Bebe Neuwirth

Beatrice Jane "Bebe" Neuwirth (/ˈbiːbiˈnjuːwɝːθ/ BEE-bee-_-NEW-wurth; born December 31, 1958)^[1] is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her roles on stage and screen, she has received two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and two Drama Desk Awards.

Neuwirth made her Broadway debut in the musical A Chorus Line in 1980. She went on to win two Tony Awards, the first for Best Featured Actress in a Musical playing Nickie in the revival of Sweet Charity (1986) and received her second for Best Actress in a Musical for Velma Kelly in the revival of Chicago (1996). She has also starred as Lola in the revival of Damn Yankees (1994) and Morticia Addams in The Addams Family (2010). She was nominated for another Tony Award for her performance as Fräulein Schneider in Cabaret (2024).

On television, her breakthrough role was as Dr. Lilith Sternin, Frasier Crane's wife on the sitcom Cheers, as well as guest appearances in its spin-off Frasier and the 2023 Frasier revival. The role earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Neuwirth was cast as Bureau Chief/ADA Tracey Kibre in NBC's Law & Order: Trial by Jury which ran for 2005 to 2006. She starred as Nadine Tolliver on the CBS political drama Madam Secretary from 2014 to 2017. She also appeared in recurring roles on Blue Bloods (2013–2019), The Good Wife (2012–2014), The Good Fight (2018–2021), and Julia (2022–2023).

In film, she portrayed Nora Shepherd in the original Jumanji (1995) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). Other film roles include Say Anything... (1989), Green Card (1990), Bugsy (1991), Celebrity (1998), Summer of Sam (1999), and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003).

Early life

Bebe Neuwirth was born in Newark, New Jersey.^[1][2][3] Her German Jewish father, Lee Neuwirth, was a mathematician who taught at Princeton University and also designed an encryption device while working at the Institute for Defense Analyses.^[3] Her mother, Sydney Anne Neuwirth, is a painter who also danced as an amateur for the Princeton Regional Ballet Company.^[4][3] She has an older brother, Peter, a mathematician and actuary who graduated from Harvard.^[3] She attended Chapin School and Princeton Day School, and Princeton High School. In her youth, Neuwirth rebelled against authority, being placed in custody for smoking marijuana when she was 13.^[3]

Neuwirth started taking ballet lessons at the age of five, a year after viewing a production of The Nutcracker with her mother.^[3] She desired to be a ballet dancer until her early teens, when she realized how restricted her technique was as well as the standard of ballet education where she lived.^[3] Upon viewing the musical Pippin in Manhattan at 13, she changed her future plans from becoming a ballerina to being a Broadway musical dancer.^[3] After graduating from Princeton High School in 1976,^[5] she attended the Juilliard School for dance and left after only a year, disliking the school for having a "stifling creative environment" and no Broadway-style dance training.^[6] Immediately after leaving Juilliard in 1977, she took singing and jazz classes at a New York City-based YWCA,^[6] one of them taught by Joan Morton Lucas, who appeared in the film Singin' in the Rain (1952) and the original Broadway production of Kiss Me Kate.^[7] She performed with the Princeton Ballet Company in Peter and the Wolf, The Nutcracker, and Coppélia, also appearing in community theater musicals.

Career

Theater work

Studying acting for two years under Suzanne Shepard,^[8] Neuwirth made her Broadway debut in the role of Sheila Bryant in A Chorus Line in 1980. She later appeared in revivals of Little Me (1982); Sweet Charity (1986), for which she won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 40th Tony Awards; and Damn Yankees (1994).

1996 saw Neuwirth play Velma Kelly in the Broadway revival of Chicago. She described the difficulty level of the role as "like performing microsurgery from 8 to 10:20."^[7] That role brought her her greatest stage recognition to date and several awards including a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Neuwirth would later return to the revival of Chicago in 2006, this time as Roxie Hart.^[9] In 2014 she returned again, this time playing "Mama" Morton, making her the first person to play three different characters at three separate times during the course of a single Broadway run.

She appeared in the musical revue Here Lies Jenny, which featured songs by Kurt Weill. Neuwirth and a four-person supporting cast sang and danced to the song as part of an unspoken, ambiguous story in an anonymous seedy bar possibly in Berlin in the 1930s. The show ran from May 7 through October 3, 2004, in the Zipper Theater in New York.^[10] Neuwirth also appeared in the show in San Francisco in 2005. In 2009, Neuwirth toured a one-woman cabaret show with pianist Scott Cady. The cabaret included music by Kurt Weill, Stephen Sondheim, Tom Waits, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, John Kander and Fred Ebb amongst others. In 2010, she returned to Broadway to create the role of Morticia Addams in the original production of The Addams Family opposite Nathan Lane.^[9]

