Bernadette Peters

Photo of Bernadette Peters

Biography

Instantly recognizable for her curly red hair and porcelain doll features, Bernadette Peters was already a seasoned theater actress when she broke through with 1968's "Dames at Sea. " Her critical triumphs as the star of a series of stage musicals earned her multiple Tony and Drama Desk Awards, and she earned an amazing track record with acclaimed turns in "Song and Dance," "Sunday in the Park with George," "Into the Woods," "Annie Get Your …
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Job Title

Actor, Music

Born

February 28, 1948

Career Milestones

Occasionally filled in as guest co-host on "Live With Regis"

1953

At age five, appeared on "Juvenile Jury" and "The Horn & Hardart Children's Hour"

1958

New York stage debut in "The Most Happy Fella"

1961

Toured in "Gypsy"; understudied the role of Dainty June; played a Hollywood Blonde in production numbers; first professional collaboration with Stephen Sondheim

1965

Moved to NYC at age 17 to pursue a stage career

1966

Appeared in the off-Broadway shows "The Penny Friend" (1966) and "Curly McDimple" (1967)

1967

Broadway debut, understudied lead role in "The Girl in the Freudian Slip"

1967

Made actual Broadway performing debut in "Johnny No-Trump"

1968

Landed star-making role in off-Broadway production of "Dames at Sea"

1968

Part in the pre-Broadway tour of "A Mother's Kisses" was written out

1968

Played featured role of Josie Cohan in short-lived musical "George M!" opposite Joel Grey

1969

First starring role on Broadway in "La Strada"; musical closed on opening night

1970

Appeared in the out of town tryout of "W.C.," a musical biography of W C Fields

1970

Recreated her stage role of Josie Cohan in the NBC telecast of "George M!"

1971

Co-starred in the revival of "On the Town"; garnered first Tony nomination

1972

Supported Carol Burnett in the CBS telecast of the musical "Once Upon a Mattress"

1973

Film acting debut, "Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies"

1974

Co-starred as silent screen actress Mabel Normand opposite Robert Preston as Mack Sennett in the Jerry Herman musical "Mack and Mabel"

1976

Appeared in the film biography "W C and Me"

1976

Cast in starring role as Charlotte Drake on sitcom "All's Fair" (CBS)

1978

Netted first Emmy nomination for an appearance on the syndicated "The Muppet Show"

1979

First screen collaboration with Steve Martin, "The Jerk"

1980

Played featured role in the NBC miniseries "The Martian Chronicles"

1981

Appeared in one of her best screen roles as the schoolteacher girlfriend of Steve Martin in Herbert Ross' "Pennies from Heaven"

1982

Landed rare non-musical stage role in off-Broadway play "Sally and Marsha"

1982

Played the role of Lily in John Huston's film version of "Annie"

1983

Starred with Mandy Patinkin in the Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical "Sunday in the Park with George"

1985

Won Tony Award for role of Emma in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Song and Dance"; Peters appeared alone onstage in the first act

1986

Recreated stage role of Dot in TV version of "Sunday in the Park with George" (Showtime)

1987

Reteamed with Sondheim and Lapine for the stage musical "Into the Woods," based on fairy tales; Peters portrayed the Witch

1988

Made dramatic acting debut in the ABC TV-movie "David," playing the mother of a boy set on fire by his father

1989

Cast as the leading lady to Clint Eastwood in "Pink Cadillac"

1989

Starred in the Merchant-Ivory production "Slaves of New York"

1990

Portrayed televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker (opposite Kevin Spacey) in the NBC biopic "Fall From Grace"

1991

Played supporting role in the feature "Impromptu," directed by James Lapine

1991

Recreated stage role of the Witch in PBS TV version of "Into the Woods"

1993

Provided voice of Rita the cat on "Steven Spielberg Presents the Animaniacs"

1993

Starred in ill-fated musical version of "The Goodbye Girl"; played opposite Martin Short

1996

Solo concert debut at Carnegie Hall (December); concert was recorded

1997

Played the Wicked Stepmother in ABC remake of "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella"

1997

Voiced character of Sophie in the animated feature "Anastasia"

1998

Made Australian concert debut

1999

Appeared as an overprotective Jewish mother in the independent feature "Let It Snow" (formerly "Snow Days"); premiered at Sundance; released theatrically in 2001

1999

Headlined a revival of Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun"; won second Tony award

1999

Starred in the PBS special "Bernadette Peters in Concert," filmed in London

2001

Landed recurring role on Fox's "Ally McBeal"; received Emmy nomination

2002

Co-starred in the TNT production "Prince Charming"

2002

Starred opposite Rachel Ward, playing a lesbian couple who adopt a child in "Bobbie's Girl"

2003

Portrayed Michael Douglas' wife in the film "It Runs in the Family," co-starring Kirk Douglas

2003

Undertook role of Mama Rose in Broadway revival of "Gypsy," staged by Sam Mendes

2006

Guest starred as Karen Walker's (Megan Mullally) sister on NBC's "Will & Grace"

2009

Landed recurring guest role as magazine mogul Jodie Papadakis on ABC's "Ugly Betty"

2011

Starred in the Broadway revival of "Follies"

2012

Guest starred on NBC's "Smash" as the mother of aspiring theater star Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty)

Awards

1976

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Silent Movie

1976

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy Or Musical in All's Fair

1978

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance By a Supporting Actress In Variety or Music in The Muppet Show

1981

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Pennies From Heaven

1986

Tony Award for Actress (Musical)

1999

Tony Award for Actress (Musical)

2001

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Comedy Series in Ally McBeal

2012

Tony Award for Isabelle Stevenson Award