Betty Thomas

'Betty Thomas' (qv) was born July 27, 1947 in St. Louis, Missouri, graduating from Ohio University with a BA in fine arts. Initially sidetracked, Betty first taught school in Chicago but found herself restricted and needing more of an open forum for self-expression than a classroom. She found herself drawn inextricably to comedy. After toiling as a waitress, she became part of the Second City improvisational troupe where she made use of her towering (6' 1") imposing features in aggressive routines and sketches. True to form, she made her film debut in the sketch satire _Tunnel Vision (1976)_ (qv) which parodied TV programming. The movie is lesser known today for its satirical bite and more for its exceptional cast of up-and-coming comedy artists at the time including 'Chevy Chase' (qv), 'Laraine Newman' (qv), 'John Candy' (qv), 'Joe Flaherty' (qv), 'Gerrit Graham' (qv), 'Howard Hesseman' (qv), and the team of 'Al Franken' (qv) and 'Tom Davis' (qv). Other innocuous comedies/spoofs followed such as _Chesty Anderson U.S. Navy (1976)_ (qv), _Used Cars (1980)_ (qv), and _Coming Attractions (1978)_ (qv) which, at the very least, helped to bulk up her comedy resume. She also appeared as a regular on _The Fun Factory (1976)_ (qv), which was three parts quiz show, silly sketches, and audience participation.Ironically, Betty achieved her stardom not in comedy but in hard-hitting drama. Doing a complete about face as tough-talking Officer Lucille Bates on the hit police series _Hill Street Blues (1981)_ (qv), she displayed both grit and vulnerability as she stood nose-to-nose alongside the rest of the male-oriented precinct. She was nominated for six Emmys in all and won the "Best Supporting Actress" trophy in 1985. Some equally compelling mini-movie roles came along with this success. In the late 1980s, Betty made an abrupt and concentrated move into TV and film directing, one of her last acting roles being that of the butch, underhanded scoutmaster (and 'Shelley Long' (qv)'s misery-inducing nemesis) in the obvious comedy film _Troop Beverly Hills (1989)_ (qv).Betty received her bookend Emmy award while directing the cable sitcom _Dream On (1990)_ (qv). She never lost her taste for comedy satire, however. One of her major box office successes would come with the spot-on parody _The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)_ (qv). She has continued in this lighter vein of late, guiding the one-man promotion machine 'Howard Stern' (qv) to a surprisingly entertaining critical hit with _Private Parts (1997)_ (qv), which was based on his memoirs, the 'Jennifer Love Hewitt' (qv) film _Can't Hardly Wait (1998)_ (qv), _I Spy (2002)_ (qv), an updated remake of the 1960s TV series, and _Surviving Christmas (2004)_ (qv). In recent years she has directed TV movies and episodes of such series as "Audrey" and "Grace and Frankie."::Gary Brumburgh / [email protected]