Beth Grant

Beth Grant (born September 18, 1949) is an American character actress known for playing "quirky and emotionally complex characters".

Her credits include Rain Man (1988), Child's Play 2 (1990), Flatliners (1990), Speed (1994), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), A Time To Kill (1996), Sordid Lives (2000), Donnie Darko (2001), Wonderfalls (2004), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Jericho (2006–2007), No Country for Old Men (2007), Pushing Daisies (2008), Dear Lemon Lima (2009), The Artist (2011), The Mindy Project (2012–2017), Mockingbird Lane (2012), As I Lay Dying (2013), Bad Words (2013), Faults (2014), Consumed (2015), Jackie (2016), Lucky (2017), A Series of Unfortunate Events (2019), Dollface (2019–2022), Grace and Frankie (2022), Mayfair Witches (2023), Carol & the End of the World (2024), and The Bondsman (2025).

Early life

Grant was born on September 18, 1949, in Gadsden, Alabama. She grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina and graduated from New Hanover High School in Wilmington in 1967. Her father was a poultry specialist and salesman. Her mother worked as a manager for the North Carolina Employment Security Commission and was an activist for the Equal Rights Amendment. Grant credits her mother with providing her the inspiration to become an actress.

Grant graduated from East Carolina University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and Directing and then moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting.

Career

Grant has appeared in a wide range of films, including three Oscar Best Picture winners: as Mother at Farm House in Rain Man; Helen in Speed; Loretta in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar; Love Field; Kitty Farmer in Donnie Darko; Cora Mae Cobb in A Time to Kill; Pageant Official Jenkins in Little Miss Sunshine; Child's Play 2; Daltry Calhoun; City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold; Don't Tell Her It's Me; Matchstick Men; Factory Girl; The Wizard; Sordid Lives; The Rookie; All About Steve; Carla Jean's dying Mother in No Country for Old Men, Extract, Crazy Heart, Rango, Hollywood to Dollywood (as herself), and Dance with Me.

Grant has appeared in many TV shows, including Coach; Everwood; Delta; The Golden Girls; Malcolm in the Middle; The X-Files; Friends; CSI; Six Feet Under; Wonderfalls; Pushing Daisies; My Name Is Earl; Yes, Dear; King of the Hill; The Office; Angel; Judging Amy; Jericho; Sordid Lives: The Series; Criminal Minds, Sabrina The Teenage Witch; True Blood; How I Met Your Mother; Modern Family; and The Mentalist;

Between 2012 and 2017, she was a series regular as Beverly Janoszewski, in the television comedy The Mindy Project. She is also known for her role as Gracie Leigh in the CBS post-apocalyptic, the drama Jericho. Grant played Arianne Marie Beetle, in the short-lived show Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies, both created by Bryan Fuller, and portrays the similarly named "Marie" in Mockingbird Lane, Fuller's re-imagining of The Munsters.

Grant guest-starred as Gillian, Brady Kelly's mother, in the third season of the sitcom Husbands.

Grant received the award on behalf of the cast for 2014 Chlortrudis Best Ensemble winner, for her role as Annie Bundren in the film As I Lay Dying (2013). Inspired by Mindy Kaling, Grant is also in the process of writing a Broadway musical, set in 1969 Greenwich Village.

Grant was nominated as Best Supporting Performance Female at the 2016 Milan Film Festival for her role as Kristin Kessler; Sophie's diabetic mother and Garrett's grandmother in Consumed (2015). She later portrayed the recurring role of "The Woman with Hair but No Beard" in Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2019), and the Cat Lady in Hulu's Dollface (2019–2022).

She had regular slots Dr. Louise Gelson in Grace and Frankie (2022), as Carlotta Mayfair in Mayfair Witches (2023), as Pauline Kohl in Carol & the End of the World (2024), and played Kitty Halloran in The Bondsman (2025).

Personal life

Grant married actor Michael Chieffo in 1984 or 1985. The couple have one daughter, actress Mary Chieffo. Grant lives with her family in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Stage

• 1971 — Holy Ghosts — Nancy Shedman — East Carolina Playhouse
• 1983 — On A Southern Journey — Ana — Spirit Square
• 1986 — Picnic — Irma Kronkite — Ahmanson Theatre
• 1988 — Summer and Smoke — Mrs. Bassett — Ahmanson Theatre
• 1996 — Sordid Lives — Aunt Sissy — Zephyr Theater, Los Angeles
• 2000 — The Day Emily Married — Lyd Davis — Ruth B. Shannon Center for the Performing Arts
• 2003 — The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife — Willadean Winkler — Zephyr Theater, Los Angeles
• 2009 — Cornelia — Ruby — The Globe Theatre
• 2010 — Grace and Glorie — Grace — The Colony Theatre
• 2011 — Still Life — Georgia O'Keefe — Latino Theater Company, Workshop
• 2011 — Tricks the Devil Taught Me — Betty — Minetta Lane Theatre, Off-Broadway
• 2017 — Miracle on 34th Street — Charlene — Pasadena Playhouse

Awards and nominations

• 2010 — Los Angeles Drama Critics Award — Del Shores — Won
• 2010 — 2010 Ovation Awards — Lead Actress in a Play — Grace & Glorie — Won
• 2012 — SoHo International Film Festival — Best Short Film (Audience award) — The Perfect Fit (Short) — Won
• 2014 — Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films — Chlortrudis Best Ensemble winner — As I Lay Dying (2013) — Won
• 2016 — Milan Film Festival — Best Supporting Performance Female — Consumed (2015) — Nominated