In 2019, Neuwirth returned to the stage with the Philadelphia Theatre Company, appearing in A Small Fire at the Suzanne Roberts Theater in Philadelphia.^[11] In 2023 she was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame. In 2024 she returned to Broadway playing Fräulein Schneider in a revival of Cabaret, for which she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 77th Tony Awards.^[12]

Film and television

While in Los Angeles waiting to receive a Tony for her appearance in Sweet Charity in 1985, Neuwirth auditioned for the role of Dr. Lilith Sternin in the television series Cheers.^[13] At the time, Neuwirth was not interested in doing television work and her character was initially planned to be in only one episode of the series.^[13] However, the writers enjoyed writing her dialogue so much that she was written into more episodes of the show, eventually making her one of the series' recurring actors.^[13]

Neuwirth's character Lilith eventually married Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer). From the fourth to the ninth season, Neuwirth portrayed Lilith in a regular recurring role, and she appeared on the show as a main star for both seasons ten and eleven. Like Kelsey Grammer when he started on the show as Frasier, she was not immediately given star billing in the opening credits but in the end credits for seasons eight and nine, appearing in the opening credits with her own portrait in seasons ten and eleven. She auditioned for the role with her arm not in a sling. She won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the role, in 1990 and 1991. The character also made an appearance in the series Wings and in twelve episodes of the Cheers spin-off Frasier, which earned her a 1995 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 47th Primetime Emmy Awards. She left Cheers in 1993 to go back to her career in dancing, but would make more television appearances in other shows and commercials.^[14]

Neuwirth's dip into the film industry began in 1989 with small roles in films such as Say Anything... (1989), Pacific Heights (1990), and Penny Ante (1990).^[15] In 1990 she started doing supporting roles in films including Green Card (1990), Bugsy (1991), and Malice (1993), in all of which she received acclaim from critics for her performances.^[15] Her first lead role came in 1993, when she played Margaret, a married woman attracted to her neighbor Wesley (Will Patton), in the psychological thriller comedy film The Paint Job (also released as Painted Heart).^[15] Her other credits include Jumanji, Summer of Sam, Liberty Heights, An Extremely Goofy Movie, The Adventures of Pinocchio, Tadpole, The Associate, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Big Bounce, Le Divorce, The Faculty, and Woody Allen's Celebrity. In 1996, she starred in a pilot for a TV series called Dear Diary for ABC which was not picked up.^[16] The producers had it edited slightly and put into a single theater for a single weekend in November 1996, and it became one of only two TV pilots to be nominated for an Oscar and, at the 69th Academy Awards, the only one to win.^[17]

Other small-screen credits include a guest appearance in the second season of NewsRadio, a small role on The Adventures of Pete and Pete (episode: "The Call"), Deadline (2000), Hack (2003), Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005) as ADA Tracey Kibre, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) as Nina Laszlo, a modeling agent/suspect, the miniseries Wild Palms, and the fourth season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "First Contact" as Lanel.

Neuwirth appeared as herself in episodes of Will & Grace, Strangers with Candy and Celebrity Jeopardy!. In 2009, she co-starred as Ms. Lynn Kraft in the remake of Fame. She had a recurring role as Caroline Taylor, the literary editor of Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman), on the HBO series Bored to Death. She also had a recurring role on Blue Bloods.

Neuwirth starred as Nadine Tolliver in the 2014 CBS political drama Madam Secretary. In October 2017, Neuwirth announced her decision to leave the series after four seasons. No reason was given.^[18] She later reprised the role of Nora Shepherd in Jumanji: The Next Level in 2019; the film grossed $800 million worldwide and received positive reviews from critics.

Personal life

In 1984, Neuwirth married Paul Dorman.^[19] She met him in 1982 after she performed in Upstairs at O'Neal's, a revue at O'Neal's restaurant in New York, where he was bartending.^[19] The two divorced in 1991.^[19] In 2009, she married director, producer and writer Chris Calkins at The Players club in Manhattan, in a ceremony officiated by actor Peter Coyote.^[20]

Bebe Neuwirth was born to a Jewish family but was not raised in a religious household. She has described herself as a "cultural Jew" with no formal religious training or temple attendance, though she had some limited exposure to holidays like Hanukkah and Passover as a child.

