Ivy Bethune (1 June 1918 – 19 July 2019) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. Born in Sevastopol, Russia, her career spanned the early days of radio, television and film, and she was a board member with both

AFTRA The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was a performers' union that represented a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording ...

and

Actor's Equity The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a book or thro ...

. She was the mother of acclaimed ballerina and actor

Zina Bethune Zina Bianca Bethune (February 17, 1945 – February 12, 2012) was an American actress, dancer, and choreographer. She was the daughter of actress Ivy Bethune. Early years Bethune was born on Staten Island, the daughter of Ivy ( Vigder), a Russi ...

. A career

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

, her earliest regular role was in the radio series The Adventures of Superman. She appeared in various other television shows and movies throughout her career but became more widely recognized in the 1980s for recurring roles in

Father Murphy ''Father Murphy'' is an American Western drama television series that aired on the NBC network from November 3, 1981, to September 18, 1983. Michael Landon created the series, was the executive producer, and directed the show in partnership w ...

and

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...

. Other notable appearances included the Star Trek: The Next Generation first season episode "When the Bough Breaks" and Ma Peabody in the 1985

movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985 ...

''. She was a former Equity Councillor, devoting more than 80 years to civil rights activism and equal opportunity rights. At the time of her death, Bethune was the second-oldest living female ''Star Trek'' performer, after Marsha Hunt. She was the third oldest overall ''Star Trek'' performer after Hunt and

Norman Lloyd Norman Nathan Lloyd (''né'' Perlmutter; November 8, 1914 – May 11, 2021) was an American actor, producer, director, and centenarian with a career in entertainment spanning nearly a century. He worked in every major facet of the industry, inc ...

. She was the sixth ''Star Trek'' performer to reach the age of 100. She died of natural causes in

Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States. History The area was inhabited for around 8,000 years by Native Americans in the United States, ...

at age 101.

References

External links

*
Ivy Bethune (“The Ivy”)
at

Actors Equity The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a book or thro ...

* 1918 births 2019 deaths American actresses American women centenarians Soviet emigrants to the United States {{US-screen-actor-1910s-stub