Bebe Neuwirth

She married theater director Paul Dorman in 1984. However, the marriage ended in a divorce in 1991. After her divorce, she dated American actor Michael Danek for a while and got engaged to him in 1997. However, the relationship soured soon. Bebe then married Chris Calkins in 2009. Chris is the founder of ‘Destino Wines,’ a winery in Napa Valley. She was also linked to TV personality George Stephanopoulos, before she got married to her present husband.

She has no children of her own. She is an animal lover and has financially supported many initiatives for the well-being of stray cats and dogs.

Bebe had to undergo a hip replacement surgery in May 2006. However, the surgery did not stop her from continuing with her acting career.

Beatrice Neuwirth was born on 31 December, 1958, in Newark, New Jersey, US, to Sydney Anne and Lee Paul Neuwirth. Her mother was a painter, and her father was a mathematician. She has a brother named Peter who is an actuary. Hers is a Jewish family with its roots in Austria, Germany, and Russia.

She started learning ballet at the age of 5 and discovered her inclination toward performing arts at a young age. She graduated from ‘Princeton High School’ in 1976 and went on to attend the prestigious ‘Juilliard School’ in New York City, from 1976 to 1977, majoring in dance.

During this period, she was exposed to theater and got the opportunity to perform with the ‘Princeton Ballet Company’ in shows such as ‘The Nutcracker’ and ‘Peter and the Wolf’ as a junior ballerina. She also appeared in community-theater productions in her neighborhood, which paved the way for her future career as “Bebe Neuwirth.”

Neuwirth made her first appearance on ‘Broadway’ as ‘Sheila’ in the 1980 musical ‘A Chorus Line.’ This was followed by her appearance in ‘Little Me’ in 1982 and in ‘Sweet Charity’ in 1986. Her work in ‘Sweet Charity’ was recognized by a ‘Tony Award’ for the ‘Best Featured Actress in a Musical.’

From 1986 to 1993, she appeared as ‘Dr. Lilith Sternin’ in the TV comedy serial ‘Cheers.’ She reprised the role in the serial ‘Wings’ and in the ‘Cheers’ spin-off ‘Frasier.’ During the same period, she also appeared in the serials ‘Simon & Simon’ and ‘Fame.’

By now, she was a well-known figure in the entertainment world. She soon made her big-screen debut as ‘Mrs. Evans’ in the movie ‘Say Anything…’ in 1989. This was followed by her appearances in ‘Green Card’ and ‘Bugsy,’ both of which received positive reviews.

Her stage performances in the 1990s included her performance in the 1994 musical comedy ‘Damn Yankees,’ based on the book by George Abbot and Douglass Wallop.

She got her biggest break in 1996, with the role of ‘Velma Kelly’ in the ‘Broadway’ production of ‘Chicago,’ for which she picked up several awards, including a ‘Tony Award’ and an ‘Outer Critics Circle Award.’ From May to October 2004, she appeared in her own musical, ‘Here Lies Jenny’ at the ‘Zipper Theater’ in New York City, where she sang and danced with the assistance of four other musicians. The show was repeated in San Francisco the following year.

Some of her noteworthy movies are ‘Say Anything…’ (1989), ‘Bugsy’ (1991), ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’ (1996), ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ (2003), ‘Adopt a Sailor’ (2008), and ‘Fame’ (2009).

Some of the TV serials that have featured Bebe Neuwirth are ‘Cheers’ (1986–1993), ‘Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color’ (1990), ‘Wild Palms’ (1993), ‘Frasier’ (1994–1995), ‘Sabrina, the Teenage Witch’ (1999), ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ (1999, 2005), ‘The Cleveland Show’ (2010), ‘Blue Bloods’ (2013–2018), and ‘Madam Secretary’ (2014–2017).

Her major stage performances have been for ‘A Chorus Line’ (1980), ‘Little Me’ (1982), ‘Sweet Charity’ (1986), ‘Damn Yankees’ (1994), ‘Chicago’ (1996, 2006, and 2014), ‘Funny Girl’ (2002), and ‘The Addams Family’ (2010).