JoBeth Williams Biography

Fast Facts

• Inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in 2006 alongside Matthew McConaughey, Kris Kristofferson, Cybill Shepherd and Lyle Lovett
• Attended Brown University with the intention of becoming a child psychologist
• Got her start in show business with roles on several soap operas including "Guiding Light" and "Somerset," later moving on to feature films with 1980's "Stir Crazy․"
• Made her screen acting debut in the TV series "Jabberwocky" in 1974, in which her character was also named JoBeth
• While attending college, she took voice lessons to neutralize her Texan accent for future acting jobs
• Quote: "Out of 200 or so movies made last year [2006], only seven were directed by women․ There's been an enormous leap of women producers and heads of studios, but strangely enough, those women haven't given other women a boost․ It's very frustrating․"
• Best known for playing Diane Freeling in "Poltergeist" and Phyllis Bernard in "Kramer vs․ Kramer․"
• Turned down the lead role in "Murphy Brown," a role that was reportedly made for her by creator Diane English