Bonnie Bedelia – Celebrity Facts, Movies and TV Shows

Quick Facts

Bonnie Bedelia is an iconic Hollywood actress who has earned much critical acclaim in the course of her career, including a Golden Globe nomination and two Emmy Award nods. She first found fame in the 1960s on the hit soap opera Love of Life and later landed her first big-screen role in the 1969 action flick The Gypsy Moths.

Over the years, she has endeared herself to moviegoers around the world with her portrayal of roles in films like Die Hard, Heart Like a Wheel, The Big Fix and many others. She has equally recorded several notable television credits, including the crime series The Division in which she portrayed the lead character – Captain Kate McCafferty. Bedelia was also a series regular in the hit drama series Parenthood in which she played the role of Camille Braverman.

Early Life and Career Beginning

The actress was born on the 25th of March 1948 and at birth, she was given the name Bonnie Bedelia Culkin. She was born and raised in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Her mother, Marian Ethel (née Wagner), was a writer while her father, Philip Harley Culkin, was a journalist. She grew up alongside three siblings; two brothers, Christopher and Terry, and a sister named Candace. Sadly, she lost her parents when she was just a teenager.

Bedelia can be said to have been involved in show business all her life. At a young age, she studied ballet at the School of American Ballet in New York City and was featured in a couple of productions by the New York City Ballet. In 1958, she appeared in a TV production of The Nutcracker on an episode of the comedy series Playhouse 90. She later studied drama at the HB Studio, also in New York City.

Bonnie Bedelia’s Movies And TV Shows

As a teenager, Bonnie Bedelia got her first major acting role on the CBS soap opera Love of Life (1961-67) in which she portrayed Sandy Porter. She guest-starred on several other hit TV shows within that period and eventually landed his first feature film role in The Gypsy Moths (1969). She gained more attention when she starred in the highly-acclaimed film They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969) and this was followed by roles in many other movies, including Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), The Big Fix (1978), Heart Like a Wheel (1983) and The Stranger (1987).

Bedelia recorded much box office success when she appeared opposite Bruce Willis in the highly successful action thriller Die Hard (1988), as well as its sequel Die Hard 2 (1990). She equally had a role in the thriller film Presumed Innocent (1990) which was also a commercial hit. She also found major success on television just as her big-screen credits soared. The actress played the lead role of Anna Larsen in the series The New Land (1974) which lasted for just one season. The talented actress has also appeared in a countless number of TV films in the course of her career, some of which are Heatwave! (1974), Million Dollar Infield (1982), Switched at Birth (1991), A Mother’s Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story (1992), Her Costly Affair (1996), Any Mother’s Son (1997) and several others.

Bedelia landed one of the biggest roles of her career at the turn of the century when she played the lead role of Captain Kate McCafferty on the 4-season long crime series The Division (2001-2004). She was also on the main cast of the comedy series Sordid Lives: The Series (2008) but it did not last beyond its debut season. The iconic Hollywood star has also recorded a number of film credits since the turn of the century and they include Sordid Lives (2000), Manhood (2003), Munchausen (2013) and The Scent of Rain and Lightning (2017).

She played the role of family matriarch Camille Braverman on the NBC hit series Parenthood (2010-15). The talented actress also had a notable recurring role as Eva Booker in the political thriller series Designated Survivor (2017).

Meet Her Family – Husband and Children

Bonnie Bedelia is currently married to fellow actor Michael MacRae. The duo tied the knot back in 1995 and have had a blissful union ever since. Prior to this, the actress was previously married to scriptwriter Ken Luber from 1969 to 1980 when the union ended in divorce. Bedelia has two sons from her first marriage. She welcomed her first son, Uri Luber, in June 1970 and her younger son, Jonah Luber, was born in June 1976.

Other Facts About Bonnie Bedelia

• Accolades

Bonnie Bedelia’s performance in the 1983 biopic Heart Like a Wheel earned her a nomination for the 1984 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She received her first Emmy Award nomination for her guest role in the hit series Fallen Angels (1993) and landed another Emmy nomination for her role in the 1999 TV film Locked in Silence.

• Body Stats

Bonnie Bedelia is 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) tall. She sports an enviable physique and keeps her body weight at about 57 kg (126 lb). Now in her 70s, this iconic Hollywood star has maintained her ageless looks and can give 40-year-olds a good run for their money.

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