Beth Broderick
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Alice "Beth" Broderick (born February 24, 1959) is an American actress famous for her portrayal of the character Zelda Spellman
in the television sitcom Sabrina, the Teenage Witch from 1996–2003 on ABC
and then the Warner Bros.
network.
, Kentucky
and grew up in Huntington Beach, California
. Even as a child, Beth was interested in theater. She graduated from high school
at sixteen and then from the American Academy of Arts
in Pasadena, California
, at the age of eighteen. Afterwards, she moved to New York
to pursue an acting career. Her mother's name is Nina Broderick. She has two sisters and one brother.
and were financially unsuccessful. Again as Norris O'Neal she appeared in the mainstream comedy Sex Appeal (1986). In 1986 she had small roles in If Looks Could Kill, Student Affairs, Young Nurses in Love, and Slammer Girls, a spoof of the women in prison film genre.
Her first significant role was in Stealing Home
(1988) where she played the sexy neighbor who seduces a young, innocent Jonathan Silverman. In 1990, she had a small part in The Bonfire of the Vanities
. Her movie credits include Man of the Year
(1995), Maternal Instincts (1996), Breast Men
(1997), Psycho Beach Party
(2000) and The Inner Circle (2003). She also played a small role in the movie Fools Rush In (1997), with Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek, as a business woman. In the film Timber Falls
, she played a crazy religious woman, who together with her husband and brother, torture couples who break the rules of chastity while camping.
Her television credits include Married With Children, The 5 Mrs. Buchanans, Hearts Afire
, Supernatural
and Glory Days
. She has also guest starred on Northern Exposure
in the 1992 episode "It Happened In Juneau", playing a lusty doctor hunting for a one night stand with Dr. Joel Fleischman played by Rob Morrow
. In 1997 she appeared in the racy Showtime series Women: Stories of Passion
("The Bitter and the Sweet" 2:17). She also had a minor, recurring role in the hit ABC series, Lost
, as Kate Austen
's mother, Diane and also played a minor role in CSI: Miami
during a tsunami where she played a neighbor to CSI Ryan Wolfe's uncle. More recently, she had guest starring roles on Leverage
and Castle
.
She has also appeared in several theater productions like Carnal Knowledge
, Triplets in Uniform and Zastrozzi, the Master of Discipline (which she also co-produced). In New York she has starred in The Mousetrap
, The Lion in Winter
and many more. She was recently in the Chicago Northlight Theatre production of the one woman show titled Bad Dates. She has also played a role in Women: Stories of Passion
.
Broderick has written A Cup of Joe, Wonderland and Literatti with Dennis Bailey. She directed three episodes of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch:
"Guilty!" (2002), "Cloud Ten" (2002), "Making the Grade" (2001).
during production of Bonfire of the Vanities
.
She has been active in the battle against AIDS
since 1984 and she is the founding director of Momentum, one of the first organizations in New York established to assist people with AIDS. Broderick was also a founding member of the Celebrity Action Council of the City Light Women's Rehabilitation Program at the Los Angeles Mission, which provides hands-on service to homeless women, helps them to overcome substance abuse and learn job skills to help them reclaim their lives and families. She appears in a promotional video for Camp Wellstone saying she attended the camp because she wants to run for office.
Her favorite authors are: Reynolds Price
, Tim McLaurin, Jim Harrison, and Truman Capote
. She optioned the novel "The Last Great Snake Show", written by Tim McLaurin. Her writing partner is Dennis Bailey. Her interests are gourmet cooking, flower arranging, reading, and writing.
Beth currently resides in Southern California.
Zelda Spellman
Zelda Spellman is a fictional character featured in the classic Archie comic book Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She is a full witch and lives in the fictional town of Greendale...
in the television sitcom Sabrina, the Teenage Witch from 1996–2003 on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and then the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
network.
