Bess Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Key "Bess" Armstrong (born December 11, 1953) is an American
film and television
actress.
, and Alexander Armstrong, an English teacher at the Gilman School
. She attended the Bryn Mawr School for Girls and Brown University
, from which she graduated with degrees in Latin and Theater (studying acting with Jim Barnhill and John Emigh
). While at Bryn Mawr and Brown, Armstrong appeared in over one hundred stage plays.
Armstrong's professional acting career began in 1975 with the Off-Off Broadway debut, Harmony House. Then, in 1977, Armstrong made her television debut as Julia Peters on the CBS sitcom, On Our Own
. In 1978 Armstrong starred opposite Richard Thomas in her first TV-movie Getting Married
.
Armstrong continued to make several films for both the big and small screens in the 1980s, among them High Road to China
opposite Tom Selleck
; Jaws 3-D
with Dennis Quaid
; Alan Alda
's The Four Seasons
; the TV miniseries Lace
; and Nothing in Common
, starring Tom Hanks
and Jackie Gleason
.
The 1990s brought Armstrong to her best-known role, playing Patty Chase on the critically acclaimed series My So-Called Life
. In 2000, she appeared on the sitcom Frasier
, in the episode "Mary Christmas." In 2008, Armstrong played Penelope Kendall on Boston Legal
.
Armstrong remains active in films, television, and the stage.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actress.
Life and career
Armstrong was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Louise Allen (née Parlange), who taught at Bryn MawrBryn Mawr School
The Bryn Mawr School is an independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory school for girls from preschool through grade twelve. Founded in 1885, BMS is located in the Roland Park community of Baltimore, Maryland, USA at 109 W. Melrose Avenue, Baltimore MD 21210.-The Bryn Mawr School Community:In...
, and Alexander Armstrong, an English teacher at the Gilman School
Gilman School
Gilman School is a private preparatory school for boys located in the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1897 as the Country School for Boys, it was the first country day school in the United States. Gilman enrolls approximately 978 students, ranging from kindergarten to...
. She attended the Bryn Mawr School for Girls and Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, from which she graduated with degrees in Latin and Theater (studying acting with Jim Barnhill and John Emigh
John Emigh
John Emigh is Professor Emeritus from the Departments of Theatre, Speech and Dance and of English at Brown University, Providence, RI. Emigh taught at Brown from 1967 to 2009.-Biography:...
). While at Bryn Mawr and Brown, Armstrong appeared in over one hundred stage plays.
Armstrong's professional acting career began in 1975 with the Off-Off Broadway debut, Harmony House. Then, in 1977, Armstrong made her television debut as Julia Peters on the CBS sitcom, On Our Own
On Our Own (1977 TV series)
On Our Own is a television series broadcast on CBS as part of their 1977-78 schedule. It featured Maria Bonino and Julia Peters, two employees in the Bedford Advertising Agency in New York who also share an apartment. Toni McBain was their boss, while April Baxter and Phil Goldstein were their...
. In 1978 Armstrong starred opposite Richard Thomas in her first TV-movie Getting Married
Getting Married
Getting Married is a play by George Bernard Shaw. First performed in 1908, it features a cast of family members who gather together for a marriage. The play analyses and satirises the status of marriage in Shaw's day, with a particular focus on the necessity of liberalising divorce laws.- External...
.
Armstrong continued to make several films for both the big and small screens in the 1980s, among them High Road to China
High Road to China
High Road to China is a 1983 adventure-comedy film, set in the 1920s, starring Tom Selleck as a hard-drinking biplane pilot hired by society heiress Eve 'Evie' Tozer to find her missing father . The supporting cast includes Robert Morley and Brian Blessed. The Golden Harvest film was directed by...
opposite Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
; Jaws 3-D
Jaws 3-D
Jaws 3-D is a 1983 thriller film directed by Joe Alves and starring Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Lea Thompson and Louis Gossett, Jr...
with Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
; Alan Alda
Alan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
's The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (film)
The Four Seasons is a 1981 romantic comedy film starring Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston and Bess Armstrong.-Plot summary:...
