JoBeth Williams

An appealing actress who has made her biggest impression on the small screen, this stage-trained player often essays fiercely protective matriarchs. While starring on Guiding Light, Williams made an unforgettable film debut in the buff in the 1979 drama Kramer vs. Kramer. Other movies followed, notably Poltergeist, which launched her string of strong mommy roles. But as the '80s wore on, she focused mainly on the tube, appearing in myriad series and TV-movies, usually as a mama, a professional woman or both, and earned multiple Emmy nods in the process. She also branched out into directing and earned an Oscar nod for her 1994 short film On Hope. In the '00s well into her fifties and the mother of two, Williams continued her prolific output, with a host of guest spots on popular shows such as Law & Order: SVU, Las Vegas and 24.