Jaclyn Michelle Betham is a Samoan American actress and

ballet dancer A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on ye ...

. She is best known for her role as Amanda Cryer on the television series '' The Haves and the Have Nots''.

Early life

Betham was born in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

and is of Samoan descent. As a child, Betham was a

gymnast Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...

before she began ballet dancing at age 12. She trained with Ballet San Jose before receiving a full scholarship into the

Houston Ballet Houston Ballet, operated by Houston Ballet Foundation, is a professional ballet company based in Houston, Texas. The company, consisting of 59 dancers, produces over 85 performances per year. History Tatiana Semenova (1955–1967) Houston dev ...

at age 15. Betham went on to perform with Ballet San Jose, Anaheim Ballet,

Opera San Jose Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

, and the

San Francisco Opera San Francisco Opera (SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881–1953) based in San Francisco, California. History Gaetano Merola (1923–1953) Merola's road to prominence in the Bay Area began in 1906 when h ...

. She won a gold medal at Grand Prix Italia when she was 18.

Career

After three years performing with

, Betham worked as an instructor for Ballet San Jose before moving to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

to pursue acting. Her first acting role was playing a kidnapped girl on '' America's Most Wanted''. She starred in the popular 2012 short ''Quiet'', a film based on the true story of a lesbian couple caught in a medical nightmare. In 2013, Betham's first major acting role came when she was cast as Amanda Cryer in the

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmma ...

television series '' The Haves and the Have Nots''. In 2020, she made her debut as a writer and producer on the film ''Getaway''.

Personal life

Betham teaches ballet and is the founder of a nonprofit organization called Betham Ballet Theatre.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

Living people American television actresses American film actresses American ballerinas American people of Samoan descent Actresses of Samoan descent 21st-century American actresses Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-actor-stub