Poltergeist

Background:

JoBeth Williams is an American Emmy and Golden Globe nominated TV and film actress, as well as an Oscar nominated director, who became famous in the early 1980s for playing roles in such hit movies as “Stir Crazy” (1980), “The Dogs of War” (1981) and Lawrence Kasdan's “The Big Chill” (1983). However, she is probably best recognized as the mother in the Steven Spielberg-produced classic horror film “Poltergeist” (1983), from which she netted a Saturn nomination, and in the sequel “Poltergeist II: The Other Side” (1986). She won a Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for her starring turn in “American Dreamer” (1984). The dark-haired beauty gained additional fame on the small screen with her Emmy nominating leading roles of Reve Walsh in the touching drama “Adam” (1993) and Mary Beth Whitehead in the based on fact “Baby M” (1988, also earned a Golden Globe nomination). Williams netted her third Emmy nomination in the mid-1990s for her fine guest role as a love interest on the hit “Frasier” (1994).

Williams' more recent film credits include “Wyatt Earp” (1994), “Breaking Through” (1996, TV), “Jungle 2 Jungle” (1997), “Justice” (1999), “The Ponder Heart” (2001, TV), “Fever Pitch” (2005), “In the Land of Women” (2006) and “Sybil” (2007). She also has starred in the TV series “The Guiding Light” (1977-1981), “The Client” (1995-1996), “From the Earth to the Moon” (1998, mini), “Payne” (1999) and “Miss Match” (2003-2005).

As a director, Williams attracted attention with her work in the 1994 short film “On Hope,” which earned her an Academy Award nomination. She went on to helm other short projects, including an episode of the supernatural TV series “Night Visions” (2001) called “The Doghouse.”

“I live in a town where if you're a woman over 40, you're really passé. In the movies, a Sean Connery can get Catherine Zeta-Jones as a love interest. But Shirley MacLaine can't have Billy Crudup as a boyfriend.” JoBeth Williams

On the personal front, 5 foot, 7¼ inch Williams is happily married to John Pasquin and enjoys her role as the mother of the couple's two adopted boys, Will and Nick.

Southern Girl

Childhood and Family:

Margaret JoBeth Williams, professionally known as JoBeth Williams, was born on December 6, 1948, in Houston, Texas, to Roger Williams (died in 1978) and Frances Faye Williams. Her father was an opera singer. After graduating from high school, she attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where she majoring in English and psychology and planned on becoming a child psychologist. However, upon receiving her B.A degree in 1970, she turned to theater.

JoBeth married TV director John Pasquin on March 14, 1982. Together, they adopted two sons, Will (born in 1987) and Nick (born in 1990). JoBeth also has a stepdaughter named Sarah (born in 1967), Pasquin's daughter from his first marriage.

American Dreamer

Career:

The daughter of an opera singer, JoBeth Williams became interested in performing while in high school. When she was 18, she joined Actor’s Equity and took part in a local musical company. However, instead of professionally training in acting, she focused on her English and physiology studies in college and did not turn to theater until after graduating. She joined the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island, and concurrently took voice lessons to help lose her “Texas-twang” accent. After this, she relocated to New York City and started to appear on television in the mid-1970s.

Williams landed her first series regular role as Carrie Wheeler on the NBC daytime soap “Somerset” (1975-1976), a short-lived show spun off from “Another World” (1964). She followed it up with a bigger part on CBS' soap “The Guiding Light,” a gig she had from 1977 to 1981. She also made her TV movie debut in “The World Beyond” (1978), costarring with Granville Van Dusen, and a year later, had her first feature film with the Oscar winning tearjerker “Kramer vs Kramer” (1979), where she was cast in the role of Phyllis, the love interest of Ted Kramer (played by Dustin Hoffman).

1980 saw Williams in the replacement cast of “Moonchildren” on Broadway, opposite Kevin Kline. She increased her profile by playing a supporting part, opposite Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, in the blockbuster comedy “Stir Crazy” (1980) and was seen in the adventure film “The Dogs of War” (1981), starring Christopher Walken and directed by John Irvin. However, she did not land her first starring role in a film until 1983 when director Tobe Hooper and producer Steven Spielberg cast her in the supernatural thriller “Poltergeist.” Starring opposite Craig T. Nelson, she received a Saturn nomination for Best Actress. The film’s success led to a disappointing sequel in 1986, where she reprised her role of the determined mom Diane Freeling.

