# Betsy Brandt

Betsy Brandt (born March 14, 1973) is an American actress. She is known for playing Marie Schrader on the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad (2008–2013) and Heather Hughes on the CBS sitcom Life in Pieces (2015–2019).

## Early life

Brandt was born in Bay City, Michigan. She is of German descent. She graduated from Bay City Western High School in Auburn, Michigan, in 1991. Brandt took an interest in theater from an early age, but unlike many of her peers, she was more interested in directing stage musicals than starring in them. After winning the lead in a high school production of Exit the Body, she shifted her focus to acting.
Brandt received her BFA in acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1996. She studied for her MFA at Harvard University's Institute for Advanced Theater Training and studied abroad at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow. After graduation, Brandt moved to Seattle, Washington, where she worked in theater while appearing in several short films, beginning with Confidence in 1998. She eventually moved to Los Angeles.

## Career

In theater, Brandt has acted in performances of Much Ado About Nothing with the Arizona Theatre Company, with the San Jose Repertory Theatre, Beth Henley's Ridiculous Fraud, Julia Cho's The Language Archive with South Coast Repertory, and Next Fall with Geffen Playhouse. She has had guest roles on the television shows Without a Trace, Judging Amy, ER, Boston Legal, The Practice, and NCIS.
From 2008 to 2013, Brandt portrayed Marie Schrader in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad. She auditioned for three different roles before being offered the part of Marie. She described her character as "an unpleasant bitch", but also stated that there was more to her than that. "I think we're seeing more of it now that she would be there for her family. But it's all about her." In 2012, she was cast as Sandy in Parenthood. Brandt was cast as Annie Henry on The Michael J. Fox Show, which premiered in September 2013. Her performance was met with positive reviews. She reprised her role as Marie Schrader for the Better Call Saul series finale.
In 2014, Brandt was cast as one of the lead characters in the ABC series Members Only created by Susannah Grant, but the series did not go forward.
From 2015 to 2019, she starred as Heather Short Hughes in the CBS comedy series Life in Pieces. The series was cancelled after four seasons. In 2020, Brandt was announced to be playing the role of Cleo in the pilot episode of the NBC sitcom Jefferies, which was created by Jim Jefferies and Suzanne Martin. To date, the pilot remains unaired.

## Personal life

Brandt is married to fellow UIUC graduate Grady Olsen; they have two children. She gave birth to her second child in 2008 while the second season of Breaking Bad was in production. Brandt and her family reside in Los Angeles.
On June 6, 2010, Brandt was honored as the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus at the Bay City Western High School commencement, and was a featured speaker.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1998 | Confidence | Natasha | Short film |
| 2001 | Memphis Bound...and Gagged | The Director | |
| 2001 | The Red Boot Diaries | Rachel | Short film |
| 2004 | Subhuman | Nikki Reynolds | Also known as Shelf Life |
| 2005 | All Features Great and Small | Jennifer | Short film |
| 2011 | Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life | Madame Zaleski | |
| 2012 | Magic Mike | Banker | |
| 2013 | The Professor | The Professor | Short film |
| 2016 | Between Us | Gigi | |
| 2016 | Claire in Motion | Claire | |
| 2018 | Anywhere with You | Jeanine | |
| 2019 | Straight Up | Topanga | |
| 2020 | Run Sweetheart Run | Judy | |
| 2022 | The Valet | Kathryn Royce | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Judging Amy | Elizabeth Granson | Episode: "Imbroglio" |
| 2002 | JAG | Leslie Rosenbaum | Episode: "The Promised Land" |
| 2003 | ER | Franny Myers | Episode: "Death and Taxes" |
| 2003 | Without a Trace | Libby Coulter | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | The Guardian | Sofia Trokey | Episode: "The Intersection" |
| 2004 | NCIS | PO Barbara Swain | Episode: "The Good Wives Club" |
| 2004 | The Practice | Lynda Hobbs | Episode: "Adjourned (AKA Cheers)" |
| 2004 | Back When We Were Grownups | Nono | Television film |
| 2005 | Medical Investigation | Karen Banks | Episode: "Ice Station" |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Dawn Hanson | Episode: "Burn Out" |
| 2006 | Close to Home | Karen Randall | Episode: "Reasonable Doubts" |
| 2007 | Boston Legal | Gwen Richards | Episode: "Hope and Gory" |
| 2007 | Side Order of Life | Sara Rose | Episode: "Aliens" |
| 2008–2013 | Breaking Bad | Marie Schrader | Main role |
| 2010 | The Whole Truth | Sister Theresa Bendicta | Episode: "Thicker Than Water" |
| 2010 | Miami Medical | Dana | Episode: "Medicine Man" |
| 2011 | No Ordinary Family | Dr. Lena Hopkins | Episode: "No Ordinary Double Standard" |
| 2011–2012 | Private Practice | Joanna Gibbs | 2 episodes |
| 2012–2015 | Parenthood | Sandy | Recurring role; 7 episodes |
| 2012 | Fairly Legal | Natalie Roberts | Episode: "Shattered" |
| 2013 | Body of Proof | Susan Hart | Episode: "Eye for an Eye" |
| 2013–2014 | The Michael J. Fox Show | Annie Henry | Main role |
| 2014 | Masters of Sex | Barbara | Recurring role; 7 episodes |
| 2014 | Members Only | Leslie Holmes | Pilot |
| 2014 | Mothers of the Bride | Haley Snow | Television film |
| 2015–2019 | Life in Pieces | Heather Hughes | Main role |
| 2016 | American Dad! | Nurse Jocelyn | Voice role; episode: "Stan-Dan Deliver" |
| 2017 | FANatic | Tess Daniels | Television film |
| 2017 | Flint | LeeAnne Walters | Television film |
| 2019 | Pearson | Stephanie Novak | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| 2019–2021 | The Unicorn | Caroline | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| 2020 | Soulmates | Caitlen | Recurring role |
| 2020 | A Million Little Things | Colleen | Episode: "'Til Death Do Us Part" |
| 2020 | Jefferies | Cleo | Unaired pilot |
| 2021–2022 | Love, Victor | Dawn Westen | Recurring role |
| 2022 | Better Call Saul | Marie Schrader | Episode: "Saul Gone" |
| 2023 | Accused | Kara | Episode: "Jessie's Story" |
| 2023 | Saint X | Mia Thomas | Main role |

## Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations received by Betsy Brandt :
| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | 2021 | Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | Soulmates | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2012 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Breaking Bad | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2013 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Breaking Bad | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2014 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Breaking Bad | Won |