Betsy Brantley

Betsy Brantley (born September 20, 1955) is an American actress. She has appeared in numerous films, plays and televisions shows since the early 1980s. Her breakout role was in the 1982 film Five Days One Summer with Sean Connery.

Not to be confused with Betsy Brandt.
Betsy Brantley
Born (1955-09-20) September 20, 1955
New York City, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActress
Years active1981–present
Spouse(s)
Children1

Early years

Betsy Brantley was born on September 20, 1955 in New York City to Jack R. Brantley, a textile executive, and Dotty Brantley (née Rabey).[1] In 1960 Jack moved the family to Greensboro, North Carolina, moving into the same house on Meadowbrook Terrace where he grew up. In 1962 Jack moved the family to Rutherfordton, North Carolina to serve as division president at dress-manufacturer Tanner.[1] Betsy has a fraternal twin Alison, an older brother Jack Jr., and a younger brother Duncan who is a producer and screenwriter.[1]

Growing up Brantley spent a great deal of her time in the Blue Ridge mountains near Rutherfordton, where she developed a love for mountains. Her affinity with mountains helped her land her first major role in the film Five Days One Summer.[2]

Brantley graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1977 and the Central School of Speech and Drama in the United Kingdom in 1980.[3]

Career

Brantley's first major role was Kate in the 1982 film Five Days One Summer with Sean Connery. The film's director, Fred Zinnemann, cast Brantley because he wanted a new, unfamiliar face. Zinnemann only auditioned young women with little or no acting experience because he didn't want audiences associating a known actress, who had been around the block a time or two on screen or in a publicized personal life, spoiling the illusion of virtue.[2] Until her role in Five Days One Summer, her acting experience had been limited to a few roles in the English theater, a five-minute part in a British TV movie and a minor role in the film Shock Treatment.[2]

Like Five Days One Summer, many of Brantley's films are based in Europe. Her most famous role, perhaps, is her portrayal of Neely Pritt in Shock Treatment (1981). She also played alongside Pierce Brosnan and Michael Caine in the film version of The Fourth Protocol (1987) and acted a cameo in the Ashley Judd movie Double Jeopardy (1999). Brantley was also the performance model for Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).[4]

Along with roles in several other films, including Havana (1990) and Deep Impact (1998), Betsy has been a cast member in a number of television shows, including Tour of Duty and Second Noah. On Tour of Duty, she played the role of Dr. Jennifer Seymour (later Major Jennifer Seymour). On Second Noah, she played Jesse Beckett, a veterinarian and the mother of eight adopted children.

Brantley played Dolph Lundgren's girlfriend in Dark Angel (1990, retitled I Come in Peace in America).

She has also appeared as Elsie Cubitt in the Granada Television production of The Dancing Men, from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and also appeared in the 1987 BBC Horizon film, Life Story (the story of the discovery of the DNA double helix) as James Watson's sister, Elizabeth Watson.

Personal life

Brantley married actor Simon Dutton, and later the filmmaker Steven Soderbergh.[5] She has one daughter, Sarah, with Soderbergh. Sarah lives in Seattle, Washington.[6]

Brantley is a private person and somewhat uncomfortable with the stardom she achieved. After her critical success with Five Days One Summer, she said "I'd like to have had my career move a little slower, I find the attention just a bit daunting."[2]

Brantley lives in a pre-Civil War era home in the Montford, Virginia area with her pet cat Blueberry.[1][6][7]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1981 Shock Treatment Neely Pritt
1982 Five Days One Summer Kate
1984 Another Country Julie Schofield
1987 The Fourth Protocol Eileen McWhirter
1987 The Princess Bride The Mother
1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Jessica's Performance Model
1990 I Come in Peace Diane Pallone AKA, Dark Angel
1990 Havana Diane
1993 Flesh and Bone Peg
1993 Shepherd on the Rock Jean
1996 Schizopolis Mrs. Munson / Attractive Woman No. 2
1997 Washington Square Mrs. Montgomery
1998 Mercury Rising Special Ed Teacher No. 2
1998 Deep Impact Ellen Biederman
1999 The Encounter Waitress Short
1999 Rogue Trader Brenda Granger
1999 Double Jeopardy Prosecutor
2002 The Angel Doll Mary Barlow
2008 This Man's Life Mrs. Zimmerman Short

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1984 Sherlock Holmes Elsie Cubitt Episode: "The Dancing Men"
1985 Romance on the Orient Express Stacey TV film
1985 Oscar American Beauty Episode: "Gilded Youth"
1987 Horizon Elizabeth Watson Episode: "The Race for the Double Helix"
1987 Dreams Lost, Dreams Found Jane McAllister TV film
1987 London Embassy Flora Domingo-Duncan Episodes: "The Winfield Wallpaper", "Tomb with a View"
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... Vanessa Episode: "The Yob"
1988 A Year in the Life Cynthia Episode: "Glory Days"
1988 Heartbeat Dorothy Episode: "Where's Solomon When You Need Him?"
1988 Beauty and the Beast Nancy Tucker Episodes: "Ozymandias", "A Happy Life"
1988 American Playhouse Marion Castle Episode: "The Big Knife"
1989 Men Claire Episode: "Baltimore"
1989 Tour of Duty Jennifer Seymour Recurring role (seasons 2–3)
1992 Yesterday Today TV film
1993 The Jackie Thomas Show Gail Harper Episode: "Stand Up for Bastards"
1993 Jack's Place Claudia Episode: "True Love Ways"
1993 Final Appeal Fran TV film
1995 Little Lord Fauntleroy Mrs. Errol TV miniseries
1995 Amazing Grace Episode: "The Fugitive"
1995 Dad, the Angel & Me Susan Lyons TV film
1996–97 Second Noah Jessie Beckett Main role
1997 Touched by an Angel Joanne McNabb Episode: "Great Expectations"
1998 NYPD Blue Val Dixon Episode: "Speak for Yourself, Bruce Clayton"
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Jan Armstrong Episode: "Mare Tranquilitatis"
1999 Chicago Hope Mrs. Dano Episode: "The Heavens Can Wait"
2002 Impact Diane Cousins TV film

References
  1. "Jack R. Brantley Obituary". Greensboro News and Record. November 30, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  2. Scott, Vernon (November 22, 1982). "Scott's World: Incest, mountains, new star". United Press International. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  3. Salter, Charles Jr. (December 26, 1990). "Headed for parts unknown". The News and Observer. North Carolina, Raleigh. p. D 1. Retrieved November 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Listed in the end of movie credits
  5. Biskind, Peter (8 January 2013). Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Fil. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-2710-0. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  6. Holladay, Hilary (February 5, 2019). "Pets and Their People: Blueberry and Betsy Brantley". Orange County Review. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  7. ""Creative to Creative" featuring Betsy Brantley postponed until June". Orange County Review. March 10, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.


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