JoBeth Williams

The product of a musical family, (Margaret) 'JoBeth Williams' (qv) was born on December 6, 1948, in Houston, Texas, to Frances Faye (Adams), a dietitian, and Fredric Roger Williams, a wire/cable company manager and opera singer. Her father encouraged her early interest in theater during high school.She made her professional debut at age 18 in a Houston-based musical production, then studied at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, with the intentions of becoming a child psychologist. The acting bug hit her again, however, and she decided to pursue theater after receiving her B.A. in English in 1970. Working intensely to lose her Texas twang, her early training came as a member of the Trinity Repertory Company, where she stayed for two-and-a-half years.In New York the lovely 'Job' (qv)eth became a daytime regular in the mid-1970s on both _Somerset (1970)_ (qv) and in a vixenish role on _Guiding Light (1952)_ (qv) before making a brief but memorable impact in a highly popular film at the end of the decade. In the 'Dustin Hoffman' (qv) starring film _Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)_ (qv), 'Job' (qv)eth plays Hoffman's gorgeous sleepover who gets caught stark naked by his young, precocious son ('Justin Henry' (qv)) the following morning. She also impressed on the stage with major roles in "Moonchildren" and "A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking."Her star maker would could in the form of the strong-willed mother of three who fights to save her brood from home-invading demons in 'Steven Spielberg' (qv)'s humongous critical and box-office hit _Poltergeist (1982)_ (qv), which also made a major star out of movie husband 'Craig T. Nelson' (qv). Officially in the big leagues now, she joined the star ensemble cast of _The Big Chill (1983)_ (qv), and appeared opposite 'Nick Nolte' (qv) in _Teachers (1984)_ (qv). Disappointing outcomes in the lackluster sequel _Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)_ (qv) and the intriguing but overlooked _American Dreamer (1984)_ (qv) prodded her to search for more challenging work on TV.It is the small screen, in fact, that has particularly shown off the range of 'Job' (qv)eth's talent over the years, particularly in domestic drama. Cast in some of the finest TV-movies served up, 'Job' (qv)eth won deserved Emmy nominations for her real-life mother of an ill-fated missing child in _Adam (1983)_ (qv) and real-life surrogate mother in _Baby M (1988)_ (qv). Other monumental mini-movie efforts include her nurse in the apocalyptic drama _The Day After (1983)_ (qv); her magnetic performance opposite 'Terry Kinney' (qv) as an adulterous worshiper and minister who carry out plans to kill their respective spouses in the gripping suspense show _Murder Ordained (1987)_ (qv); alcoholic 'James Woods' (qv)' long-suffering wife in _My Name Is Bill W. (1989)_ (qv); a social worker trying to reach a deaf girl in _Breaking Through (1996)_ (qv); and the overbearing mother whose son turns to drugs in _Trapped in a Purple Haze (2000)_ (qv). She continues to balance both film and TV projects into the millennium.Behind the scenes she was nominated for an Academy Award for her directorial debut of Showtime's _On Hope (1994)_ (qv)and continues to seek out other directing projects. It doesn't hurt being married to a director for encouragement. She and 'John Pasquin' (qv), who directed her in the film _Jungle 2 Jungle (1997)_ (qv) and on the short-lived TV series _Payne (1999)_ (qv), have two children.Into the millennium, 'Job' (qv)eth starred as a psychiatrist in the offbeat crime drama _The Rose Technique (2002)_ (qv); then played a series of mom support roles -- 'Drew Barrymore' (qv)'s in _Fever Pitch (2005)_ (qv), 'Reiko Aylesworth' (qv)'s in _Crazylove (2005)_ (qv) and 'Adam Brody' (qv)'s in _In the Land of Women (2007)_ (qv); plus roles in _The Big Year (2011)_ (qv), _Songs of Alchemy (2012)_ (qv), _Barracuda (2017)_ (qv), _Alex & The List (2017)_ (qv), _SGT. Will Gardner (2019)_ (qv) and _What the Night Can Do (2020)_ (qv). In addition to guest appearances on such popular program as "The Guardian," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Judging Amy," "Miss Match," "Numb3rs," "Criminal Minds," "The Nine," "Dexter," "NCIS," "The Good Doctor," and recurring roles on _Private Practice (2007)_ (qv), _Hart of Dixie (2011)_ (qv), _Marry Me (2014)_ (qv) and _Your Family or Mine (2015)_ (qv), she earned kudos as Sybil's mentally disturbed mother in a revived TV movie version of _Sybil (2007)_ (qv).::Gary Brumburgh / [email protected]