Adrienne Jo Barbeau (born June 11, 1945) is an American actress and author. She came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Betty Rizzo in the musical Grease, and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter of Maude Findlay (played by Bea Arthur) on the sitcom Maude (1972–1978). In 1980, she began appearing in horror and science fiction films, including The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981), Creepshow (1982), and Swamp Thing (1982). She also provided the voice of Catwoman in the DC Animated Universe. In the 2000s, she appeared on the HBO series Carnivàle (2003–2005) as Ruthie.
Early life
Barbeau was born on June 11, 1945, in Sacramento, California, the daughter of Armene (née Nalbandian) and Joseph Barbeau, who was a public relations executive for Mobil Oil. Her mother was of Armenian descent and her father's ancestry was French Canadian, Irish, and German. She has a sister, Jocelyn, and a half brother on her father's side, Robert Barbeau, who still resides in the Sacramento area. She attended Del Mar High School in San Jose, California. After graduating in 1963, she enrolled at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California, but dropped out at age 19 to participate in a USO Tour with the San Jose Light Opera. In her autobiography, Barbeau says that she first caught the show business bug while entertaining troops at army bases throughout Southeast Asia, touring with the San Jose Civic Light Opera.
Career
1960s–1989
In the late 1960s, Barbeau moved to New York City and worked "for the mob" as a go-go dancer. She made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Fiddler on the Roof and later took the role of Hodel, Tevye's daughter; Bette Midler played her character's sister Tzeitel. She left Fiddler in 1971 to play the leading role of Cookie Kovac in the off-Broadway nudie musical Stag Movie. Barbeau, as Cookie Kovac, and Brad Sullivan, as Rip Cord, were "quite jolly and deserve to be congratulated on the lack of embarrassment they show when, on occasion, they have to wander around stark naked. They may not be sexy but they certainly keep cheerful," wrote The New York Times theater critic Clive Barnes in an otherwise negative review. Barbeau went on to appear in more than 25 musicals and plays, including Women Behind Bars, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Grease. She received a Theater World Award and a 1972 Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of tough-girl Rizzo in Grease.
During the 1970s, Barbeau starred as Carol Traynor, the daughter of Bea Arthur's title character, on the comedy series Maude, which ran from 1972 to 1978 (actress Marcia Rodd had originated the role of Carol in a 1972 episode of All in the Family, also titled "Maude," alongside Arthur). In her autobiography, There Are Worse Things I Could Do, Barbeau remarked: "What I didn't know is that when I said [my lines] I was usually walking down a flight of stairs and no one was even listening to me. They were just watching my breasts precede me." During the last season of Maude, Barbeau did not appear in the majority of the episodes. In a 2009 Entertainment Tonight TV interview, Barbeau mentioned that she had good on- and off-camera chemistry with Arthur; she said that the two stayed close until Arthur's death on April 25, 2009. Barbeau and Arthur reunited on camera during a 2007 taping of The View, reminiscing about their long-running friendship and their years as co-stars on Maude. About her relationship with Arthur, Barbeau said in a 2018 interview with Dread Central:
Barbeau made guest appearances in numerous television films and series such as The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Valentine Magic on Love Island, and Battle of the Network Stars. In her autobiography, she claimed: "I actually thought CBS asked me to be on Battle of the Network Stars because they thought I was athletic. My husband clued me in: who cared if I won the race, as long as I bounced when I ran?"
The popularity of Barbeau's 1978 cheesecake poster confirmed her status as a sex symbol. Barbeau's popularity stemmed partly from what critic Joe Bob Briggs referred to as the "two enormous talents on that woman," and her typecasting as a "tough broad". Despite her initial success, she said at the time that she thought of Hollywood as a "flesh market" and that she would rather appear in films that "explore the human condition" and "deal with issues".
Barbeau's then-husband, director John Carpenter, cast her in his horror film, The Fog (1980), which was her first theatrical film appearance. The film was released on February 1, 1980, and was a theatrical success, grossing over $21 million in the United States alone, and establishing Barbeau as a genre film star. She subsequently appeared in a number of early-1980s horror and science fiction films, including Escape from New York (1981) (also from Carpenter), Creepshow (1982) and Swamp Thing (1982). Of her screen work with Carpenter, Barbeau has stated: "John is a great director. He knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. It's simple and it's easy [working with him]."
She also appeared in the Burt Reynolds comedy The Cannonball Run (1981), and as the wife of Rodney Dangerfield's character in Back to School (1986). Barbeau also starred in the comedy Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989).
1990s–present
In the 1990s, Barbeau mostly appeared in made-for-television films such as Scott Turow's The Burden of Proof (1992), as well as playing Oswald's mother on The Drew Carey Show and gaining new fame among animation fans as Catwoman on Batman: The Animated Series and Gotham Girls.
She also worked as a television talk show host and a weekly book reviewer for KABC talk radio in Los Angeles. In 1999, she guest starred in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" as Romulan Senator Kimara Cretak.