Early life
Broderick was born in FalmouthFalmouth, Kentucky
Falmouth is a small city in Pendleton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,058 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pendleton County and is the meeting point of the South and Main forks of the Licking River.-Geography:...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and grew up in Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
. Even as a child, Beth was interested in theater. She graduated from high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
at sixteen and then from the American Academy of Arts
American Academy of Arts
The American Academy of Arts is an independent, non-profit film school located in Escondido, California. It specializes in visual and digital media arts education and is staffed by working Hollywood and independent film professionals...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, at the age of eighteen. Afterwards, she moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to pursue an acting career. Her mother's name is Nina Broderick. She has two sisters and one brother.
Career
Billed as Beth Alison Broderick and later as Norris O'Neal, she made her debut in two adult films, In Love (1983) and Bordello: House of the Rising Sun (1985). Both roles portrayed her as a lesbianLesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
and were financially unsuccessful. Again as Norris O'Neal she appeared in the mainstream comedy Sex Appeal (1986). In 1986 she had small roles in If Looks Could Kill, Student Affairs, Young Nurses in Love, and Slammer Girls, a spoof of the women in prison film genre.
Her first significant role was in Stealing Home
Stealing Home
Stealing Home is a 1988 movie, starring Mark Harmon, Jodie Foster, Jonathan Silverman, and Harold Ramis. The film is directed by Steven Kampmann and William Porter.-Plot summary:...
(1988) where she played the sexy neighbor who seduces a young, innocent Jonathan Silverman. In 1990, she had a small part in The Bonfire of the Vanities
The Bonfire of the Vanities (film)
The Bonfire of the Vanities is a 1990 American film adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Tom Wolfe. The film was directed by Brian De Palma and stars Tom Hanks as Sherman McCoy, Bruce Willis as Peter Fallow, Melanie Griffith as Maria Ruskin, and Kim Cattrall as Judy McCoy,...
. Her movie credits include Man of the Year
Man of the Year (1995 film)
Man of the Year is a mockumentary written, directed by, and starring Dirk Shafer. The film is a fictionalized account of Shafer's reign as Playgirl magazine's 1992 "Man of the Year" and his struggle with reconciling his public persona as a sex symbol to women with his identity as a gay man...
(1995), Maternal Instincts (1996), Breast Men
Breast Men
Breast Men is a 1997 United States semibiographical, dark comedy film written by John Stockwell and directed by Lawrence O'Neil for HBO.- Plot :The film tells the tale of the doctors who pioneered the usage of silicone breast implants...
(1997), Psycho Beach Party
Psycho Beach Party
Psycho Beach Party is a 2000 Comedy horror film based on the off-Broadway play of the same name, directed by Robert Lee King. Charles Busch wrote both the original play and the screenplay...
(2000) and The Inner Circle (2003). She also played a small role in the movie Fools Rush In (1997), with Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek, as a business woman. In the film Timber Falls
Timber Falls
Timber Falls is a 2007 horror-thriller film with elements of a slasher film directed by Tony Giglio, it stars Josh Randall and Brianna Brown.It is a R-Rated film for strong bloody horror violence, torture, language and some sexuality.- Plot :...
, she played a crazy religious woman, who together with her husband and brother, torture couples who break the rules of chastity while camping.
Her television credits include Married With Children, The 5 Mrs. Buchanans, Hearts Afire
Hearts Afire
Hearts Afire is a sitcom that aired from September 14, 1992 to February 1, 1995 on CBS. It starred John Ritter and Markie Post, with Post portraying a journalist and Ritter playing a senator's aide....
, Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
and Glory Days
Glory Days (TV series)
Glory Days is an American horror/mystery-based television series broadcast from January to March 2002 on The WB Television Network...
. She has also guest starred on Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
in the 1992 episode "It Happened In Juneau", playing a lusty doctor hunting for a one night stand with Dr. Joel Fleischman played by Rob Morrow
Rob Morrow
Robert Alan "Rob" Morrow is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Don Eppes on Numb3rs and as Dr. Joel Fleischman on Northern Exposure, a role which garnered him three Golden Globes and two Emmy Award nominations for "Best Actor in a Dramatic Series."-Personal life:Morrow was born in...
