Bess Armstrong
Television and film actress Bess Armstrong grew up in a home that nurtured a love of the arts, literature, and theater. She was born on December 11, 1953, in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of two independent school teachers. Her mother taught the classics and her father taught English and directed the school’s plays. In high school, Bess began acting in the school plays that her father directed, and she quickly caught the acting bug. After high school, Bess went on to attend Brown University where she followed in both parents’ footsteps. She studied the classics and theater arts. While in college, Armstrong was involved in over fifty theatrical productions either acting and directing in them or choreographing them. After graduation, she moved to New York City to begin a professional acting career. It didn’t take long for Bess to begin landing roles. She found work in off-Broadway plays, and in 1977 (one year after arriving in New York) she landed a role on the short lived TV series, On Our Own. She quickly moved on to TV movies starring in Getting Married (1978), How to Pick up Girls (1978) with Desi Arnaz, Jr., and Barefoot in the Park (1981) with Richard Thomas. Many critics praised this TV version of Barefoot in the Park, saying it was superior to the theatrical version with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. Early in her career, Bess showed a talent for playing cute, romantic leads.Motion picture roles followed her TV movie roles, and in 1981 Armstrong landed her first film role in the movie The Four Seasons with Alan Alda and Carol Burnett. Other early films include High Road to China (1983) where she played Tom Selleck’s love interest, and Jaws 3D (1983) with Dennis Quaid.
From a look at her early roles it seemed like Bess Armstrong was heading for leading lady status. However, that status never quite came. She has worked steadily in television and film since the 1970s, but leading roles turned into supporting roles by the end of the 1980s. By the early 1990s she began playing the mom roles in movies like The Skateboard Kid (1993), and in 1994 she landed the mom role on My So-Called Life as Claire Danes’s mother. In 1983, Armstrong married Chris Carreras, a Hollywood assistant director who has worked on several films including Bond movies and all four Harry Potter films. Their marriage did not last, however, and after divorcing Carreras, Bess married film producer John Fiedler. The two now live in Los Angeles. They have two sons, and Bess tries to make home life for them as normal as possible. She has held a position on the public school board, driven carpools, and led Bible study classes. She is certainly not the stereotypical spoiled Hollywood actress. Bess Armstrong continues to act, mostly in guest starring roles on television shows. Her latest project is a film, produced by her husband, titled Ted’s MBA starring Breckin Meyer. It is currently in post-production. YUDDY |