From 2003 to 2005, she starred on the HBO series Carnivàle.
in 2007, Barbeau played a cameo role in Rob Zombie's Halloween, a "reimagining" of the 1978 film of the same name, written and directed by her first husband, John Carpenter. Her scene was cut from the theatrical version of the film but is included in the DVD version.
In 2009, Barbeau was cast as "The Cat Lady" in the family comedy The Dog Who Saved Christmas, and as a hospice patient in the love story Reach for Me.
Also in 2009, Barbeau had guest spots in the first episode of Showtime's series Dexter (Season 4).
She appears in Argo (2012), playing the former wife of Alan Arkin's character.
Barbeau reprised her role as Catwoman in an animated remake of the third trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. This trailer was made to both celebrate the upcoming film as well as to promote Hub's ten episode marathon of Batman: The Animated Series.
In 2015, she assumed the role of Berthe in Pippin with the Broadway Touring Company of the renowned musical.
In 2021, Barbeau voiced the role of Queen Gehenna in the sci-fi musical audio series, The World to Come.
Personal life
In 1978, Barbeau met director John Carpenter on the set of his television film Someone's Watching Me! The couple wed on January 1, 1979, and lived in the Studio City side of Coldwater Canyon, reportedly remaining "totally outside Hollywood's social circles."
In 1991, Barbeau met actor/playwright/producer Billy Van Zandt, when she was cast in the West Coast premiere of his play Drop Dead!. They wed in 1992. On March 17, 1997, at the age of almost 52, Barbeau gave birth to twin boys, quipping that she was the only one on the maternity ward who was a member of AARP. The couple filed for divorce in 2018.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1980
| data-sort-value="Fog, The" | The Fog
| Stevie Wayne
|
|-
| 1981
| Escape from New York
| Maggie
|
|-
| 1981
| data-sort-value="Cannonball Run, The" | The Cannonball Run
| Marcie
|
|-
| 1982
| Swamp Thing
| Alice Cable
|
|-
| 1982
| data-sort-value="Thing, The" | The Thing
| Chess Computer
|Voice
|-
| 1982
| Creepshow
| Wilma Northrup
| Segment: "The Crate"
|-
| 1984
| data-sort-value="Next One, The" | The Next One
| Andrea
|
|-
| 1984
| Terror in the Aisles
| Stevie Wayne
| Archival footage
|-
| 1986
| Back to School
| Vanessa
|
|-
| 1987
| Open House
| Lisa Grant
|
|-
| 1989
| Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death
| Dr. Kurtz
|
|-
| 1990
| '
| Mary Magdalene
| Voice, direct-to-video short
|-
| 1990
| Two Evil Eyes
| Jessica Valdemar
| Segment: "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar"
|-
| 1993
| Father Hood
| Celeste
|
|-
| 1993
| Demolition Man
| Main Frame Computer (voice)
| Uncredited
|-
| 1994
| Silk Degrees
| Violet
|
|-
| 1995
| Judge Dredd
| Central
| Voice, uncredited
|-
| 1998
| Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
| Simone Lenoir
| Voice, direct-to-video
|-
| 1999
| data-sort-value="Wake in Providence, A" | A Wake in Providence
| Aunt Lidia
|
|-
| 2000
| Across the Line
| Mrs. Randall
|
|-
| 2000
| '
| Adult Christine
|
|-
| 2002
| No Place Like Home
| Evie
|
|-
| 2003
| Ghost Rock
| Mattie Baker
|
|-
| 2007
| Halloween
| Adoption Agency Secretary
| Her role was cut from the final finished film, but was later included on the DVD Special Edition
|-
| 2007
| Unholy
| Martha
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2008
| Fly Me to the Moon
| Scooter's mother
| Voice
|-
|Watchmen Chapter 2
|Sally Jupiter / Silk Specter I, Police Dispatcher
|-
| 2025
| data-sort-value="Pitch-Fork, The" | The Pitch-Fork
| Elle
| Rowspan="2"|Pre-production
|-
| TBA
| Kindling
| Mother Ruth
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1972–1978
| Maude
| Carol Traynor
| Regular role (93 episodes)
|-
| 1974-1975
| data-sort-value="Match Game, The" | The Match Game
| Herself
| Celebrity panelist in episodes airing in September and December 1974 and August of 1975
|-
| 1976
| '
| Daisy White
| Television film
|-
| 1976
| Julie Farr, M.D.
| Allie Duggin
| Television film
|-
| 1977
| Eight Is Enough
| Jennifer Linden
| Episode: "Turnabout"
|-
| 1977
| Red Alert
| Judy Wyche
| Television film
|-
| 1977
| Quincy, M.E.
| Carol Bowen
| Episode: "Let Me Light the Way"
|-
| 1977
| Have I Got a Christmas for You
| Marcia Levine
| Television film
|-
| 1978
| '
| Maj. Kate Steele
| Television film
|-
| 1978
| '
| Cathy Randall
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1978
| Crash
| Veronica Daniels
| Television film
|-
| 1978
| Someone's Watching Me!