. In 1997 she appeared in the racy Showtime series Women: Stories of Passion
Women: Stories of Passion
Women: Stories of Passion is a dramatic series that aired on the American cable television network Showtime and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas.The episodes were based on stories of love, and passion from a women's point of view....
("The Bitter and the Sweet" 2:17). She also had a minor, recurring role in the hit ABC series, Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, as Kate Austen
Kate Austen
Katherine Anne "Kate" Austen is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost, played by Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly. She is the de facto female lead...
's mother, Diane and also played a minor role in CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
during a tsunami where she played a neighbor to CSI Ryan Wolfe's uncle. More recently, she had guest starring roles on Leverage
Leverage (TV series)
Leverage is an American television drama series on TNT that premiered in December 2008. The series is produced by director/executive producer Dean Devlin's production company Electric Television...
and Castle
Castle (TV series)
Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season...
.
She has also appeared in several theater productions like Carnal Knowledge
Carnal knowledge
Carnal knowledge is an archaic or legal euphemism for sexual intercourse. The term derives from the Biblical usage of the verb know/knew, as in the King James and other versions, a euphemism for sexual conduct...
, Triplets in Uniform and Zastrozzi, the Master of Discipline (which she also co-produced). In New York she has starred in The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. The Mousetrap opened in the West End of London in 1952, and has been running continuously since then. It has the longest initial run of any play in history, with over 24,500 performances so far. It is the longest running show of the modern...
, The Lion in Winter
The Lion in Winter
-Synopsis:Set during Christmas 1183 at Henry II of England's château in Chinon, Anjou, Angevin Empire, the play opens with the arrival of Henry's wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, whom he has had imprisoned since 1173...
and many more. She was recently in the Chicago Northlight Theatre production of the one woman show titled Bad Dates. She has also played a role in Women: Stories of Passion
Women: Stories of Passion
Women: Stories of Passion is a dramatic series that aired on the American cable television network Showtime and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas.The episodes were based on stories of love, and passion from a women's point of view....
.
Broderick has written A Cup of Joe, Wonderland and Literatti with Dennis Bailey. She directed three episodes of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch:
"Guilty!" (2002), "Cloud Ten" (2002), "Making the Grade" (2001).
Personal life
She was married to Brian Porizek on January 26, 1998 and divorced him July 11, 2000 and married Scott Paetty on April 29, 2005. She had a year-long romance with director Brian De PalmaBrian De Palma
Brian Russell De Palma is an American film director and writer. In a career spanning over 40 years, he is probably best known for his suspense and crime thriller films, including such box office successes as the horror film Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Scarface, The Untouchables, and Mission:...
during production of Bonfire of the Vanities
The Bonfire of the Vanities (film)
The Bonfire of the Vanities is a 1990 American film adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Tom Wolfe. The film was directed by Brian De Palma and stars Tom Hanks as Sherman McCoy, Bruce Willis as Peter Fallow, Melanie Griffith as Maria Ruskin, and Kim Cattrall as Judy McCoy,...
.
She has been active in the battle against AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
since 1984 and she is the founding director of Momentum, one of the first organizations in New York established to assist people with AIDS. Broderick was also a founding member of the Celebrity Action Council of the City Light Women's Rehabilitation Program at the Los Angeles Mission, which provides hands-on service to homeless women, helps them to overcome substance abuse and learn job skills to help them reclaim their lives and families. She appears in a promotional video for Camp Wellstone saying she attended the camp because she wants to run for office.
Her favorite authors are: Reynolds Price
Reynolds Price
Reynolds Price was an American novelist, poet, dramatist, essayist and the James B. Duke Professor of English at Duke University. Apart from English literature, Price had a lifelong interest in ancient languages and Biblical scholarship...
