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Bonnie Bedelia

Born: 1948

Biography

Bonnie Bedelia Culkin is an American actress, best known for her starring roles as Holly McClane in Die Hard and Die Hard 2, Barbara Sabich in Presumed Innocent, and Polly Chalmers in Needful Things, as well as the matriarch Camille Braverman on the drama series Parenthood. She is younger sister to actor Kit Culkin; aunt to his sons, actors Macaulay, Rory, and Kieran Culkin. Her and Kit's brother and sister, Terry and Candace, have also acted. 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, and won a Theatre World Award for playing the lead of in My Sweet Charlie, in 1966. 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. In 1969, she attracted attention as the pregnant marathon dancer in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? She starred in the comedy Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), had dramatic roles in The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie (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. 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). She 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). 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 drama series The Division. She later guest-starred in Big Love and CSI, and starred opposite Rue McClanahan and Olivia Newton-John in the 2008 sitcom Sordid Lives: The Series. Bedelia starred in the NBC drama series Parenthood (2010-2015) as the family matriarch, Camille Braverman. In 2017, she appeared in season 2 of the TV series Designated Survivor, and in two Hallmark movies. In 2019, she guest starred on the Netflix series What/If.
Known For Acting
Gender Female
Place of Birth New York City, New York, USA

Resources

Movies

Die Hard

Holly Gennaro McClane in Die Hard

Die Hard 2

Holly McClane in Die Hard 2

Needful Things

Polly Chalmers in Needful Things

The Hill

Gram in The Hill

Presumed Innocent

Barbara Sabich in Presumed Innocent

Anywhere but Here

Carol in Anywhere but Here

The Boy Who Could Fly

Charlene in The Boy Who Could Fly

Fat Man and Little Boy

Kitty Oppenheimer in Fat Man and Little Boy

Heart Like a Wheel

Shirley Muldowney in Heart Like a Wheel

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Ruby Bates in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

The Big Fix

Suzanne in The Big Fix

Lovers and Other Strangers

Susan Henderson in Lovers and Other Strangers

Speechless

Annette in Speechless

Sordid Lives

Latrelle Williamson in Sordid Lives

The Million Dollar Infield

Marcia Miller in The Million Dollar Infield

Switched at Birth

Regina Twigg in Switched at Birth

The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie

Rosalie in The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie

Locked in Silence

Lydia in Locked in Silence

Manhood

Alice in Manhood

A Time For Love

Kitty in A Time For Love

Judicial Consent

Gwen Warwick in Judicial Consent

Homecoming

Eunice Logan in Homecoming

Sand Castles

Jenna Hampshire in Sand Castles

Then Came Bronson

Temple Brooks in Then Came Bronson

Violets are Blue

Ruth Squires in Violets are Blue

In Pursuit of Treasure

in In Pursuit of Treasure

Message to My Daughter

Janet Thatcher in Message to My Daughter

Alex: The Life of a Child

Carole Deford in Alex: The Life of a Child

Heatwave!

Laura Taylor in Heatwave!

Tourist

Mandy Burke in Tourist

Picnic

Flo Owens in Picnic

The Stranger

Alice Kildee in The Stranger

Bad Manners

Nancy Westlund in Bad Manners

A Question of Love

Joan Saltzman in A Question of Love

Shadow of a Doubt

Robin Harwell in Shadow of a Doubt

When the Time Comes

Liddy Travis in When the Time Comes

Gloria

Brenda in Gloria

The Prince of Pennsylvania

Pam Marshetta in The Prince of Pennsylvania

Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture

Hannah McGrath in Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture

Death of an Angel

Grace in Death of an Angel

Between Friends

Ellie in Between Friends

The Picture

Reva in The Picture

The Scent of Rain & Lightning

Annabelle in The Scent of Rain & Lightning

The Lady from Yesterday

Janet Weston in The Lady from Yesterday

Memorial Day

Cass in Memorial Day

Any Mother's Son

Dorothy Hajdys in Any Mother's Son

A Very Sordid Wedding

Latrelle Williamson in A Very Sordid Wedding

Flowers for Algernon

Rose in Flowers for Algernon

A Joyous Christmas

Joy in A Joyous Christmas

Munchausen

Mother in Munchausen

Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story

Jill Coit in Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story

Berkeley

Hawkins in Berkeley

Christmas on the Coast

Ellie Cassadine in Christmas on the Coast

Her Costly Affair

Dr. Diane Weston in Her Costly Affair

A Season in Purgatory

Valerie Sabbath in A Season in Purgatory

To Live Again

Iris Sayer in To Live Again

The Gypsy Moths

Annie Burke in The Gypsy Moths

Fighting Back: The Story of Rocky Bleier

Aleta in Fighting Back: The Story of Rocky Bleier

Violet

Aunt Helen in Violet

Walking Through the Fire

Dr. Rand in Walking Through the Fire

Sordid Lives

in Sordid Lives

The Noel Diary

Ellie Foster in The Noel Diary

A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story

Dr. Elizabeth Morgan in A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story

A Stone in the Water

Martha in A Stone in the Water

TV Shows