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Betty Thomas

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Betty Thomas
Thomas at the Emmy Awards Governors Ball in 1994
Born
Betty Lucille Nienhauser[1]

(1947-07-27)July 27, 1947(age 77)
St. Louis,Missouri,U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, director
Years active1975–present
SpouseDouglas Thomas[2]

Betty Thomas(bornBetty Lucille Nienhauser;July 27, 1947) is an American director and actress.[3][4]She is known for herEmmy Award-winning role as Sergeant Lucy Bates on the television seriesHill Street Blues.[5]As of March 2018, Thomas is one of just two directors (and the only solo director) to have multiple films on the list of seventeen highest-US-grossing female-directed films.[6]

Early life

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Thomas was bornBetty Lucille NienhauserinSt. Louis,Missouri,in 1947 to Nancy (née Brown) and William H. Nienhauser Sr.[7][8]She graduated fromWilloughby South High School,Willoughby, Ohio,in 1965. After high school Thomas attendedOhio UniversityinAthens, Ohio,and graduated with aBachelor of Fine Artsdegree. Upon graduating Thomas worked as an artist and taught high school before becoming a part ofThe Second City,the premiere venue for improvisational theater inChicago.[9]

Second City

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Thomas came to her entertainment career by a circuitous route. While working as an artist and school teacher, she became a waitress atThe Second Cityto earn extra cash for a trip abroad. While waiting on tables, Thomas was encouraged to try out for the troupe, and subsequently joined the company.[10]

She was praised for her brassy and outspoken performances, and became the first woman to direct one of their MainStage theatre productions.[11]Thomas also worked with several up and coming Second City alumni, most notablyBill Murray.[12]When The Second City opened aLos Angelesbranch, Thomas moved west. She later reunited with some of the Second City cast members when she appeared as special guest star in a 1983 episode ofSCTV.[13][14]

Career

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Acting career

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Thomas as Lucy Bates inHill Street Blues,1982

Upon her arrival inLos Angeles,Thomas received many bit parts in low-budget films likeChesty Anderson, USN(1976), theRobert ZemeckisfilmUsed Cars(1980) as well as sketch comedy films likeTunnel Vision(1975), andLoose Shoes(1980), the latter of which featured Second City classmate Bill Murray.[10]

While Thomas had been building her career in comedy, her breakthrough role as an actress came when she was cast in the role of police officer (later Sergeant) Lucy Bates on the TV seriesHill Street Blues(1981–87). Over the course of the series her character goes from inexperienced rookie to confident sergeant. She received sevenEmmynominations for best supporting actress, and took home the award for the 1984–85 season.[15]

Directing career

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After having lied to aVarietyreporter about planning on directing aHoopermanepisode, she was given a real opportunity by the show's executive producer, and from there her directing career began.[16]After making several other acting appearances, Thomas began directing episodes ofHoopermanin addition to the premiere episodes ofDoogie Howser, M.D.in 1989. She went on to direct episodes ofArresting Behaviorand several episodes of the HBO seriesDream On,the latter of which earned her an Emmy for best director.[15]Thomas is nicknamed "The Midnight Queen" because of her preference for nighttime shoots.[17]

In 1992 Thomas took the next step in her directing career with her feature debutOnly You.A slight, playful romantic comedy,Only Youwas a departure from Thomas's experience onHill Street Bluesor her subsequent television directing. Wayne Rice, the film's producer and screenwriter, said that Thomas was chosen to direct due in part to the film's plot in which a man is on a hapless quest to find the perfect woman. He felt it would be considered inherently sexist without a female director.[18]

Three years following the release ofOnly You,Thomas directedThe Brady Bunch Movie(1995), a satirical vision of the 1970s television seriesThe Brady Bunch.The Brady Bunch Moviewas a box office hit with domestic ticket sales of $46,576,136, nearly quadrupling its $12 million budget and making it at the time one of the highest-grossing films directed by a woman.[5]

She followedThe Brady Bunch Moviewith other successes, includingPrivate Parts(1997),Dr. Dolittle(1998),28 Days(2000), andJohn Tucker Must Die(2006). In 2009Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquelbecame the first female-directed picture to gross more than $200 million and made her the most successful woman director up to that time at the box office.[19]In 2012, Thomas directed a low-budget online series calledAudreyfor theWIGSYouTubechannel.[20]In 1998, her Tall Trees productions company was signed to a first look deal with Columbia Pictures.[21]

