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Gene Reynolds / Dave Wilson (1976) · Alan Alda / David P. Powers (1977) · Paul Bogart / David P. Powers (1978) · Noam Pitlik (1979) · James Burrows (1980) · James Burrows (1981) · Alan Rafkin (1982) · James Burrows (1983) · Bill Persky (1984) · Jay Sandrich (1985) · Jay Sandrich (1986) · Terry Hughes (1987) · Gregory Hoblit (1988) · Peter Baldwin (1989) · Michael Dinner (1990) · James Burrows (1991) · Barnet Kellman (1992) · Betty Thomas (1993) · James Burrows (1994) · David Lee (1995) · Michael Lembeck (1996) · David Lee (1997) · Todd Holland (1998) · Thomas Schlamme (1999) · Todd Holland (2000)

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