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Actress
Gender:
Female
Birth:
28 October 1957(East Meadow, Nassau County, New York, USA)
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Biography

Introduction

Betsy Aidem (born October 28, 1957) is a film, television and stage actress. Her film work includes The Bleeding House, See You in the Morning, A Vigilante and Aeris. Her television work includes The High Life,The Americans, appearing in episodes, "Safe House" and "Covert War". Her stage work includes Steel Magnolias and Five Women Wearing the Same Dress.

Background

She is an Obie award winner, and first became interested in acting while she was in high school. Her debut was as a fairy in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. She is also a stage play director and her first professional production was in 2018, A Doll’s House, Part 2., which was a stage production of the Lucas Hnath comedy. She was the first wife of William Fichtner and had a child with him.

Stage work

Midway through 2009, Aidem was in Nicki Bloom's Tender, a story about an act of violence that destroys a family. The play, directed by Daniela Topol, also starred Kerry Bishe, Michael Cullen, and Matt Dellapina. In October 2018, she appeared as the loony and flamboyant Professor Carroway in Love Course which was about two eccentric neurotics, Carroway and Professor Burgess, teaching a course in romantic literature and two students who attend the course end up teaching it.

Film work

1980s to 1990s

Her earliest film work was in the 1982 film A Little Sex, where she played a passer-by. In 1985, she appeared inthe television film Kojak: The Belarus File as Elissa Barak.

2000s

She appeared in Sarah Daggar-Nickson's 2018 film A Vigilante which starred Olivia Wilde, Morgan Spector and Kyle Catlett. Also that year she was in Aeris, a film about a couple adopting a sick kitten.

Television shows

Her work on television shows includes reoccurring roles on The High Life as Irene, and as Dr. Sloane on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Stage appearances

Title Role Director Year Notes #
Balm in Gilead Kay 1984 Off-Broadway
Crossing the Bar Performer 1985 Off-Broadway
A Lie of the Mind Sally 1985 Original Off-Broadway Production
Off-Broadway
Steel Magnolias Shelby 1987 Off-Broadway
Road Carol 1987 Off-Broadway
The Night Hank Williams Died Nellie Bess Powers Clark 1989 Off-Broadway
Five Women Wearing the Same Dress Georgeanne 1993 Off-Broadway
Teible and Her Demon Teible 1994 Off-Broadway
The Butterfly Collection Performer 2000 Off-Broadway
Good Thing Nancy Roy 2001 Off-Broadway
Sea of Tranquility Phyllis 2004 Off-Broadway
Celebration and The Room Julie 2005 Off-Broadway
Mary Rose Mrs. Moreland 2007 Off-Broadway
Crooked Elise 2008 Off-Broadway
Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling Performer 2011 Atlantic Theater Company Production
Off-Broadway
All the Way Lady Bird Johnson 2014 Original Broadway Production
Broadway

Filmography (selective)

Title Role Director Year Notes #
A Little Sex Passerby Bruce Paltrow 1982
Kojak: The Belarus File Elissa Barak Robert Markowitz 1985
See You in the Morning Larry's Sister-in-Law Alan J. Pakula 1989
Fool's Fire Lady Angela Julie Taymor 1992
Nine Months Gail's Nurse Chris Columbus 1995
Music of the Heart Mrs Lamb Wes Craven 1999
You Can Count on Me Minister Kenneth Lonergan 2000
Maze Lydia Rob Morrow 2000
Far from Heaven Pool Mother Todd Haynes 2002
People I Know Talia Greene Dan Algrant 2002
Winter Passing Nurse Adam Rapp 2005
Confess Julie Bradford Stefan Schaefer 2005
The Attic Ms. Kettering Mary Lambert 2007
Motherhood Jordan's Mom Katherine Dieckmann 2009
The Bleeding Marilyn Philip Gelatt 2011
Mr. Popper's Penguins Tavern Hostess Mark Waters 2011
The Oranges Anne Allen Julian Farino 2011
Margaret Abigail Kenneth Lonergan 2011