JoBeth Williams
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Margaret JoBeth Williams (born December 6, 1948) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy nominated American film and television actress and director, and current President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. Williams rose to prominence appearing in such films as Stir Crazy (1980), Poltergeist (1982), The Big Chill (1983), The Day After (1983), Teachers (1984), and Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986). A three-time Emmy Award nominee, she was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her work in the TV movie Adam (1983) and the TV miniseries Baby M (1988). Her third nomination was for her guest role in the sitcom Frasier (1994). Her directorial debut with the 1994 short film On Hope earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. She also starred in the TV series The Client (1995–96), and had recurring roles in the TV series Dexter (2007) and Private Practice (2009–11). In 2009 she began serving as president of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation; she is President Emeritus of the foundation. She has also had numerous guest starring roles on TV and has starred in several TV movies.
Known for
Credits
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
as Gwen Harper
Poltergeist (1982)
as Diane Freeling
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
as Phyllis Bernard
Wyatt Earp (1994)
as Bessie Earp
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
as Diane Freeling
The Big Chill (1983)
as Karen Bowens
Jackie's Back! (1999)
as Jo Face (Jackie's Vocal Coach)
Not Without Hope (2025)
as Marcia
Stir Crazy (1980)
as Meredith
The Day After (1983)
as Nurse Nancy Bauer
The Dogs of War (1980)
as Jessie
In the Land of Women (2007)
as Agnes Webb
The Big Year (2011)
as Edith
Dutch (1991)
as Natalie Standish
Within (2016)
as Rosemary Fletcher
Fever Pitch (2005)
as Maureen Meeks
TiMER (2009)
as Marion
Jungle 2 Jungle (1997)
as Dr. Patricia Cromwell
Chantilly Bridge (2023)
as Natalie
Switch (1991)
as Margo Brofman
Joe Dancer: The Big Black Pill (1981)
as Tiffany Farinpour
In My Dreams (2015)
as Charlotte Smith
Memories of Me (1988)
as Lisa
Behemoth! (2026)
Actor
Endangered Species (1982)
as Harriet Purdue
Desert Bloom (1986)
as Lily Chismore
Teachers (1984)
as Lisa Hammond
After the SIlence (1996)
as Pam Willis (as Jobeth Williams)
Murder Ordained (1987)
as Lorna Anderson
Love's Christmas Journey (2011)
as Beatrice
Child in the Night (1990)
as Dr. Hollis
SGT. Will Gardner (2019)
as Sherry
Searching for Debra Winger (2002)
as Self
Justice (1999)
as Jane Newhart
My Name Is Bill W. (1989)
as Lois Wilson
Parallel Lives (1994)
as Winnie Winslow
What the Night Can Do (2020)
as Bettye Sue Dryer
Kids Don't Tell (1985)
as Claudia Ryan
Chantilly Lace (1993)
as Natalie
The Big Chill: A Reunion (1999)
as Self
The Ponder Heart (2001)
as Edna Earle Ponder
Cash for Gold (2024)
as Boots
Trapped in a Purple Haze (2000)
as Sophie Hanson
It Came from the Sky (1999)
as Alice Bridges
Alex & the List (2018)
as Mrs. Stern
Sybil (2007)
as Hattie Dorsett
Fun and Games (1980)
as Laura Weston
Into the Fire (2005)
as June Sickles
Welcome Home (1989)
as Sarah
Victim of Love (1991)
as Tess Harper
She Was Here (2026)
as Self
Just Write (1997)
as Sidney Stone
A Chance of Snow (1998)
as Madeline 'Maddie' Parker
Uncorked (2009)
as Sophia Browning
When Danger Follows You Home (1997)
as Anne Werden
SEGAL (2025)
as Self
Final Appeal (1993)
as Christine Biondi
Horrifying Hollywood Murders (—)
as Self
Adam: His Song Continues (1986)
as Reve Walsh
American Dreamer (1984)
as Cathy Palmer
Ruby Jean and Joe (1996)
as Rose
Sex, Love and Cold Hard Cash (1993)
as Sarah Gallagher
Adam (1983)
as Reve Walsh
Feasting with Panthers (1974)
as Constance Wilde
Commercial Entertainment Product (1992)
as Diane Freeling
Me, Myself and I (1992)
as Crazy / Sane Diane
Repossessed (2002)
Actor
The Last Film Festival (2016)
as Mayor
The World Beyond (1978)
as Marian Faber
Timeless Tales: The Elves and the Shoemaker (1990)
as Bettina (voice)
A Season of Hope (1995)
as Elizabeth Hackett
The Rose Technique (2002)
as Dr. Lillian Rose
Barracuda (2017)
as Patricia
Crazylove (2005)
as Mrs. Mayer
Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted (1992)
as Ginny Moore
Voices from Within (1994)
as Nancy Parkhurst
The Curse of Poltergeist (2002)
Actor
14 Hours (2005)
as Jeanette Makins