In between assignments in the “Poltergeist” movies, Williams found herself starring in the Oscar nominated classic, “The Big Chill” (1983), penned and helmed by Lawrence Kasdan, and as Nurse Nancy Bauer in the controversial TV drama “The Day After” (also 1983), opposite Jason Robards. Still in 1983, she further increased her TV career by giving an Emmy nominating starring turn as Reve Walsh, the mother of a child who was kidnapped, in the heartbreaking NBC movie-of-the-week, “Adam.” She made a strong comeback to the big screen the following year in the comedy/drama “Teacher” (1984), alongside Nick Nolte and Judd Hirsch. She also starred as frustrated housewife/writer Cathy Palmer in the film “American Dreamer” (1984), from which she picked up a Kansas City Film Critics Circle for Best Actress.

After “Poltergeist II: The Other Side” (1986), Williams recreated her award-nominating role of Reve Walsh for the sequel “Adam: His Song Continues” (NBC, 1986), appeared with Kathy Bates in the TV crime/drama film “Murder Ordained” (1987) and then in 1988, she again delivered a bright performance in the based-on-true story drama “Baby M” (ABC). As Mary Beth Whitehead, she earned her second Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV. She closed the decade with roles in the CBS film “My Name Is Bill W” and the Franklin J. Schaffner film “Welcome Home” (both 1989).

Next, Williams could be seen acting in “Child in the Night” (1990), “Victim of Love” (1991), “Switch” and “Dutch” (both 1991). She tried her hand at voice work in “Fish Police” and in an episode of “Batman: The Animated Series” (1994). It was also in 1994 that the actress made her directorial debut with “On Hope,” a 30-minute short which she also produced. Casting Annette O’Toole and Mercedes Reuhl in the leading roles, the film enjoyed critical success by nabbing an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.

Back in front of the camera, Williams played Bessie Earp in the movie “Wyatt Earp” (1994), starring Kevin Costner. She gave a notable guest performance in NBC's “Frasier” (1994) and was nominated for a 1995 Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her work in the series. She then starred in the short-lived TV version of John Grisham's “The Client” (1995-1996) in the lead role originated by the Oscar nominee Susan Sarandon in the big screen version. The following years found roles in the movies “Ruby Jean and Joe” (1996, TV), “Breaking Through” (1996, TV), “Jungle 2 Jungle” (1997, directed by husband John Paquin), “Just Write” (1997), “Little City” (1997), “When Danger Follows You Home” (1997), “A Chance of Snow” (1998, TV), “Justice” (1999), “It Came from the Sky” (1999, TV), “Jackie's Back” (1999, TV) and the HBO miniseries “From the Earth to the Moon” (1998). She was also seen in the short-lived CBS series “Payne” (1999), as Connie Payne.

A costarring role opposite Jonathan Jackson in the excellent made-for-TV film “Trapped in a Purple Haze” was Williams' opening work in the new millennium. She next returned to the director's chair for the Showtime movie “Frankie and Hazel” (2000), 2001's “Winona's Web” and the Fox supernatural TV series “Night Visions” episode “The Doghouse” (2001). She went on to act in projects like PBS' “The Ponder Heart” (2001) and gave notable guest spots in shows like “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC, 2002), “Judging Amy” (CBS, 2003) and “Strong Medicine” (The Lifetime Network, 2004). She also had a regular role in the short-lived “Miss Match” (NBC, 2003-2005). In 2005, Williams was featured in the Jimmy Fallon/Drew Barrymore comedy “Fever Pitch,” costarred with Sean Patrick Flanery and Melina Kanakaredes in Michael Phelan's “Into the Fire” (TV) and supported Reiko Aylesworth and Bruno Campos in the drama/romance “Crazylove.” She appeared as Libby in the 2006 failed sitcom “Worst Week of My Life,” had supporting roles in the Joe Kasdan-directed “In the Land of Women” (2006, as Agnes Webb) and the TV film “Stroller Wars” (2006, as Roberta). The same year, she also guest starred in “24,” “Twenty Good Years,” “Numb3rs” and “Criminal Minds.”

More recently, in 2007, the 59-year-old actress was featured as Hattie Dorsett in the TV film “Sybil,” starring Tammy Blanchard as Sybil Dorset and Jessica Lange as Dr. Cornelia Wilbur. She also appeared as a guest in “The Nine.”

Despite her hectic film and TV schedule, Williams also remains active on the stage.

Awards:

• Bearfest - Big Bear Lake International Film Festival: Award of Excellence, 2002

• WorldFest Houston: Career Achievement, 2002

• Kansas City Film Critics Circle: Best Actress, American Dreamer, 1985