; the TV miniseries Lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
; and Nothing in Common
Nothing in Common
Nothing in Common is a 1986 comedy-drama film, directed by Garry Marshall. It stars Tom Hanks and, in his last movie role, Jackie Gleason. The film proved to be Gleason's final film role, as he was suffering from colon cancer, liver cancer, and thrombosed hemorrhoids during production.The film,...
, starring Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
and Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
.
The 1990s brought Armstrong to her best-known role, playing Patty Chase on the critically acclaimed series My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
. In 2000, she appeared on the sitcom Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, in the episode "Mary Christmas." In 2008, Armstrong played Penelope Kendall on Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
.
Armstrong remains active in films, television, and the stage.
Selected Filmography
- On Our OwnOn Our Own (1977 TV series)On Our Own is a television series broadcast on CBS as part of their 1977-78 schedule. It featured Maria Bonino and Julia Peters, two employees in the Bedford Advertising Agency in New York who also share an apartment. Toni McBain was their boss, while April Baxter and Phil Goldstein were their...
(1977) (TV) - Getting MarriedGetting MarriedGetting Married is a play by George Bernard Shaw. First performed in 1908, it features a cast of family members who gather together for a marriage. The play analyses and satirises the status of marriage in Shaw's day, with a particular focus on the necessity of liberalising divorce laws.- External...
(1978) (TV) - The Four SeasonsThe Four Seasons (film)The Four Seasons is a 1981 romantic comedy film starring Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston and Bess Armstrong.-Plot summary:...
(1981) - Jekyll and Hyde... Together AgainJekyll and Hyde... Together AgainJekyll and Hyde...Together Again is a 1982 comedy based on the novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film is more like a cross between the original story and some aspects of The Nutty Professor...
(1982) - High Road to ChinaHigh Road to ChinaHigh Road to China is a 1983 adventure-comedy film, set in the 1920s, starring Tom Selleck as a hard-drinking biplane pilot hired by society heiress Eve 'Evie' Tozer to find her missing father . The supporting cast includes Robert Morley and Brian Blessed. The Golden Harvest film was directed by...
(1983) - Jaws 3-DJaws 3-DJaws 3-D is a 1983 thriller film directed by Joe Alves and starring Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Lea Thompson and Louis Gossett, Jr...
(1983) - The House of GodThe House of GodThe House of God is a satirical novel by Samuel Shem , published in 1978. It portrays the psychological harm done to medical interns during the course of medical internship in the early 1970s.-Storyline:...
(1984) - Lace (1984) (TV)
- All is Forgiven (1986) (TV)
- Nothing in CommonNothing in CommonNothing in Common is a 1986 comedy-drama film, directed by Garry Marshall. It stars Tom Hanks and, in his last movie role, Jackie Gleason. The film proved to be Gleason's final film role, as he was suffering from colon cancer, liver cancer, and thrombosed hemorrhoids during production.The film,...
(1986) - The NannyThe NannyNanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
(1993-1998) (TV) - Dream LoverDream Lover (1994 film)Dream Lover is a 1994 film, starring James Spader and Mädchen Amick. It was directed and written by Nicholas Kazan.-Plot:The movie opens on divorce proceedings involving Ray Reardon , a successful architect, and his first wife...
(1994) - My So-Called LifeMy So-Called LifeMy So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
(1994) (TV) - The Tailhook Scandal (1995) (TV)
- PeckerPecker (film)Pecker is a 1998 comedy-drama film written and directed by John Waters and starring Edward Furlong and Christina Ricci. Like all Waters' films, it was filmed and set in Baltimore; this film in the Hampden neighborhood....
(1998) - FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
(2000-2004) (TV) - Good Morning, MiamiGood Morning, MiamiGood Morning, Miami is a sitcom which ran from 2002 to 2004 on NBC. Created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the show focused on the personal and professional life of Jake, the executive producer of the lowest-rated morning show in the country, based in Miami.Though unsuccessful and unacclaimed,...
(2002) (TV) - One Tree HillOne Tree Hill (TV series)One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
(2004, 2010) (TV) - Boston LegalBoston LegalBoston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
(2008) (TV) - Criminal MindsCriminal MindsCriminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
(2009) (TV)