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Betsy Aidem
Aidem in 2010
Born (1957-10-28) October 28, 1957 (age 66)
East Meadow, Long Island, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, director
Years active1982–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1987; div. 1996)​
Children1

Betsy Aidem (born October 28, 1957) is an American actress who has worked in film, television and stage. Her film work includes The Bleeding House, See You in the Morning, A Vigilante, and Aeris. Her television work includes The High Life and The Americans, appearing in the latter in the episodes "Safe House" and "Covert War". Her stage work includes Steel Magnolias and Five Women Wearing the Same Dress.

Background

An Obie Award winner,[1] Aidem first became interested in acting while she was in high school. Her debut was as a fairy in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.[2] She is also a stage play director and her first professional production was in 2018, A Doll's House, Part 2, which was a stage production of the Lucas Hnath comedy.[3] She was the first wife of William Fichtner and had a child with him.[4]

Career

Stage work

Midway through 2009, Aidem was in Nicki Bloom's Tender, a story about an act of violence that destroys a family. The play, directed by Daniela Topol, also starred Kerry Bishé, Michael Cullen, and Matt Dellapina.[5] In October 2018, she appeared as the loony and flamboyant Professor Carroway in Love Course which was about two eccentric neurotics, Carroway and Professor Burgess, teaching a course in romantic literature and two students who attend the course and end up teaching it.[6][7]

Film work

Her earliest film work was in the 1982 film A Little Sex, where she played a passer-by.[8] In 1985, she appeared in the television film Kojak: The Belarus File as Elissa Barak.[9]

She appeared in Sarah Daggar-Nickson's 2018 film A Vigilante which starred Olivia Wilde, Morgan Spector and Kyle Catlett.[10] Also that year she was in Aeris, a film about a couple adopting a sick kitten.[11]

Television shows

Her work on television shows includes reoccurring roles on The High Life as Irene,[12][13] and as Dr. Sloane on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.[14][15]

Stage appearances

Title Role Director Year Notes #
Balm in Gilead Kay John Malkovich 1984 Off-Broadway
Crossing the Bar Performer Jerry Zaks 1985 Off-Broadway
A Lie of the Mind Sally Sam Shepard 1985 Off-Broadway
Steel Magnolias Shelby Pamela Berlin 1987 Off-Broadway
Road Carol Simon Curtis 1987 Off-Broadway
The Night Hank Williams Died Nellie Bess Powers Clark Christopher Ashley 1989 Off-Broadway
Five Women Wearing the Same Dress Georgeanne Melia Bensussen 1993 Off-Broadway
Teible and Her Demon Teible Daniel Gerroll 1994 Off-Broadway
The Butterfly Collection Performer Bartlett Sher 2000 Off-Broadway
Good Thing Nancy Roy Jo Bonney 2001 Off-Broadway
Sea of Tranquility Phyllis Neil Pepe 2004 Off-Broadway
Celebration and The Room Julie Neil Pepe 2005 Off-Broadway
Mary Rose Mrs. Moreland Tina Landau 2007 Off-Broadway
Crooked Elise Liz Diamond 2008 Off-Broadway
Tender Daniela Topol 2009 Off-Broadway
The Metal Children Lynne / Roberta Cupp Adam Rapp 2010 Off-Broadway
Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling Performer Neil Pepe 2011 Off-Broadway
Nikolai and the Others Lisa Sokoloff David Cromer 2013 Off-Broadway
All the Way Lady Bird Johnson / various Bill Rauch 2014 Broadway[16]
Mama's Boy Marguerite Oswald Brian P. Allen 2015 Regional[17]
Final Follies Wilma Trumbo/Professor Carroway David Saint 2018 Off-Broadway
Prayer for the French Republic Marcelle Salomon Benhamou David Cromer 2022 Off-Broadway
Leopoldstadt Grandma Emilia Patrick Marber 2022 Original Broadway Production
Prayer for the French Republic Marcelle Salomon Benhamou David Cromer 2023 Original Broadway Production

