Bonnie Bedelia Biography

Bonnie Bedelia (born Bonnie Bedelia Culkin, 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 Gennero 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), Bonanza (1969, 1972 appearing opposite Michael Landon), 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 Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Marian Ethel (ne Wagner), a writer and editor, and Philip Harley Culkin, who was in public relations and 50 years old at the time. 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. Her mother died when she was 14 and her father, "who had always had ulcers," died shortly after.

Bonnie studied dance in her youth at School of American Ballet.

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 and winning a Theatre World Award in the lead of My Sweet Charlie in 1966.

Bedelia made her film debut in The Gypsy Moths, and later in 1969 she attracted attention as the pregnant marathon dancer in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?. 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. Other well-known performances came as Holly Gennero 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).

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). 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. She later guest-starred in Big Love and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and starred opposite Rue McClanahan and Olivia Newton-John in 2008 sitcom Sordid Lives: The Series.

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

In 2017, she appeared in the second season of the TV series Designated Survivor, as the mother of the First Lady of the United States.

Personal life

She married scriptwriter Ken Luber on April 24, 1969; and they had two sons, Uri (b. 1970) and Jonah (b. 1976). They divorced in 1980. She was married briefly to Jay Telfer, a musician and screenwriter. She married actor Michael MacRae in 1995.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1969	The Gypsy Moths	Annie Burke
1969	They Shoot Horses, Don't They?	Ruby
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	Grace
1986	Violets Are Blue	Ruth Squires
1986	The Boy Who Could Fly	Charlene
1987	Like Father Like Son	Lady with Gum in Hair	Cameo appearance
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	The Scent of Rain and Lightning	Annabelle

Television

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"
1972	Sandcastles	Jenna Hampshire	Television film
1973	A Time for Love	Kitty	Television film
1973	Hawkins	Edith Dayton-Thomas	Episode: "Death and the Maiden"
1973	Message to My Daughter	Janet Thatcher	Television film
1973	Love Story	Alice Hartman	Episode: "Love Came Laughing"
1974	Heatwave!	Laura Taylor	Television film
1974	The New Land	Anna Larsen	Series regular, 13 episodes
1978	A Question of Love	Joan Saltzman	Television film
1979	Walking Through the Fire	Dr. Rand	Television film
1979	Salem's Lot	Susan Norton	Miniseries
1980	Tourist	Mandy Burke	Television film
1982	Fighting Back	Aleta	Television film
1982	Million Dollar Infield	Marcia Miller	Television film
1983	Memorial Day	Cass	Television film
1985	The Lady from Yesterday	Janet Weston	Television film
1986	Alex: The Life of a Child	Carole Deford	Television film
1987	When the Time Comes	Liddy Travis	Television film
1990	Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture	Hannah McGrath	Television film
1991	Switched at Birth	Regina Twigg	Television film
1992	A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story	Elizabeth Morgan	Television film
1993	Fallen Angels	Sally Creighton	Episode: "The Quiet Room"
1993	The Fire Next Time	Suzanne Morgan	Television film
1995	Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story	Jill Coit	Television film
1995	Shadow of a Doubt	Robin Harwell	Television film
1996	Homecoming	Eunice Logan	Television film
1996	A Season in Purgatory	Valerie Sabbath	Miniseries
1996	Her Costly Affair	Dr. Diane Weston	Television film
1997	Any Mother's Son	Dorothy Hajdys	Television film
1998	To Live Again	Iris Sayer	Television film
1999	Locked in Silence	Lydia	Television film
2000	Flowers for Algernon	Rose	Television film
2000	Picnic	Flo Owens	Television film
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
2017	A Joyous Christmas	Joy	Television film (Hallmark)

Awards and nominations

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