Bibi Besch
Encyclopedia
Bibiana "Bibi" Besch was an Austria
n/American
actress.
, Austria
, the daughter of theater actress Gusti Huber
, who starred in German films during World War II
and left Austria in the mid 1940s. Besch had a stepfather, Joseph Besch, a radio executive and former captain in the U.S. army. She had two sisters, Drea and Christina, and a brother, Andrew. She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York
and attended Mount Kisco schools, elementary and junior high school. While attending Mount Kisco High School it consolidated with adjacent northern Westchester County villages and formed Fox Lane High School. Besch graduated from Fox Lane High School in 1959. She later moved to New York City
. Besch was the mother of actress Samantha Mathis
.
, The Edge of Night
,
Love is a Many Splendored Thing, and finally, Somerset
. In addition to her theater career, she began appearing in more nationally known primetime features, such as the 1979 miniseries Backstairs at the White House.
Her most famous role was probably as Dr. Carol Marcus, the mother of Admiral James T. Kirk
's son in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
. She also had a small role as the much-hated "Belle Marmillion" in the hit movie Steel Magnolias
. Besch also appeared in such films as The Day After
, the acclaimed made-for-television film directed by Nicholas Meyer
, Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry
with Katharine Hepburn
, Victory at Entebbe
and Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story. She can also be seen as the doctor's wife in Tremors
being sucked under the desert inside her station wagon by the graboids.
In 1992, she received her first acting nomination - an Emmy - for the landmark TV-movie Doing Time on Maple Drive
, co-starring Jim Carrey
. She received another Emmy nomination a year later for her recurring-character performance as Janine Turner
's neurotic mother, 'Jane O'Connell', in the CBS
series, Northern Exposure
. She continued to appear in films and television, including ER
and Melrose Place until her 1996 death at the age of 56 following a long battle with breast cancer
.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n/American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress.
Early life
Besch was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, the daughter of theater actress Gusti Huber
Gusti Huber
Auguste Huber was an Austrian theater and film actress.She received her acting training from Dr. Beer who also arranged her debut in Zurich...
, who starred in German films during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and left Austria in the mid 1940s. Besch had a stepfather, Joseph Besch, a radio executive and former captain in the U.S. army. She had two sisters, Drea and Christina, and a brother, Andrew. She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York
Mount Kisco, New York
Mount Kisco is a community that is both a village and a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The Town of Mount Kisco is coterminous with the village. The population was 10,877 at the 2010 census.- History :...
and attended Mount Kisco schools, elementary and junior high school. While attending Mount Kisco High School it consolidated with adjacent northern Westchester County villages and formed Fox Lane High School. Besch graduated from Fox Lane High School in 1959. She later moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Besch was the mother of actress Samantha Mathis
Samantha Mathis
Samantha Mathis is an American actress. The daughter of actress Bibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut in Pump Up the Volume , opposite Christian Slater...
.
Career
Besch appeared in a variety of daytime soaps such as The Secret StormThe Secret Storm
The Secret Storm is a soap opera which ran on CBS from February 1, 1954 to February 8, 1974. The series was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life...
, The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
,
Love is a Many Splendored Thing, and finally, Somerset
Somerset (TV series)
Somerset is an American television soap opera which ran on NBC from March 30, 1970 until December 31, 1976. The show was a spinoff of another NBC serial, Another World.-Overview :...
. In addition to her theater career, she began appearing in more nationally known primetime features, such as the 1979 miniseries Backstairs at the White House.
Her most famous role was probably as Dr. Carol Marcus, the mother of Admiral James T. Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
's son in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...
. She also had a small role as the much-hated "Belle Marmillion" in the hit movie Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross that stars Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts....
. Besch also appeared in such films as The Day After
The Day After
The Day After is a 1983 American television movie which aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network. It was seen by more than 100 million people during its initial broadcast....
, the acclaimed made-for-television film directed by Nicholas Meyer
Nicholas Meyer
Nicholas Meyer is an American screenwriter, producer, director and novelist, known best for his best-selling novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, and for directing the films Time After Time, two of the Star Trek feature film series, and the 1983 television movie The Day After.Meyer graduated from...
, Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry
Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry
Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry is a 1986 American television movie directed by George Schaefer and starring Katharine Hepburn and Harold Gould....
with Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
, Victory at Entebbe
Victory at Entebbe
Victory at Entebbe is a made-for-television film from 1976 based on an actual event: Operation Entebbe and the freeing of Israeli hostages at Entebbe Airport in Uganda...
and Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story. She can also be seen as the doctor's wife in Tremors
Tremors (film)
Tremors is a 1990 American science fiction horror comedy film directed by Ron Underwood, based on a screenplay by Brent Maddock and S. S. Wilson, and starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross and Reba McEntire...
being sucked under the desert inside her station wagon by the graboids.
In 1992, she received her first acting nomination - an Emmy - for the landmark TV-movie Doing Time on Maple Drive
Doing Time on Maple Drive
Doing Time on Maple Drive is a 1992 made-for-television drama film. Written by James Duff and directed by Ken Olin, the film stars James Sikking, Bibi Besch, William McNamara, Jayne Brook, David Byron, Lori Loughlin and Jim Carrey in an early and rare dramatic role.-Synopsis:Doing Time on Maple...
, co-starring Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
. She received another Emmy nomination a year later for her recurring-character performance as Janine Turner
Janine Turner
Janine Turner is an American actress who starred on the prime time television show Northern Exposure from 1990 to 1995. From 2000 to 2002, she appeared on the Lifetime original series Strong Medicine...
's neurotic mother, 'Jane O'Connell', in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series, Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
. She continued to appear in films and television, including ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
and Melrose Place until her 1996 death at the age of 56 following a long battle with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
.