JoBeth Williams
Photoplayd Industry Rating
Not enough rated films yet to compute a weighted score.
Roles are weighted by involvement: director 1.0, screenwriter 0.7, lead 0.8, supporting 0.4, crew 0.1.
Margaret JoBeth Williams (born December 6, 1948) is an American 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, 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
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
as Phyllis Bernard
Poltergeist (1982)
as Diane Freeling
The Big Year (2011)
as Edith
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
as Gwen Harper
Wyatt Earp (1994)
as Bessie Earp
Within (2016)
as Rosemary Fletcher
Behemoth! (2026)
as Ginnie Serian
Endangered Species (1982)
as Harriet Purdue
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
as Diane Freeling
The Day After (1983)
as Nurse Nancy Bauer
Chantilly Bridge (2023)
as Natalie
Not Without Hope (2025)
as Marcia
Fever Pitch (2005)
as Maureen Meeks
The Big Chill (1983)
as Karen Bowens
In the Land of Women (2007)
as Agnes Webb
Stir Crazy (1980)
as Meredith
Switch (1991)
as Margo Brofman
TiMER (2009)
as Marion
The Dogs of War (1980)
as Jessie
Jungle 2 Jungle (1997)
as Dr. Patricia Cromwell
Me, Myself and I (1992)
as Crazy / Sane Diane
Alex & the List (2018)
as Mrs. Stern
Memories of Me (1988)
as Lisa
Dutch (1991)
as Natalie Standish
In My Dreams (2015)
as Charlotte Smith
My Name Is Bill W. (1989)
as Lois Wilson
Teachers (1984)
as Lisa Hammond
Joe Dancer: The Big Black Pill (1981)
as Tiffany Farinpour
The Ponder Heart (2001)
as Edna Earle Ponder
Love's Christmas Journey (2011)
as Beatrice
Fun and Games (1980)
as Laura Weston
Sex, Love and Cold Hard Cash (1993)
as Sarah Gallagher
Child in the Night (1990)
as Dr. Hollis
Jackie's Back! (1999)
as Jo Face (Jackie's Vocal Coach)
Searching for Debra Winger (2002)
as Self
She Was Here (2026)
as Self
Trapped in a Purple Haze (2000)
as Sophie Hanson
SGT. Will Gardner (2019)
as Sherry
Horrifying Hollywood Murders (—)
as Self
The Last Film Festival (2016)
as Mayor
A Chance of Snow (1998)
as Madeline 'Maddie' Parker
Cash for Gold (2024)
as Boots
Barracuda (2017)
as Patricia
After the SIlence (1996)
as Pam Willis (as Jobeth Williams)
Uncorked (2009)
as Sophia Browning
Just Write (1997)
as Sidney Stone
What the Night Can Do (2020)
as Bettye Sue Dryer
Justice (1999)
as Jane Newhart
Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted (1992)
as Ginny Moore
It Came from the Sky (1999)
as Alice Bridges
Sybil (2007)
as Hattie Dorsett
Chantilly Lace (1993)
as Natalie
Desert Bloom (1986)
as Lily Chismore
SEGAL (2025)
as Self
Ruby Jean and Joe (1996)
as Rose
Repossessed (2002)
Actor
Kids Don't Tell (1985)
as Claudia Ryan
Into the Fire (2005)
as June Sickles
Crazylove (2005)
as Mrs. Mayer
The Big Chill: A Reunion (1999)
as Self
American Dreamer (1984)
as Cathy Palmer
Welcome Home (1989)
as Sarah
Feasting with Panthers (1974)
as Constance Wilde
Timeless Tales: The Elves and the Shoemaker (1990)
as Bettina (voice)
A Season of Hope (1995)
as Elizabeth Hackett
Murder Ordained (1987)
as Lorna Anderson
The Rose Technique (2002)
as Dr. Lillian Rose
When Danger Follows You Home (1997)
as Anne Werden
Parallel Lives (1994)
as Winnie Winslow
Final Appeal (1993)
as Christine Biondi
Adam (1983)
as Reve Walsh
Adam: His Song Continues (1986)
as Reve Walsh
14 Hours (2005)
as Jeanette Makins
Victim of Love (1991)
as Tess Harper
Voices from Within (1994)
as Nancy Parkhurst
The Curse of Poltergeist (2002)
Actor
Commercial Entertainment Product (1992)
as Diane Freeling
The World Beyond (1978)
as Marian Faber