# Bess Armstrong

Elizabeth Key "Bess" Armstrong (born December 11, 1953) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films The Four Seasons (1981), High Road to China (1983), Jaws 3-D (1983), and Nothing in Common (1986). Armstrong also starred in the ABC drama series My So-Called Life and had lead roles in a number of made-for-television films.

## Early life

Armstrong was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Louise Allen (née Parlange), who taught at Bryn Mawr, and Alexander Armstrong, an English teacher at the Gilman School. Her grandfather was Alexander Armstrong, Attorney General of Maryland. She attended the Bryn Mawr School for Girls and Brown University, from which she graduated with degrees in Latin and Theater (studying acting with Jim Barnhill and John Emigh). While at Bryn Mawr and Brown, Armstrong appeared in over one hundred stage plays.

## Career

Armstrong's professional acting career began in 1975 with the Off-Off Broadway debut, Harmony House. Then, in 1977, Armstrong made her television debut as Julia Peters on the CBS sitcom, On Our Own. In 1978 Armstrong starred opposite Richard Thomas in her first TV-movie Getting Married. Also in 1978, TV movie, "How to Pick Up Girls!" with Desi Arnaz Jr. She co-starred again with Richard Thomas in a 1981 stage production in Seattle of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, from which a video was made for HBO broadcast that year.
Armstrong continued to make several films for both the big and small screens in the 1980s, among them High Road to China opposite Tom Selleck; Jaws 3-D with Dennis Quaid; Alan Alda's The Four Seasons; the TV miniseries Lace; and Nothing in Common, starring Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason.
The 1990s brought Armstrong to her best-known role, playing Patty Chase on the series My So-Called Life. She later starred in several television films. In 2000, she appeared on the NBC sitcom Frasier, in the episode "Mary Christmas." In 2008, Armstrong played Penelope Kendall on ABC's Boston Legal. Armstrong remains active in films, television, and the stage. She had a recurring role in the Showtime series House of Lies as Julianne Hotschragar. She also appeared in Castle, Mad Men, NCIS, S.W.A.T., and Grey's Anatomy.

