Betsy Brandt

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Not to be confused with Betsy Brantley.

Betsy Brandt
Betsy Brandt by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
Brandt at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Betsy Ann Brandt

Auburn, Michigan, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (BFA)
Harvard University (MFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1998–present
Spouse(s)
Grady Olsen
​
(m. 1996)​
Children2

Betsy Ann Brandt is an American actress. She portrayed Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad (2008–2013) and played Heather Hughes in the CBS sitcom Life in Pieces (2015–2019).

Early life[]

Brandt was born in Auburn, Michigan.[1] She is of German descent. She graduated from Bay City Western High School in Auburn, Michigan, in 1991.[2] 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.[3][4] 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.[1] 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.[5] 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.[3] Her performance was met with positive reviews.[6]

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.[7][8][9]

From 2015 to 2019, she stars as Heather Short Hughes in the CBS comedy series Life in Pieces. The series was cancelled after four seasons. In 2020, Brandt will play the role of Cleo in the NBC sitcom Jefferies, which was created by Jim Jefferies and Suzanne Martin.[10]

Personal life[]

Brandt is married to fellow UIUC graduate Grady Olsen; they have two children.[2][3][11] 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 Jeanine
2019 Straight Up Topanga
2020 Run Sweetheart Run Judy
TBA The Valet Kathryn Royce Post-production

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 51 episodes
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 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 22 episodes
2014 Masters of Sex Barbara 7 episodes
2014 Members Only Leslie Holmes Pilot
2014 Mothers of the Bride Haley Snow Television film
2015–2019 Life in Pieces Heather Hughes 79 episodes
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 6 episodes
2019–2021 The Unicorn Caroline 5 episodes
2020 Soulmates Caitlen Recurring Role
2020 A Million Little Things Colleen Episode: "'Til Death Do Us Part"
2021 Love, Victor Dawn Westen Recurring Role
TBA Jefferies Cleo Television pilot

Awards and nominations[]

List of awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work Result
2011
 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Breaking Bad Nominated
2012
 Nominated
2013
 Won
2021
 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Soulmates Nominated

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader". AMC. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bay City's Brandt sinking her teeth into the role of Marie on AMC's 'Breaking Bad'". MLive.com. February 6, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "U of I alum and 'Breaking Bad' star Betsy Brandt". Chicago Sun-Times. July 27, 2013. Archived from the original on August 4, 2013.
  4. ^ "Actress Betsy Brandt '96 FAA of Breaking Bad talks Hollywood with Illinois Alumni". University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. June 28, 2013. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013.
  5. ^ "Conversations with Ross: Featuring Betsy Brandt". Ross Carey.com. 2011.
  6. ^ "The Michael J. Fox Show Season 1 Review". Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  7. ^ Etkin, Jaimie; Jarett Wieselman. "Shonda Rhimes Takes Over ABC's Thursday Nights". BuzzFeed. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  8. ^ "Betsy Brandt to co-star in The Club on ABC" (March 2014); accessed April 21, 2014.
  9. ^ Lesley Goldberg. "ABC's 'Members Only' Not Moving Forward (Exclusive) - Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  10. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 24, 2020). "Betsy Brandt To Star In NBC Comedy Pilot 'Jefferies'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  11. ^ "Betsy Brandt of Breaking Bad". Illinois Alumni Magazine. University of Illinois Alumni Association. June 14, 2013.

References[]

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