# Angela Bettis

Angela Marie Bettis (born January 9, 1973) is an American actress, film producer, and director.
Following her breakthrough role as Janet Webber in the drama film Girl, Interrupted (1999), she earned acclaim for her portrayals of Carrietta White in the television film Carrie (2002) and the titular character in the psychological horror film May (2002). For May, she won the Brussels International Festival Award for Best Actress, the Catalan International Film Festival Award for Best Actress and the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress. She went on to play Belle Cleek in the horror film The Woman (2011) and Mandy in the black comedy film 12 Hour Shift (2020). For 12 Hour Shift, she earned a nomination for the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Horror Movie.
In addition to her work in film, Bettis also starred in two Broadway productions: The Father in 1996 with Frank Langella and as Abigail Williams in a 2002 revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible alongside Liam Neeson and Laura Linney.

## Early life

Bettis was born in Austin, Texas where she attended Westlake High School. Daughter of Richard Joseph Bettis and wife Mary Lynn Guthrie, she has a twin brother, Joseph Edward "Joe" Bettis.
She married in April 2001 and divorced director, cinematographer and documentary filmmaker Kevin Gerard Ford, with whom she founded film producer Productions in 2001.

## Career

Her debut role was a lead in the romantic tragedy, Sparrow, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, at the age of 18. She later went on to star in a film called The Last Best Sunday, before landing supporting roles opposite Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted and Kim Basinger in Bless the Child.
In 2002, she starred as Abigail Williams in a production of The Crucible on Broadway alongside Laura Linney and Liam Neeson. Bettis is most famous for her work in independent horror films, and especially her professional relationship with writer and director Lucky McKee. Her title role in McKee's 2002 film May earned her a cult following. Since then, she has appeared in McKee's Masters of Horror episode "Sick Girl" and provided a voice-over for his film The Woods. In 2006, their May roles reversed, when McKee acted for Bettis in her directorial debut, Roman, based on a McKee script. In 2011, she played a major role in McKee's adaptation of Jack Ketchum's The Woman.
Bettis starred as Carrietta White in Carrie, a made-for-television adaptation of the 1974 novel of the same name written by Stephen King, in which her performance was singled out for praise. Linda Stasi of the New York Post was positively surprised by her performance and stated that Bettis should win an Emmy. Ron Wertheimer, who wrote for The New York Times, said that Bettis expressed the character's emotions well, and lamented that the film "affords Ms. Bettis few opportunities for such genuine acting".
She headlined Tobe Hooper's Toolbox Murders, an in-name-only remake of an obscure 1970s horror film. She also starred in the crime thriller Scar. She had a guest role on the TV show Dexter's fifth season as Emily Birch, the first victim of Jordan Chase.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Sparrow | Maria | Original title: Storia di una capinera |
| 1999 | The Last Best Sunday | Lolly Ann Summers | |
| 1999 | Girl, Interrupted | Janet Webber | |
| 2000 | Bless the Child | Jenna O'Connor | |
| 2001 | Perfume | Wilemina | |
| 2001 | Vallen | Caitlin | |
| 2002 | People Are Dead | Angela the Broadway actress | Also producer |
| 2002 | May | May Dove Canady | |
| 2002 | Coastlines | Effie Bender | |
| 2003 | Hollywould | Holly | Short film, also producer |
| 2004 | Toolbox Murders | Nell Barrows | |
| 2004 | Love Rome | Mary | |
| 2005 | The Circle | Jay | |
| 2005 | Last Days of America | America the Woman | Short film, also producer |
| 2006 | The Woods | Voice in the Woods | Voice |
| 2006 | Roman | Elixer Bluff Acting Troup | Voice, also director |
| 2007 | When Is Tomorrow | Rachel | Also producer |
| 2007 | Scar | Joan Burrows | |
| 2008 | Wicked Lake | The Mother | |
| 2008 | Blue Like You | Red | Short film |
| 2010 | Drones | Amy | |
| 2010 | All My Friends Are Funeral Singers | Zel | |
| 2010 | My Alien Mother | Mother | Also producer |
| 2011 | The Woman | Belle Cleek | |
| 2011 | Legs | Jen | Also producer |
| 2012 | Sinister | Fran | Scenes deleted |
| 2017 | Our Little Secret | Toni | |
| 2020 | 12 Hour Shift | Mandy | |
| 2021 | Ghosts of the Ozarks | Lucille | |
| 2021 | The Weird Kidz | Duana | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1998 | Touched by an Angel | Laura | Episode: "Beautiful Dreamer" |
| 1998 | Legacy | Jenna | Episode: "Brother Love" |
| 1999 | Sliders | Jill | Episode: "New Gods for Old" |
| 2001 | The Flamingo Rising | Alice King | Television film |
| 2001 | The Ponder Heart | Bonnie Dee Peacock | Television film |
| 2002 | Carrie | Carrie White | Television film |
| 2006 | Masters of Horror | Ida Teeter | Episode: "Sick Girl" |
| 2009 | House | Susan | Episode: "Broken" |
| 2010 | Dexter | Emily Birch | Episodes: "Hop a Freighter", "In the Beginning" |
| 2010–2011 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Rosalind Johnson | Episodes: "Fracked", "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead" |
| 2013 | Criminal Minds | Tess Mynock | Episode: "Alchemy" |
| 2013 | Twisted Tales | Lidia | Web series, Segment: "Shockwave" |
| 2015 | Dig | Fay | Miniseries |
| 2017 | Arkansas Traveler | Myrtle | Web series |

### As producer

Producer :
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2001 | Lovindapocalypse | Video documentary |
| 2002 | People Are Dead | Also actress |
| 2002 | Lovindapocalypse 2 | Video documentary |
| 2003 | Hollywould | Short film, also actress |
| 2003 | Lovindapocalypse 3 | Video documentary |
| 2005 | Last Days of America | Short film, also actress |
| 2007 | When Is Tomorrow | Also actress |
| 2011 | Legs | Also actress |

### As director

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2006 | Roman | Also actress |
| 2012 | The ABCs of Death | Segment: "E Is for Exterminate" |

### Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2002 | Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival | Best Actress | May | Won |
| 2003 | Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival | Silver Raven Award | May | Won |
| 2003 | Fancine Awards | Best Actress | May | Won |
| 2004 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Actress | May | Won |
| 2004 | Online Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actress | May | Nominated |
| 2006 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Actress | Toolbox Murders | Nominated |
| 2012 | Chicago International Film Festival | Gold Hugo Award | The ABCs of Death | Nominated |
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Horror Movie | 12 Hour Shift | Nominated |