JoBeth Williams

Known for: Acting
Born: December 6, 1948, Houston, Texas, USA
Movies: 79

Margaret JoBeth Williams (born December 6, 1948) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy nominated American film and television actress and director, and current President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.

Williams rose to prominence appearing in such films as Stir Crazy (1980), Poltergeist (1982), The Big Chill (1983), The Day After (1983), Teachers (1984), and Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986).

A three-time Emmy Award nominee, she was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her work in the TV movie Adam (1983) and the TV miniseries Baby M (1988). Her third nomination was for her guest role in the sitcom Frasier (1994).

Upcoming JoBeth Williams Movies

Behemoth!

2026

December 2, 2026

Best-Known Movies

7.2

Poltergeist

1982

7.6

Kramer vs. Kramer

1979

5.4

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot

1992

6.8

Wyatt Earp

1994

6.0

The Big Year

2011

6.0

Poltergeist II: The Other Side

1986

6.2

Fever Pitch

2005

6.8

The Big Chill

1983

5.9

In the Land of Women

2007

5.4

Jungle 2 Jungle

1997

Filmography

2026	Behemoth!	Ginnie Serian
2026	She Was Here	Self
2025	Not Without Hope	Marcia
2025	SEGAL	Self
2024	Cash for Gold	Boots
2023	Chantilly Bridge	Natalie
2020	What the Night Can Do	Bettye Sue Dryer
2019	SGT. Will Gardner	Sherry
2018	Alex & the List	Mrs. Stern
2017	Barracuda	Patricia
2016	Within	Rosemary Fletcher
2016	The Last Film Festival	Mayor
2015	In My Dreams	Charlotte Smith
2011	Love's Christmas Journey	Beatrice
2011	The Big Year	Edith
2009	Uncorked	Sophia Browning
2009	TiMER	Marion
2007	Sybil	Hattie Dorsett
2007	In the Land of Women	Agnes Webb
2005	14 Hours	Jeanette Makins
2005	Crazylove	Mrs. Mayer
2005	Into the Fire	June Sickles
2005	Fever Pitch	Maureen Meeks
2002	The Curse of Poltergeist
2002	Searching for Debra Winger	Self
2002	The Rose Technique	Dr. Lillian Rose
2002	Repossessed
2001	The Ponder Heart	Edna Earle Ponder
2000	Trapped in a Purple Haze	Sophie Hanson
1999	Jackie's Back!	Jo Face (Jackie's Vocal Coach)
1999	It Came from the Sky	Alice Bridges
1999	The Big Chill: A Reunion	Self
1999	Justice	Jane Newhart
1998	A Chance of Snow	Madeline 'Maddie' Parker
1997	When Danger Follows You Home	Anne Werden
1997	Jungle 2 Jungle	Dr. Patricia Cromwell
1997	Just Write	Sidney Stone
1996	After the SIlence	Pam Willis (as Jobeth Williams)
1996	Ruby Jean and Joe	Rose
1995	A Season of Hope	Elizabeth Hackett
1994	Voices from Within	Nancy Parkhurst
1994	Parallel Lives	Winnie Winslow
1994	Wyatt Earp	Bessie Earp
1993	Final Appeal	Christine Biondi
1993	Chantilly Lace	Natalie
1993	Sex, Love and Cold Hard Cash	Sarah Gallagher
1992	Commercial Entertainment Product	Diane Freeling
1992	Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted	Ginny Moore
1992	Me, Myself and I	Crazy / Sane Diane
1992	Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot	Gwen Harper
1991	Dutch	Natalie Standish
1991	Switch	Margo Brofman
1991	Victim of Love	Tess Harper
1990	Timeless Tales: The Elves and the Shoemaker	Bettina (voice)
1990	Child in the Night	Dr. Hollis
1989	Welcome Home	Sarah
1989	My Name Is Bill W.	Lois Wilson
1988	Memories of Me	Lisa
1987	Murder Ordained	Lorna Anderson
1986	Adam: His Song Continues	Reve Walsh
1986	Poltergeist II: The Other Side	Diane Freeling
1986	Desert Bloom	Lily Chismore
1985	Kids Don't Tell	Claudia Ryan
1984	American Dreamer	Cathy Palmer
1984	Teachers	Lisa Hammond
1983	The Day After	Nurse Nancy Bauer
1983	Adam	Reve Walsh
1983	The Big Chill	Karen Bowens
1982	Endangered Species	Harriet Purdue
1982	Poltergeist	Diane Freeling
1981	Joe Dancer: The Big Black Pill	Tiffany Farinpour
1980	The Dogs of War	Jessie
1980	Stir Crazy	Meredith
1980	Fun and Games	Laura Weston
1979	Kramer vs. Kramer	Phyllis Bernard
1978	The World Beyond	Marian Faber
1974	Feasting with Panthers	Constance Wilde

Directing, Writing & Producing

2000	Frankie & Hazel	Director
1994	On Hope	Director

Data from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.