In 2001, Thomas won the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award of theWomen in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards,presented by the Los Angeles chapter of theWomen in FilmOrganization.<.[22]

In 2021, Thomas received theDirectors Guild of AmericaRobert B. Aldrich Award.[23]


Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1992 Only You Director [24]
1995 The Brady Bunch Movie Director [25][26]
1997 Private Parts Director [25][27][28]
1998 Dr. Dolittle Director [29][30]
Can't Hardly Wait Producer
2000 28 Days Director [31][32][33][34]
Charlie's Angels Executive Producer [35][36][37]
2001 Silicon Follies Executive Producer TV movie
2002 I Spy Producer, Director [38][39][40]
2004 Surviving Christmas Producer
2005 Guess Who Executive Producer
2006 John Tucker Must Die Director [41][42]
2009 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel Director [43][44]

Television

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TV series

Year Title Notes
1989 Hooperman Episodes: "Goodnight, Sweet Hooperman", "Dog Day Afternoon", "Morning and Night", "In the Still of My Pants"
1989 Doogie Howser, M.D. Episodes: "Doogie The Red-Nosed Reindeer", "The Ice Queen Cometh"
1990 Mancuso, FBI Episodes: "Night of the Living Shred", "Shiva Me Timbers", "Murder of Pearl"
1990 Parenthood Episodes: "Thanksgiving with a T that Rhymes with B that Stands for Basketball", "I Never Invested for My Father"
1990–1996 Dream On 18 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series(1993)
1991 Sons and Daughters Episode: "The Thing"
1991 Midnight Caller Episode: "Her Dirty Little Secret"
1991 Shannon's Deal Episode: "Matrimony"
1992 On the Air Episode #1.6
2006 The Loop Pilot episode
2015 Grace and Frankie Episode: "The Fall"

TV movies

Year Title Notes
2007 Dash 4 Cash
2006 That Guy
2003 Senor White
2001 Silicon Follies
1996 The Late Shift Directors Guild of America

Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials

1994 Couples
1994 My Breast

Acting roles

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Year Title Role Notes
1976 Tunnel Vision Bridgit Bert Richards
1976 Jackson County Jail Waitress
1976 The Last Affair
1976 Chesty Anderson U.S. Navy Party Guest #1
1977 Dog and Cat Waitress
1978 C.P.O. Sharkey Seaman Daley
1978 Outside Chance Katherine
1980 Used Cars Bunny
1980 Loose Shoes Biker Chic #1
1981 The Nashville Grab Maxine Pearce
1982 Twilight Theater
1982 Homework Reddogs Secretary
1983 When Your Lover Leaves Maude
1985 ABC Afterschool Specials Dr. Mary Lewis
1987 Prison for Children Angela Brannon
1981–1987 Hill Street Blues Sgt. Lucy Bates [45]
1989 The Tracey Ullman Show Miss Belts, Gym Teacher Segment titled "Francesca: A Physical Education"
1989 Troop Beverly Hills Velda Plendor
2018 Kidding Herself Episode: "Green Means Go"

