Beth_Howland

Beth Howland

Beth Howland

American actress (1941–2015)

Elizabeth Howland (May 28, 1941 – December 31, 2015)[1] was an American actress. She worked on stage and television, and was best known for playing waitress Vera Gorman in the sitcom Alice.[2]

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Howland originated the role of Amy in the original Broadway cast of Stephen Sondheim's Company, where she introduced the patter song "Getting Married Today".[3]

Early life

Howland was born on May 28, 1941, in Brighton, Massachusetts. At the age of 16, she left home and followed a dancer friend to New York City.[4] After a time of struggling, Howland made her Broadway debut in 1959 as Lady Beth in the musical Once Upon a Mattress, which transferred from off-Broadway. She went on to have roles in the musicals Bye Bye Birdie, High Spirits, Drat! The Cat! and Darling of the Day.[5]

Career

Howland can be seen dancing and singing in the chorus of the movie Li'l Abner (1959) as Clem's wife, alongside future television star Valerie Harper.[4] After appearing in Company, she left New York to relocate to California,[6] where she made guest appearances on television series such as Love, American Style; Cannon; The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Little House on the Prairie; Eight Is Enough; and The Love Boat.[7][8] For her work on Alice, Howland received four Golden Globe Award nominations. She later took on numerous telefilm roles, including You Can't Take It with You (as Essie) and A Caribbean Mystery.[9]

Beth Howland as Vera, Linda Lavin as Alice, and Polly Holliday as Flo on Alice (1976)

She remained on Alice throughout its nine seasons. After the sitcom ended in 1985, Howland went into semi-retirement. She made occasional guest appearances (including Murder, She Wrote; Chicken Soup for the Soul; Sabrina the Teenage Witch; and The Tick)[10] and starred in the ABC Afterschool Special, "Terrible Things My Mother Told Me".[11][12]

Personal life

From 1961 to 1969, Howland was married to actor Michael J. Pollard, with whom she had a daughter.[13]

In 2002, she wed actor Charles Kimbrough and remained married to him until her death in 2015. Kimbrough and Howland had appeared together in Company.[14]

Death

Howland died of lung cancer on December 31, 2015, at age 74. Per her request, her death was not reported to the media until May 24, 2016.

Filmography

More information Year, Title ...

References

  1. [1]
    "Beth Howland". ibdb.com. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  2. [2]
    "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  3. [3]
    "From Broadway To TV, An Actress' Death Takes Us Down Cultural Rabbit Hole". NPR.org. Weekend Edition. May 26, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  4. [4]
    Grimes, William (May 24, 2016). "Beth Howland, accident prone waitress from the sitcom Alice dies at 74". The New York Times. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  5. [5]
    Levitt, Haley (May 25, 2016). "Beth Howland, Company's Original Amy, Dies at 74". TheaterMania News. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  6. [6]
    "Original COMPANY Cast Member & 'ALICE' Star Beth Howland Dies at 74". Broadway World. May 25, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  7. [7]
    Adams, Char (May 25, 2016). "Alice Star Beth Howland Dead at 74". People. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  8. [8]
    Kenneally, Tim (May 25, 2016). "Beth Howland, Vera From Sitcom 'Alice,' Dies at 74". TheWrap. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  9. [9]
    Ellis, Ralph (May 25, 2016). "Actress Beth Howland dies; played waitress on TV show 'Alice'". CNN. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  10. [10]
    Pedersen, Erik (May 25, 2016). "Beth Howland Dies: Actress Who Played Vera On 'Alice' Was 74". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  11. [11]
    "Terrible Things My Mother Told Me". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  12. [12]
    O'Connor, John (January 19, 1988). "TV Review; 'Terrible Things My Mother Told Me'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  13. [13]
    "Actress Beth Howland, who played Vera on 'Alice', dies at 74". New York Daily News. Associated Press. May 25, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  14. [14]
    "Company". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2018-04-20. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  15. [15]
    "Li'l Abner". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  16. [16]
    "The Ted Bessell Show". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  17. [17]
    "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  18. [18]
    "You Can't Take It with You". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  19. [19]
    "Agatha Christie's: A Caribbean Mystery". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
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