Bibi Besch
Bibi Besch (born Bibiana Maria Köchert; February 1, 1942 – September 7, 1996) was an Austrian-American film, television, and stage actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Dr. Carol Marcus in the science fiction film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Her other notable film roles were in Who's That Girl (1987), Steel Magnolias (1989), and Tremors (1990). Besch also appeared in a number of television series and received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Bibi Besch | |
---|---|
Born | Bibiana Maria Köchert February 1, 1942 Vienna, Austria |
Died | September 7, 1996 54) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1954–1996 |
Spouse(s) | Donald B. Mathis (m. 1965; div. 1973) |
Children | Samantha Mathis |
Parent(s) | Gotfrid Köchert Gusti Huber |
Early life
Bibiana Maria Köchert was born in Vienna, Austria in 1942, the younger of two daughters born to theater actress Gusti Huber, who starred in German films during World War II, and Gotfrid Köchert, an Austrian racing driver, who served in the Wehrmacht. She had an elder sister, Christiana Barbara Köchert (August 17, 1939 – August 13, 2004). Gusti and her two daughters remained in Vienna throughout World War II, emigrating to the United States after the war ended. [1] Joseph Besch, a radio executive and former U.S. Army captain, married Huber, a divorcee, in 1946, and became Huber's daughters' stepfather; his stepchildren took his surname. Huber and Besch later had two children, born in the United States, Drea and Andrew, the half-siblings of Bibiana and Christiana.[2] Bibi, her sister and half-siblings,[3] grew up in Chappaqua, New York, where they attended local elementary and junior high schools. She graduated from Horace Greeley High School there in 1959, and attended Connecticut College for Women, but, before graduating, moved to New York City to become an actress. Her only child is Samantha Mathis, also an actress.
Career
Besch appeared in a variety of television series, including Street Hawk, The Edge of Night, The Secret Storm, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, The Rockford Files, Dallas, The Golden Girls, Murder, She Wrote, Somerset, Backstairs at the White House, It's Garry Shandling's Show, and Date with an Angel. She played Dr. Carol Marcus, the early love of Admiral James T. Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), and other films included roles in Victory at Entebbe (1976), The Pack (1977), The Promise (1979), Meteor (1979), The Beast Within (1982), The Lonely Lady (1983), The Day After (1983), Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry (1986), He's My Girl (1987), Who's That Girl (1987), Steel Magnolias (1989), Tremors (1990), and Betsy's Wedding (1990).
In 1992, she received an Emmy Award nomination for her performance in Doing Time on Maple Drive, which starred William McNamara and Jim Carrey as her sons. She received another Emmy nomination in 1993 for her recurring-character role as the neurotic mother of Janine Turner's character on Northern Exposure. She continued to act, including roles on ER and Melrose Place, until shortly before her death.
Death
Bibi Besch died on September 7, 1996 at age 54 following a long battle with breast cancer.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1975 | Distance | Joanne Morse | |
1976 | Victory at Entebbe | German Woman | TV movie |
1977 | The Pack | Marge | |
1979 | Hardcore | Mary | |
1979 | The Promise | Dr. Faye Allison | |
1979 | Meteor | Helen Bradley | |
1982 | The Beast Within | Caroline MacCleary | |
1982 | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | Dr. Carol Marcus | |
1983 | The Lonely Lady | Veronica Randall | |
1983 | The Day After | Eve Dahlberg | TV movie |
1983 | Likely Stories, Vol. 3 | Beth Warner | |
1986 | Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry | Doreen Delafield | TV movie |
1987 | Who's That Girl | Mrs. Worthington | |
1987 | He's My Girl | Marcia | |
1987 | Date with an Angel | Grace Sanders | |
1989 | Kill Me Again | Jack's Secretary | |
1989 | Steel Magnolias | Belle Marmillion | |
1990 | Tremors | Megan as The Doctor's Wife | |
1990 | Betsy's Wedding | Nancy Lovell | |
1991 | Lonely Hearts | Maria Wilson | |
1995 | My Family | Mrs. Gillespie | |
1999 | California Myth | Harriet | (final film role) |
1986 Highway to Heaven Season 2 episode 23 Children's children Joyce Bliar, who runs children's home
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | 4th Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
1992 | 44th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | Nominated | |
1993 | 45th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
References
- "BIBI BESCH, APPEARED IN TV ROLES". Retrieved May 18, 2015.
- Profile Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine AmericanHeritage.com; accessed November 3, 2015.
- Gusti Huber obituary, variety.com; accessed November 3, 2015.
External links
- Bibi Besch on IMDb
- Bibi Besch at AllMovie
- Bibi Besch at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
- Bibi Besch at Find a Grave