Betty Buckley parents: Meet Ernest Lynn Buckley & Betty Bob

Betty Lynn Buckley was born on July 3, 1947, and is an American actress and singer.

Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Olivier Award. In 2012, she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Buckley won the 1983 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of Cats.

She went on to play Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (1994–96) in both London and New York, receiving a 1995 Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical and was nominated for the 1997 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Triumph of Love.

Her other Broadway credits include 1776 (1969), Pippin (1973), and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1985). From September 2018 to August 2019, she starred in the title role in the U.S. national tour of Hello, Dolly.

Buckley starred in the TV series Eight Is Enough from 1977 to 1981 and played gym teacher Miss Collins in the 1976 film Carrie, before going on to star in the short-lived Broadway musical version of Carrie in 1988, playing Carrie White’s mother, Margaret.

Her other film roles include Dixie Scott in Tender Mercies (1983), Sondra Walker in Frantic (1988), Kathy in Another Woman (1988), and Mrs. Jones in The Happening (2008).

She received a Saturn Award nomination for her role as Dr. Karen Fletcher in the 2016 film Split. Her other television credits include the series Oz (2001–03), and the series Preacher (2018).

Betty Buckley parents: Meet Ernest Lynn Buckley & Betty Bob

Betty Buckley is the daughter of Ernest (a dean of engineering and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force) and Betty Bob (a dancer and journalist; maiden name, Diltz) Buckley; married Peter Flood (a director), in 1972 (divorced, 1974; some sources cite 1979). Education: Texas Christian College, B.A., journalism; studied acting with Stella Adler and voice with Paul Gavert. Avocational Interests: Horses.

Actress and singer. Instructor of theatre and music at various universities, schools, and conservatories. As a pageant participant, won the Miss  Fort Worth pageant, in 1966, won the Miss Texas pageant, in 1966, and competed in the Miss America pageant, in 1967, also toured Asian countries with Miss America and the USO (United Service Organizations) in 1968; worked as a journalist for Fort Worth Press, beginning c. 1968; KO Productions and Records, founder (with Kevin Duncan), c. 1999; with the Casa Manana Theatre, has bestowed the Betty Lynn Buckley awards (Fort Worth, TX), beginning 2001, for high school musical theatre in Tarrant County, Texas.