Neuwirth has supported and worked for several non-profit charity organizations.^[21] Following two hip replacement surgeries,^[22][23] and after hearing stories of other dancers facing hip problems, Neuwirth was moved to establish the Dancers' Resource program at The Actors Fund, which caters to financial and physical needs unique to professional dancers.^[21][7] Neuwirth currently serves as vice chair on the board of trustees for The Actors Fund.^[24] She has also helped Seeds of Peace.^[21]

As an animal lover,^[21] she has contributed to the Chatham, New York-based horse rescue group Equine Advocates and the annual pet adoption event Broadway Barks.^[25] Neuwirth is particularly fond of cats.^[25] In the 1990s, she owned one, Frankie, that she named after architect and writer Frank Lloyd Wright.^[19] As of August 2016, she had a black cat, Bobby, a long-haired calico cat, Tallulah, and a mixed Siamese cat, Billie.^[25]

In her free time, Neuwirth enjoys making pottery, which she first learned in high school.^[21]

Acting credits

Film

Television

Stage

Audiobooks

Awards and nominations

References

1. ^ "Bebe Neuwirth". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
2. ^ Bloom, Nate (June 25, 2004). "Celebrity Jews: Bebe and Lilith". J.. San Francisco Jewish Community Publications. Archived May 27, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
3. ^ Bjorklund, Dennis (2014). Cheers TV Show: A Comprehensive Reference. Praetorian Publishing. p. 99. ISBN 9780967985237. Archived August 10, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
4. ^ Dube, Ilene (September 30, 2014). "La Vie en Red: Neuwirth, at 80, Reflects on Art & Family". Princeton Info. Lawrence, New Jersey: Community News Service. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
5. ^ The Ulitimate New Jersey High School Year Book.. The Star Ledger. 1998. p. 76.
6. ^ Bjorklund, p. 100.
7. ^ Dulin, Dann (December 2011). "Bebe Neuwirth". A&U. Archived February 9, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
8. ^ Painter, Jamie (February 21, 2001). "TO THE POINTE – Whether dancing, singing, or acting, Bebe Neuwirth applies the same discipline and focus". Backstage. Archived February 7, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
9. ^
10. ^ Jones, Kenneth (August 27, 2004). "Jenny Made Her Mind Up: Here Lies Jenny Will Extend One Last Time, to Oct. 3". Playbill. Archived March 4, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2016-02-25.
11. ^ Wallace, Debra (November 5, 2019). "Cheers Star Bebe Neuwirth's Life Lessons: "Come with an Open Heart, An Open Mind and Be Game for the Ride"". Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays. Archived September 18, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
12. ^ "2024 Tony Awards: Sarah Paulson, Jeremy Strong, Rachel McAdams and More Nab Nominations — See the Full List". April 30, 2024
13. ^ Bjorklund, p. 101
14. ^ Bjorklund, p. 102.
15. ^ Bjorklund, p. 103.
16. ^ Welkos, Robert W. (March 22, 1997). "'Dear Diary': How It Got an Oscar Nod". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived July 2, 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2016-02-25.
17. ^ "Academy Awards Database – AMPAS". awardsdatabase.oscars.org. Archived from the original on February 8, 2009. Retrieved 2016-02-25.
18. ^ Petski, Denise (2017-10-23). "Bebe Neuwirth Exits CBS Drama Series 'Madam Secretary'". Deadline. Archived May 1, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
19. ^ Bjorklund, p. 104.
20. ^ Green, Mary (May 5, 2009). "Frasier's Bebe Neuwirth Ties the Knot". People. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
21. ^ Akman, Terri (July 2015). "Person to Watch: Bebe Neuwirth". SJ. Archived February 9, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
22. ^ "Healing the Dancer Seminar Hosted by Bebe Neuwirth". Actors Equity. April 18, 2007. Archived July 15, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
23. ^ "Neuwirth Returns To Chicago With A New Hip". ContactMusic.com. World Entertainment News Network. January 6, 2007. Archived September 29, 2015 at the Wayback Machine.
24. ^ "Board of Trustees". Actors Fund. 2016-02-11. Archived April 17, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
25. ^ Fischler, Brian (August 23, 2016). "Bebe Neuwirth Talks About Her Love of Cats and Animal Rescue". Catster. Archived February 9, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
26. ^ "Bebe Neuwirth (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 21, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
27. ^ Hood, Cooper (December 25, 2019). "Jumanji: The Next Level Brought Back Star Of Original Movie". Screen Rant. Archived December 25, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
28. ^ "Captain Fall: 'Captain Fall' set to premiere on Netflix in July; Check release date here – The Economic Times". The Economic Times. June 21, 2023. Archived June 25, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
29. ^ "Anything Goes, 1988-09-19". Florida Virtual Campus. Broward College. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
30. ^ Klein, Alvin (28 July 1996). "Coward Double Bill At Bay Street Theater". New York Times. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
31. ^ Simonson, Robert (17 July 1999). "Last Chance: Williamstown Shrew, with Neuwirth and Rees, Ends July 18". Playbill. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
32. ^ Stasio, Marilyn (20 October 2005). "Ashley Montana Goes Ashore in the Caicos … Or What Am I Doing Here?". Variety. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
33. ^ "A Small Fire". Philadelphia Theatre Company. October 9, 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
34. ^ Forgione, Emma (9 October 2019). "Bebe Neuwirth Lights 'A Small Fire'". American Theatre. Theatre Communications Group. Retrieved 12 March 2024.

External links

• Bebe Neuwirth – Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org