, Tim McLaurin, Jim Harrison, and Truman Capote
Truman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
. She optioned the novel "The Last Great Snake Show", written by Tim McLaurin. Her writing partner is Dennis Bailey. Her interests are gourmet cooking, flower arranging, reading, and writing.
Beth currently resides in Southern California.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Stealing Home Stealing Home Stealing Home is a 1988 movie, starring Mark Harmon, Jodie Foster, Jonathan Silverman, and Harold Ramis. The film is directed by Steven Kampmann and William Porter.-Plot summary:... |
Lesley | |
| 1990 | Married with Children Married... with Children Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created... |
Miss Penza | 1 episode |
| 1990 | Bonfire of the Vanities The Bonfire of the Vanities (film) The Bonfire of the Vanities is a 1990 American film adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Tom Wolfe. The film was directed by Brian De Palma and stars Tom Hanks as Sherman McCoy, Bruce Willis as Peter Fallow, Melanie Griffith as Maria Ruskin, and Kim Cattrall as Judy McCoy,... |
Caroline Heftshank | |
| 1992 | Hearts Afire Hearts Afire Hearts Afire is a sitcom that aired from September 14, 1992 to February 1, 1995 on CBS. It starred John Ritter and Markie Post, with Post portraying a journalist and Ritter playing a senator's aide.... |
Dee Dee Starr | Series regular |
| 1995 | Man of the Year Man of the Year (1995 film) Man of the Year is a mockumentary written, directed by, and starring Dirk Shafer. The film is a fictionalized account of Shafer's reign as Playgirl magazine's 1992 "Man of the Year" and his struggle with reconciling his public persona as a sex symbol to women with his identity as a gay man... |
||
| 1996 | Maternal Instincts | ||
| 1996–2002 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Zelda Spellman | Series regular |
| 1997 | Fools Rush In | ||
| 2000 | Psycho Beach Party Psycho Beach Party Psycho Beach Party is a 2000 Comedy horror film based on the off-Broadway play of the same name, directed by Robert Lee King. Charles Busch wrote both the original play and the screenplay... |
Ruth Forrest | |
| 2003 | The Inner Circle | ||
| 2005–2008 | Lost Lost (TV series) Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island... |
Diane Janssen | 5 episodes |
| 2006 | Supernatural Supernatural (TV series) Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they... |
Alice Miller | 1 episode |
| 2008 | ER ER (TV series) ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television... |
Edith Landry | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Will & Grace Will & Grace Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters... |
1 episode | |
| 2007 | Timber Falls Timber Falls Timber Falls is a 2007 horror-thriller film with elements of a slasher film directed by Tony Giglio, it stars Josh Randall and Brianna Brown.It is a R-Rated film for strong bloody horror violence, torture, language and some sexuality.- Plot :... |
Ida | |
| 2009 | Leverage Leverage (TV series) Leverage is an American television drama series on TNT that premiered in December 2008. The series is produced by director/executive producer Dean Devlin's production company Electric Television... |
Monica Hunter | 1 episode |
| 2010 | Castle Castle (TV series) Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season... |
Barbara Mann | 1 episode |
| 2010 | Revenge of the Bridesmaids Revenge of the Bridesmaids Revenge of the Bridesmaids is a 2010 ABC Family Original Movie that premiered on July 18, 2010. It stars Raven-Symoné and Joanna Garcia as undercover bridesmaids with a mission to break up a wedding.- Plot :... |
Olivia | TV movie |
| 2010 | (818) | Alyssa Rampart-Pillage | Post-production |
| 2011 | Fly Away | Jeanne | Post-production |
| 2011 | The Muppets The Muppets (film) The Muppets is a 2011 American musical and comedy film, and the first Muppets theatrical release in 12 years, as well as the first Disney-produced Muppets film since 1996's Muppet Treasure Island... |
Flora the flower lady (cameo) | Filming |