Bonnie Bedelia

Bonnie Bedelia Culkin is an American actress, best known for her starring roles as Holly McClane in Die Hard and Die Hard 2, Barbara Sabich in Presumed Innocent, and Polly Chalmers in Needful Things, as well as the matriarch Camille Braverman on the drama series Parenthood. She is younger sister to actor Kit Culkin; aunt to his sons, actors Macaulay, Rory, and Kieran Culkin. Her and Kit's brother and sister, Terry and Candace, have also acted.Before becoming an actress, Bedelia studied ballet and appeared in a few productions with the New York City Ballet, includingThe Nutcracker. Her only dancing role onscreen was that of Clara in thePlayhouse 90television production ofthe George BalanchineNutcracker(1958).From 1961 to 1967, Bedelia was a regular on the CBS soap operaLove of Life, portraying Sandy Porter. She also worked onBroadway, where she debuted supportingPatty Dukein 1962, inIsle of Children, and won aTheatre World Award for playing the lead of inMy Sweet Charlie, in 1966.After beginning her career in theatre in the 1960s, Bedelia starred in the CBS daytime soap operaLove of Lifeand made her film debut inThe Gypsy Moths. In 1969, she attracted attention as the pregnant marathon dancer inThey Shoot Horses, Don't They?She starred in the comedyLovers and Other Strangers(1970), had dramatic roles inThe Strange Vengeance of Rosalie(1972) andBetween Friends(1973), and appeared oppositeRichard Dreyfussin the comedyThe Big Fix(1978). On television, she played the leading role in the short-lived ABC drama series,The New Land(1974).In 1984, Bedelia received critical acclaim and was nominated for aGolden Globefor her starring role inHeart Like a Wheel(1983), as drag racerShirley Muldowney. Other well-known performances include her portrayals ofHolly Gennero McClane, the wife ofBruce Willis's characterJohn McClaneinDie Hard(1988) andDie Hard 2(1990), and of Barbara Sabich, the wife ofHarrison Ford's character inPresumed Innocent(1990).She appeared in twoStephen Kingscreen adaptations:Salem's Lot(1979) and Needful Things(1993). She was nominated forEmmy Awardsfor her performance in theShowtimeanthology seriesFallen Angels(1993) and for the leading role in the made-for-television movieLocked in Silence(1999). She played a number of leading roles in television films and miniseries, such asSwitched at Birth,A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story,Her Costly Affair, andPicnic.From 2001 to 2004, Bedelia starred as Capt. Kate McCafferty in the Lifetime drama seriesThe Division.She later guest-starred inBig LoveandCSI, and starred opposite Rue McClanahanandOlivia Newton-Johnin the 2008 sitcomSordid Lives: The Series.Bedelia starred in the NBC drama seriesParenthood(2010-2015) as the family matriarch, Camille Braverman. In 2017, she appeared in season 2 of the TV series Designated Survivor, and in two Hallmark movies. In 2019, she guest starred on the NetflixseriesWhat/If.