## Personal life

Armstrong married John Fiedler, an executive at Columbia Pictures, on April 12, 1986.
In 1991, she spoke out about her abortion in the book The Choices We Made: Twenty-Five Women and Men Speak Out About Abortion.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | The Four Seasons | Ginny Newley | |
| 1982 | Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again | Mary Carew | |
| 1983 | High Road to China | Eve | Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actress |
| 1983 | Jaws 3-D | Dr. Kathryn 'Kay' Morgan | |
| 1984 | The House of God | Cissy Anderson | Never released theatrically |
| 1986 | Nothing in Common | Donna Mildred Martin | |
| 1989 | Mother, Mother | Kate Watson | Short film |
| 1989 | Second Sight | Kate / Sister Elizabeth | |
| 1993 | Dream Lover | Elaine | |
| 1993 | The Skateboard Kid | Maggie | |
| 1994 | Serial Mom | Eugene Sutphin's Nurse | Cameo |
| 1997 | That Darn Cat | Judy Randall | |
| 1998 | Pecker | Dr. Klompus | |
| 1998 | When It Clicks | Betsy Cummings | Short film |
| 2000 | Diamond Men | Katie Harnish | |
| 2008 | Corporate Affairs | Emily Parker | |
| 2008 | Next of Kin | Susan | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977–1978 | On Our Own | Julia Peters | Main cast |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Laura Stanton | Episode: "The Man Who Loved Women/A Different Girl/Oh, My Aching Brother" |
| 1978 | Getting Married | Kristine Lawrence | TV movie |
| 1978 | How to Pick Up Girls! | Sally Claybrook | TV movie |
| 1979 | Walking Through the Fire | Laurel Lee | TV movie |
| 1979 | 11th Victim | Jill Kelso | TV movie |
| 1983 | This Girl for Hire | B.T. Brady | TV movie |
| 1984 | Lace | Judy Hale | Miniseries |
| 1986 | All Is Forgiven | Paula Winters Russell | Main cast |
| 1990–1991 | Married People | Elizabeth Meyers | Main cast |
| 1992 | Tales from the Crypt | Erma | Episode: "What's Cookin" |
| 1993 | Batman: The Animated Series | Clio (voice) | Episode: "Fire from Olympus" |
| 1994–1995 | My So-Called Life | Patty Chase | Main cast |
| 1994 | Take Me Home Again | Connie | TV movie |
| 1995 | She Stood Alone: The Tailhook Scandal | Barbara Pope | TV movie |
| 1995 | Stolen Innocence | Becky Sapp | TV movie |
| 1995 | Mixed Blessings | Pilar Graham Coleman | TV movie |
| 1996 | Forgotten Sins | Roberta 'Bobbie' Bradshaw | TV movie |
| 1996 | The Perfect Daughter | Jill Michaelson | TV movie |
| 1996 | She Cried No | Denise Connell | TV movie |
| 1996 | Christmas Every Day | Molly Jackson | TV movie |
| 1998 | Touched by an Angel | Mary Gibson | Episode: "How Do You Spell Faith?" |
| 1998 | Forever Love | Gail | TV movie |
| 1994, 1998 | The Nanny | Sarah Sheffield | Episodes: "I Don't Remember Mama" and "The Wedding" |
| 2002 | That Was Then | Mickey Glass | Main cast |
| 2002 | Her Best Friend's Husband | Mandy Roberts | TV movie |
| 2002 | Good Morning, Miami | Louise Messinger | Episode: "If It's Not One Thing, It's a Mother" |
| 2000, 2004 | Frasier | Kelly Kirkland | Episodes: "Mary Christmas" and "Frasier-Lite" |
| 2008 | Boston Legal | Penelope Kimball | Episodes: "Mad About You" and "Made in China" |
| 2009 | Criminal Minds | Sheila Hawkes | Episode: "Zoe's Reprise" |
| 2004, 2010 | One Tree Hill | Lydia James | Recurring role (season 2, season 7) |
| 2010 | Castle | Paula Casillas | Episode: "He's Dead, She's Dead" |
| 2012 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Patricia Lydecker | Episode: "CSI Unplugged" |
| 2012 | I Married Who? | Elaine | TV movie |
| 2012 | Mad Men | Catherine Orcutt | Episode: "Far Away Places" |
| 2013 | Reckless | Catherine Harrison | 1 episode (TV pilot) |
| 2013–2014 | House of Lies | Julianne Hotschragar | Recurring role (season 2) |
| 2014 | True Blood | Nancy Mills | Episode: "Lost Cause" |
| 2014 | Drop Dead Diva | Rita Kaswell | Episode: "Hope and Glory" |
| 2014 | NCIS | Senator Denise O'Hara | Episode: "Dressed to Kill" |
| 2014 | Reckless | Melinda Rayder | Recurring role |
| 2015–2016 | Zoo | Dr. Elizabeth Oz | Episodes: "Fight or Flight" and "Jamie's Got a Gun" |
| 2015–2017 | Switched at Birth | Professor Beth Marillo | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Diagnosis Delicious | Lynn Cosworth | TV movie |
| 2016 | Damien | Damien's Mother | Episode: "Temptress" |
| 2016 | Longmire | Nancy Crandall | Episode: "From This Day Forward" |
| 2016 | Conviction | Harper Morrison | Episode: The pilot, "Bridge And Tunnel Vision" |
| 2017 | Scandal | Senator Greenwald | Episode: “Watch Me” |
| 2018 | The Arrangement | Iris Holloway | Episodes: "The Break Up" and "Suite Revenge" |
| 2018–2019 | S.W.A.T. | Mayor Barrett | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Love and Sunshine | Margo Terry | TV movie |
| 2019–2021 | Grey's Anatomy | Maureen Lincoln | 3 episodes |
| 2019–2021 | Bosch | Judge Sobel | Recurring role (seasons 5–7) |
| 2022 | I Love That for You | Marcy Gold | Recurring role |
| 2024 | The Good Doctor | Eileen Lim |
| 2025 | The Irrational | Renee Franklin | Episode "Straight from the Heart" |