Name: Betty Buckley
Date of Birth: 3 July 1947
Also has an extensive Broadway career under her belt.
Graduated from Texas Christian University (Ft. Worth, TX)
Competed in the 1966 Miss Texas Pageant as Miss Fort Worth. Was invited to appear as a dancer/singer at the 1967 Miss America Pageant.
Played Carrie's mother, Margaret White, in the Broadway musical version of "Carrie". In the film Carrie (1976), Buckley played the gym teacher.
Member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.
Sang backup on Roberta Flack's 1974 hit album "Feel Like Makin' Love".
... Won Broadway's 1983 Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role - Musical) for "Cats." In 1998, she was Tony-nominated as Best Actress (Musical) for "Triumph of Love."
Along with her 1983 Tony Award and 1998 nomination, she has been nominated for two Emmy Awards and two Grammy Awards. "Over You", the song she sang in the 1983 movie, Tender Mercies (1983), was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Song of the Year.
Worked for one year at a local Texas newspaper prior to going to New York to try her luck as an actress. On her first day after arriving in New York Buckley was cast in one of the two female roles for the Broadway musical "1776".
Inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame on March 9, 2007 in Austin, Texas.
Practices therapy and spiritual meditation.
Was encouraged to participate in beauty pageants. She was crowned Miss Fort Worth, but lost the "Miss Texas" title. Nevertheless, she was asked to sing at the Miss America pageant in 1967.
Saw a production of "The Pajama Game" at the Casa Ma?ana in Fort Worth at age 11 and during the classic "Steam Heat" dance number knew that acting was what she wanted to do.
Left New York after 9/11 and presently has a 35-acre ranch in Fort Worth, Texas, with her four dogs, two cats, three horses and an African gray parrot. She is learning how to ride cutting horses, a practice that dates back to the Old West.
Has taught courses and workshops emphasizing the role of meditation in actor training at the University of Texas at Arlington and elsewhere.
Replaced wife and mother Diana Hyland on the "Eight Is Enough" (1977) series after the actress became ill and died from breast cancer. Hyland had taped only four episodes and the series returned with father Dick Van Patten a widower. Buckley came into the show as a love interest and the couple eventually married.
Studied acting with Stella Adler after going to New York. Almost immediately got the Martha Jefferson role in "1776".
Studied journalism at Texas Christian University and worked at the Fort Worth Press for a year where she covered hard news and was a rodeo reporter.
Daughter of Ernest (a dean of engineering and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force) and Betty Bob Diltz (a dancer and journalist). Her father vehemently disapproved of her becoming an actress which caused her great emotional distress.
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