Partial filmography

Title Role Director Year Notes
A Little Sex Passerby Bruce Paltrow 1982
Kojak: The Belarus File Elissa Barak Robert Markowitz 1985
See You in the Morning Larry's Sister-in-Law Alan J. Pakula 1989
Fool's Fire Lady Angela Julie Taymor 1992
Nine Months Gail's Nurse Chris Columbus 1995
Music of the Heart Mrs Lamb Wes Craven 1999
You Can Count on Me Minister Kenneth Lonergan 2000
Maze Lydia Rob Morrow 2000
Far from Heaven Pool Mother Todd Haynes 2002
People I Know Talia Greene Dan Algrant 2002
Winter Passing Nurse Adam Rapp 2005
Confess Julie Bradford Stefan Schaefer 2005
The Attic Ms. Kettering Mary Lambert 2007
Motherhood Jordan's Mom Katherine Dieckmann 2009
The Bleeding Marilyn Philip Gelatt 2011
Mr. Popper's Penguins Tavern Hostess Mark Waters 2011
The Oranges Anne Allen Julian Farino 2011
Margaret Abigail Kenneth Lonergan 2011
Arbitrage Vogler's Secretary Nicholas Jarecki 2012
The Greatest Showman Mrs. Carlyle Michael Gracey 2017
A Vigilante Andrea Shaund Sarah Daggar-Nickson 2018

References

  1. ^ Playbill, September 12, 2018 - Off-Broadway News, Final Follies, a Trio of One-Act Plays by A.R. Gurney, Begins Off-Broadway By Olivia Clement Archived 2019-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Broadway World, Oct. 10, 2016 - BWW Interview: Betsy Aidem and MAMA'S BOY at George Street Playhouse 10/18 to 11/6 by Marina Kennedy Archived 2019-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ New Jersey Stage, 11/19/2018 - A Look At Betsy Aidem, Director of "A Doll's House, Part 2" at George Street Playhouse By Charles Paolino Archived 2019-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ The Globe and Mail, February 25, 2011 - There's more to William Fichtner than crazy roles Johanna Schneller Archived 2020-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ TheaterMainia, June 23, 2009 - THEATER NEWS, Ari Graynor, Doug Kreeger, Peter Scanavino, Ally Sheedy, et al. Set for 2009 Summer Play Festival - Brian Scott Lipton Archived 2019-03-27 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ The New York Observer, 10/04/18 - REVIEW, A.R. Gurney Listened to Critics, Wrote This Triptych of Stupidity By Rex Reed Archived 2019-03-27 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ New York Theatre Guide, October 8, 2018 - Review of Primary Stages' Final Follies at Cherry Lane Theatre - Review By: David Walters Archived 2019-03-27 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Rotten Tomatoes - Betsy Aidem, Filmography, Movies Archived 2019-03-18 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Unsold Television Pilots: 1955-1989, By Lee Goldberg - 2046. The Return of Kojak (aka Kojak: The Belarus File) Archived 2022-08-11 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ The Hollywood Reporter, 3/11/2018 - 'A Vigilante': Film Review | SXSW 2018 by John DeFore Archived 2019-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Rotten Tomatoes - Aeris (2018) Archived 2020-07-31 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Variety Magazine, November 4, 1996 - The High Life By Jeremy Gerard Archived 2019-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Single Season Sitcoms of the 1990s: A Complete Guide, By Bob Leszczak - Page 84 Single Season Sitcoms of the 1990s Archived 2022-08-11 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ TV.com - Betsy Aidem, Credits, Guest Star Archived 2019-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ Who Was Who on TV, Volume 2, By Norman Chance - Page 282 Archived 2022-08-11 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Broadway World - Betsy Aidem Broadway and Theatre Credits, Stage Performances Archived 2019-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ Boyle, April (Nov 3, 2015). "Theater Review: 'Mama's Boy' an intriguing play about Oswald family". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved Dec 27, 2020.

External links

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