| Sophie
| Television film
|-
| 1978
| Fantasy Island
| Margo Dean
| Episode: "Return to Fantasy Island"
|-
| 1979
| $weepstake$
| Bonnie Jones
| 1 episode
|-
| 1979
| Fantasy Island
| Brenda Richards
| Episode: "The Pug/Class of '69"
|-
| 1979
| '
| Margaret Corwin
| Television film
|-
| 1980
| Top of the Hill
| Elizabeth Stone
| Television film
|-
| 1980
| Valentine Magic on Love Island
| Beverly McGraw
| Television film
|-
| 1980
| Tourist
| Barbara Huggins
| Television film
|-
| 1981
| Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase
| Susan O'Neill
| Television film
|-
| 1983
| Fantasy Island
| Adele Anthony
| Episode: "Midnight Waltz/Let Them Eat Cake"
|-
| 1983-1988
| data-sort-value="$25,000 Pyramid, The" | The $25,000 Pyramid
| Herself
| Celebrity guest star in 45 episodes airing between January 1983 and April 1988
|-
| 1984
| Hotel
| Barbara Harrington
| Episode: "Tomorrows"
|-
| 1985
| Seduced
| Barbara Orloff
| Television film
|-
| 1985
| Murder, She Wrote
| Kathryn
| Episode: "Jessica Behind Bars"
|-
| 1985
| Bridge Across Time
| Lynn Chandler
| Television film
|-
| 1985
| data-sort-value="Twilight Zone, The" | The Twilight Zone
| Miss Peters
| Episode: "Teacher's Aide"
|-
| 1985-1987
| data-sort-value="$100,000 Pyramid, The" | The $100,000 Pyramid
| Herself
| Celebrity guest star in 35 episodes airing between November 1985 and January 1988
|-
| 1986
| Hotel
| Ellie
| Episode: "Shadow Play"
|-
| 1987
| Murder, She Wrote
| Lynette Bryant
| Episode: "The Bottom Line Is Murder"
|-
| 1987
| Ultraman: The Adventure Begins
| Lt. Beth O'Brien
| Voice, television film
|-
| 1989
| Monsters
| Fiona FLynn
| Episode: "All in a Days Work"
|-
| 1989
| Head of the Class
| Gloria
| Episode: "The Little Sister"
|-
| 1990
| CBS Schoolbreak Special
| Mary Martelli
| Episode: "The Fourth Man"
|-
| 1991
| Blood River
| Georgina
| Television film
|-
| 1991
| Doublecrossed
| Debbie Seal
| Television film
|-
| 1991
| data-sort-value="$100,000 Pyramid, The" | The $100,000 Pyramid
| Herself
| Celebrity guest star for 10 episodes airing February 18 to February 22, 1991 and December 2 to December 6, 1991
|-
| 1992
| '
| Silvia Hartnell
| Television film
|-
| 1992
| Dream On
| Gloria Gantz
| Episode: "Bad Girls"
|-
| 1992–1995
| Batman: The Animated Series
| Selina Kyle / Catwoman
| Voice, 7 episodes
|-
| Steel Dawn
| Vault 76 overseer
|
| Carnivàle
|
|-
| 2007
| ShockerFest International Film Festival
| Lifetime Achievement Award
| Recognized for her long-standing impact on horror cinema
|
|-
| 2010
| Chicago Horror Film Festival
| Festival Award for Best Actress
| Alice Jacobs Is Dead
|
|-
| 2012
| New York City Horror Film Festival
| Lifetime Achievement Award
| Contributions to the History of Horror
|
|-
| 2016
| New York City Horror Film Festival
| Lifetime Achievement Award
|
|
|-
| 2023
| Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival
| Best Actress in a Short Film
| Early Retirement
|
|-
| 2023
| FANtastic Horror Film Festival, San Diego
| Best Supporting Actress in a Short Film
| Oddities
|
|-
| 2023
| Los Angeles CINEVERSE Film Festival
| Best Performance
| Early Retirement
|
|-
| 2024
| Coolidge Corner Theatre
| Coolidge After Midnite Award
| The Fog & Escape From New York
|
|-
| 2024
| Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival
| Best Actress
| Oddities
|
|-
| 2024
| Riverrun International Film Festival
| Master of Cinema
| Special Master of Cinema
|
|}
Bibliography
Barbeau's autobiography There Are Worse Things I Could Do was published in 2006 by Carroll & Graf Publishers, rising to No. 11 on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list. In July 2008, her first novel, Vampyres of Hollywood, was published by St Martin's Press. The novel was co-written by Michael Scott. The first sequel Love Bites was published in 2010, and the second, Make Me Dead was published in 2015.
- <!--|access-date=July 7, 2012-->
- <!--|access-date=July 7, 2012-->
- <!--|access-date=July 7, 2012-->