Kathleen Beller
| Kathleen Beller | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 19, 1956 Westchester, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1965-present |
| Spouse(s) | Thomas Dolby |
Kathleen Beller (born February 19, 1956) is an American actress. She came to attention after being nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in Promises in the Dark (1979) and became well known for her role as Kirby Anders on the primetime soap opera Dynasty which she played for two years. She also had a small role in The Godfather Part II and a featured role in The Betsy opposite Tommy Lee Jones and Laurence Olivier.
Beller started her career by appearing in several commercials. She debuted on television in 1971, taking over the role of Liza Walton Sentell in the daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow which was originated by Denise Nickerson. She appeared on the show until 1974, when she quit to move from New York City to Los Angeles. After arriving, Don Most arranged for her to get an agent.
Her film debut was a small role in 1974's The Godfather Part II, portraying an actress in a play that the young Vito Corleone and Genco Abbandando attended. Later on she was recognized more for her television work, appearing in TV movies and guest starring in television series, notably the soap Dynasty. She played Betsy in 1978's The Betsy, starring Laurence Olivier, Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall. With this role Beller hoped to end her television career and start her film career, as she commented in an October 1977 interview:
Despite the optimism, the film was panned and Beller soon was forgotten. She blamed this on the contents of her role, complaining it could have been played by anyone.
She soon returned to television work, appearing in TV movies such as Mary White (1977) and Are You in the House Alone? (1978). Beller recalled the exhausting casting procedure of Mary White, which lasted daily for three weeks. Meanwhile, Beller continued a career on the big screen. Following a supporting role in the 1978 musical comedy Movie Movie, she was cast as a cancer victim opposite Marsha Mason in the drama film Promises in the Dark (1979), that brought her a Golden Globe nomination. She spent three months researching the role, and although she later recalled it as one of her favorite roles, the film was a commercial failure. After filming, she chose a "happy, upbeat part" as her next project.
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