References

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  1. ^Taylor, Gemma."Trying To Change The Colour!".
  2. ^"Nancy Nienhauser Obituary - MO | St. Louis Post-Dispatch".legacy.
  3. ^"Betty Thomas".TVGuide.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  4. ^"Betty Thomas".Variety.2013-12-16.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  5. ^ab "Betty Thomas".Hill Street Blues.Paley Center for Media.Archived fromthe originalon May 17, 2014.RetrievedJune 15,2012.
  6. ^"10 Highest-Grossing Movies Directed by Women, From 'What Women Want' to 'Captain Marvel' (Photos)".TheWrap.2019-11-15.Retrieved2019-12-28.
  7. ^"STLtoday".Nl.newsbank. 1995-02-16.Retrieved2013-05-06.
  8. ^"Nancy Brown Nienhauser obituary at".Legacy.Retrieved2013-05-06.
  9. ^"Betty Thomas biodata at".Tribute.ca.RetrievedJune 15,2012.
  10. ^ab"Betty Thomas biography at".Yahoo Movies.RetrievedMay 6,2012.
  11. ^"Betty Thomas".Retrieved2018-11-15.
  12. ^"The Thaumaturgy Department".Tumblr.RetrievedMay 6,2012.
  13. ^"Corpus Christi Caller-Times from Corpus Christi, Texas on March 6, 1983 · 116".Newspapers.6 March 1983.Retrieved2022-11-15.
  14. ^"The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky on March 6, 1983 · Page 397".Newspapers.6 March 1983.Retrieved2022-11-15.
  15. ^ab"Betty Thomas".CelebrityNooz.2011.RetrievedJune 15,2012.
  16. ^"Betty Thomas".Retrieved2018-11-15.
  17. ^Rausch, Andrew (2008). Dequina, Michael (ed.).Fifty Filmmakers: Conversations with Directors from Roger Avary to Steven Zaillian.McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 239.
  18. ^Weinstein, Steve (January 2, 1992)."A Long Way From 'Hill Street's' Beat: Betty Thomas Struts Her Comic Side in Directing First Feature, 'Only You'".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJune 15,2012.
  19. ^Young, John (March 12, 2010)."Betty Thomas: Highest-grossing female director".Entertainment Weekly.
  20. ^"Director Thomas finds passion project online".May 17, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 2014-05-17.
  21. ^Lorber, Danny (1998-09-23)."Tall Trees grow at Col".Variety.Retrieved2020-11-15.
  22. ^"Betty Thomas Awards".IMDb.Retrieved2018-11-14.
  23. ^"Betty Thomas, Brian Frankish and Joyce Thomas to be Honored for Guild Service and Career Achievement at the 73rd Annual DGA Awards -".dga.org.Retrieved29 October2023.
  24. ^Weinstein, Steve (1992-01-02)."A Long Way From 'Hill Street's' Beat: Betty Thomas Struts Her Comic Side in Directing First Feature, 'Only You'".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  25. ^abAbramovitch, Seth (2020-01-04)."'Private Parts' Director Betty Thomas Recalls Crush on Howard Stern: "We Would Have Been a Hot Couple"".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  26. ^June 30, EW Staff Updated; EDT, 2005 at 04:00 AM."The Brady Bunch Movieis one of the best movies based on TV shows ".EW.Retrieved2022-12-25.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^McCarthy, Todd (1997-03-09)."Film Review: Howard Stern's Private Parts".Variety.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  28. ^Maslin, Janet (1997-03-07)."When a Scourge Turns On the Charm".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  29. ^"Dr Dolittle | Film | The Guardian".theguardian.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  30. ^Klady, Leonard (1998-06-24)."Dr. Dolittle".Variety.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  31. ^"There's something about Betty".the Guardian.2000-06-16.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  32. ^"28 Days | Film | The Guardian".theguardian.2008-07-21.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  33. ^Petrikin, Dan Cox,Chris; Cox, Dan; Petrikin, Chris (1998-12-02)."Thomas rehabs with Col's 'Days'".Variety.Retrieved2022-12-25.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  34. ^Travers, Peter (2000-04-14)."28 Days".Rolling Stone.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  35. ^Lyons, Charles (1999-11-23)."McG tries wings as helmer in 'Angels'".Variety.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  36. ^Robb, David (2021-02-25)."Betty Thomas To Receive DGA's Robert Aldrich Award; Special Service Awards To Brian Frankish & Joyce Thomas".Deadline.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  37. ^McCarthy, Todd (2000-10-30)."Charlie's Angels".Variety.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  38. ^"BBC - Films - interview - Betty Thomas".bbc.co.uk.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  39. ^Mitchell, Elvis (2002-11-01)."FILM REVIEW; A Buddy Movie Of Arch Rivals".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  40. ^"I Spy | Film | The Guardian".theguardian.2008-07-21.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  41. ^McNary, Claude Brodesser,Dave; Brodesser, Claude; McNary, Dave (2005-04-15)."Fox puckers up for funny 'Tucker'".Variety.Retrieved2022-12-25.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  42. ^Catsoulis, Jeannette (2006-07-28)."'John Tucker Must Die' Declares a Trio of Teenage Girlfriends ".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  43. ^December 14, EW Staff Updated; EST, 2009 at 05:00 AM."Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel".EW.Retrieved2022-12-25.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  44. ^"Alvin And The Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel | Film | The Guardian".theguardian.Retrieved2022-12-25.
  45. ^Carver, Benedict (1999-04-16)."'Affair' for Thomas ".Variety.Retrieved2022-12-25.
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